Website Updated

Website Updated

I generated my website database of nearly 25,000 relatives and uploaded it. With filtering and editing, it took most of the afternoon, but is working now. I asked FreeFind.com re-index (spider) my site so that my search engine will work properly, and already they report that they have done so.  

I try to do a major website update twice a year, but this time it only happened once. I still hope to create a 2012 version of the Buchanan Family Tree book before Christmas, and that deadline is approaching rapidly.

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I am making good progress on the Lidgett Family book, which is a much more involved effort. Fortunately I have help from some Lidgett family members who provide information that my own research would never find. Some of the stories are quite interesting. What would you do if you had a dairy farm of Guernsey cows and your milk quota was cut 50%? You can read Brian and Brenda Moore's story at http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/8965780.Brymor_ice_cream_founder_dies_at_76/

Or find out about the movie version at http://www.yorkshirefilmarchive.com/film/spoilt-choice 

Everyone has their own battles to fight. The Moores' fight was with the European Union's milk quota, and then with their local government. I loved reading the story!

Lidgett Family Book   

Last Wednesday, after my FHC director's meeting I stopped by my cousin Ernie Lidgett's house to photograph the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal received by their son, a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. While I was there, they talked about the Lidgett Family Book that we had discussed 2 or 3 years ago. Donna Lidgett had given me a $50 bill towards my expenses (which still sits in my wallet). On Wednesday I returned home with a large envelope of papers and another envelope of old photos. My "mission" was to turn all of this into a book.

Over the past week I have been inputting and verifying information. I already had some of it, but I had to review the papers and make sure that the computer file was complete as possible. I also had to scan the photos, and the results here were disappointing. My current scanner is a Lexmark, and it does not do as good of job as my old scanners did. But I have now scanned the photos. I hope the results are acceptable.

I also did additional research and made some phone calls to Ernie and Donna to fill in some blanks. I knew that Ivy Firth was a cousin the Uncle Albert, but I could not fit her into the family tree. Guess what! She is from the Lee side of the family tree! Once I knew that I was able to find information about her. Donna mentioned that my own mother looked after Ivy's oldest son while Ivy was away to give birth to her younger son. I knew that Mom had worked for the Olson family as a teenager, and that Ivy had married one of the Olson sons, but hadn't realized that Mom knew Ivy.

In any case, I feel that progress is being made on the Lidgett book. Here are their smiling faces coming to Canada.

Jim, Art, Fred, Albert
Jack, Kate, Liza, Jim, Ivy Firth (niece)
granddaughter Peggy

Calgary Temple Open House  

Why would we drive 8 hours just to tour a building? I mean, it isn't as if we had never been in a "Mormon" temple before. Judy and I serve every Saturday in the Edmonton Temple. But we both felt a desire to visit the new Calgary Temple. Once it has been dedicated, this will be the 140th of our temples in operation around the world. Unlike our tens of thousands of chapels, temples are chiefly ceremonial centers. They are designated as "The House of the Lord". They are places where heaven touches the earth.

At first we thought we would get some of the family to come with us, but our schedules made it impossible. We still wanted to go, so we ordered free tickets for October 3 at 1:15 PM. That way we could leave in the morning and be home that evening. And we would beat the last-minute rush just before the open house ends on October 20th. The weather was overcast, and the trip was pleasant. There had been a little snow south of Red Deer and then just north of Calgary, but the roads were excellent and we easily found the temple. The tour was well organized, from parking, through the orientation video, and the tour itself. The building is very different from the Edmonton temple. For one thing it is twice as large, and much taller. The ceiling in the celestial room must be about 30 feet/10 metres high! I found it both spiritual and magnificent. Back in the cultural hall of the adjacent chapel we saw our long-time friends Joyce and Rune Backstom, and they re-introduced us to another old friend that we hadn't seen for maybe 40 years.

As we were leaving the parking lot I stopped to take photos. I didn't realize until looking at them right now that there is a patch of blue sky. They often say about Calgary "If you don't like the weather just wait 5 minutes!" This day definitely fit that pattern. A few minutes later we were driving through a snow storm. We were low on gas, so we stopped in Airdrie to refuel and the snow stopped while I was refueling, only to start falling again a few minutes later, and stop again further down the road. We made good time and were home about 5:30 PM. It was a beautiful experience. 

If you are interested:

This link will take you to an information page http://www.lds.org/church/temples/calgary-alberta?lang=eng

This link will take you to the page where you can get free tickets https://templeopenhouse.lds.org/

Rob and Rachel's Move  

Well, our newly-weds have moved into a place of their own. I haven't seen it yet, but I helped loading up the moving van at Mark's house, where they have been living. They were also assisted by Mark, Andrew, and Ed. Rob's friend Sean, who is recovering from an accident also helped. They won't be entirely alone, as Sean is moving there with them and will help with the rent. Still, it is a big step forward for them as a couple. Mark, Andrew and I all needed to leave when the truck was loaded. Rob, Rachel, and Ed would unload it at the other house, with help from the missionaries serving in Castle Downs Ward. When you need a helping hand, it is nice to have people you can ask, and missionaries are among the nicest people.

2012 Ing Family Reunion

This year Judy and I were not able to attend the reunion, and coincidentally none of our family attended. But many of the Ing family were there, and here is the proof! (Thanks Lloyd!) This is an event I love to attend, as it is a wonderful opporunity to visit with many of my siblings and cousins. 

Maybe see how many you can identify.