On the 8th Day of Christmas Past, Ron Millburn (MHA Tour Guide) shares a treasured Christmas: Question: How was an absolute knowledge that prayers are answered felt in today’s story? To be entered into today’s drawing giveaway – Read the story below; “Comment” & “Share” your answer on Facebook or our blog. Click Here for contest rules. Christmas 1995 By Ron Millburn, MHA Tour Guide The Christmas season of 1995 proved to be as severe and bleak as any I had ever known. Mountains of hospital bills were piling up from chemo treatments, bone marrow transplants, radiation, and surgeries. The miracle for which I had been fasting and praying, along with so many others, was not happening; and my wife, Harriett, was only getting worse. It was on Christmas Eve when we drove to the Emergency Room at LDS Hospital, she having felt a terrible pain in her stomach. Three days later she underwent another surgery. She had a wonderful oncologist, and it was with glistening eyes that he told me that they just had to close her up, for there was nothing more they could do; her time on this earth would soon come to an end. The first week in December of that Christmas season I remember sitting down with Louise (probably not her name) at LDS Hospital. She worked with patients’ financial concerns and insurance companies. Harriett had worked as a clerk in the Federal Court System in downtown Salt Lake City and had very good insurance, and yet I was informed that we had accumulated a $70,000 bill over the past year. Not having that amount of money available, we were put on a contract to pay so much a month for the remainder of our lives (at least that’s the way it seemed to me). After we left that depressing meeting we had Christmas facing us, and kids who still expected Santa to be as generous as he had always been. The next day, Saturday, we went to the South Towne Mall to do some Christmas shopping. Our most expensive purchase was a number of computer games that were the latest and greatest that 1995 could produce. When we got home and unloaded the car, we could not find the computer games. They were in a black plastic bag, and after thoroughly searching the trunk of the car, we came to the conclusion that they never made it home. So back to the mall we went. I first went to the “Lost and Found” to find no one had found them, or at least no one had turned them in. Next, we retraced our steps, going to each store and looking around and inquiring if anyone had turned in a black plastic bag full of computer games. No one had. Deseret Book was the last store we checked. (Deseret Book was in the mall at the time.) No luck....
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Answer 7th Day Christmas Past: St. George pioneers had a Christmas Gala with potatoes, and dancing in spite of desperate conditions and rainstorms. Congrats to 7th Day drawing winner, DARIA WOOD, who won a hand-painted “Shalom” plate, hand-painted blue & white dish, Olive wood carved nativity on a star, pack of 10 Olive wood laser-cut tree ornaments, Bethlehem baby blanket, pack of 10 5×7 Nauvoo watercolor note cards, and Remember Nauvoo mug -$200 value! Please contact MHA office 801-272-5601 or info@mormonheritage.com by Dec 30, 2022 to arrange for how to receive your prize. Story still available on yesterday’s...
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On the 7th Day of Christmas Past, a special ancestral story from Ginger Weibell (MHA Tour Member): Question: How did the pioneers settling St. George celebrate Christmas? To be entered into today’s daily giveaway & FREE tour drawing- Read the story below; “Comment” & “Share” your answer on Facebook or our blog. Click Here for contest rules. A FAMILY HISTORY CHRISTMAS STORY of the St. George, Utah, Pioneers by Ginger Ashby Weibell Nathaniel Ashby and Susan Hammond Ashby, my ancestors, were converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Erastus Snow in 1841. Together with Elder Snow, the Ashbys purchased adjoining lots in Nauvoo, Illinois, and built a duplex with the Ashby half of the duplex on the Ashby property and the Snow half on the Snow property. This home still stands in Nauvoo today. Thus, the Ashbys and the Snows were well acquainted. In 1861, Erastus was called by the prophet, Brigham Young, to colonize the St. George, Utah, area. Elizabeth, and her then three children, accompanied him. The following newspaper article by Mary Phoenix from The Spectrum is an account of that first Christmas spent in St. George: Christmas 1861: A tough one for Mormon pioneers That first Christmas in 1861 was a story of intense poverty for the settlers in St. George. Brigham Young had selected a few stalwart and tested followers and sent them to the southern territory “where the red stone hills met the black basalt low mountains” to establish a community. Their journey to Utah’s Dixie from Salt Lake City took six weeks since they were traveling over unmapped territory and carved roads as they went. The majority of the group had arrived by Dec. 6. Building materials were scarce, forcing most to live out of wagon boxes with tumbleweed lean-tos. Their first concern was planting crops since food supplies were depleting quickly. Erastus Snow, the colonizing apostle for the Mormon settlers, sensed that his people needed some recreation, some reason to celebrate, to revive their spirits from the strain of their backbreaking toil. Christmas was fast approaching and Snow wondered how they might celebrate. There was no food for a feast. Every scrap was needed to sustain life. But he figured they could hold a program. During their trek to Southern Utah they had sung every song and know every reading by heart after six weeks on the dusty trail. Still, he believed Christmas would bring new feelings. He decided to ask some of the men to preach a sermon, even though some of the young people would probably groan. He figured a big tent could be pitched to offer some protection from the night’s chill, although the weather was very mild and the long salt grass would provide a thick mat appropriate for dancing. Life was difficult in their desperate conditions, and the announcement of a Christmas gala met with great...
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Answer 6th Day Christmas Past: Fathers deepen Christmas through their selflessness and witty humor. Congrats to 6th Day drawing winner, LYNNE TOLMAN, who won an Olive wood carving “Family Prayer,” Olive wood laser-cut Nativity scene, Nauvoo Temple laser-engraved crystal cube with rotating light-up base, pack of 10 5×7 Nauvoo watercolor note cards, Remember Nauvoo mug -$265 value! Please contact MHA office 801-272-5601 or info@mormonheritage.com by Dec 30, 2022 to arrange for how to receive your prize. Story still available on yesterday’s...
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On the 6th Day of Christmas Past, two special stories from MHA Tour Members – Betty Bringhurst & Diane Saunders: Question: How did Fathers deepen Christmas in these stories or in your own life? To be entered into today’s daily giveaway & FREE tour drawing- Read the story below; “Comment” & “Share” your answer on Facebook or our blog. Click Here for contest rules. Dad’s Loving Example by Betty Bringhurst, MHA Tour Member When I was young, my family had little extra money. But my dad worked hard and we always had enough. He was a forest ranger and he had an old green Chevy pickup that he drove to work each day. Working for the Forest Service gave him access to lots of fallen trees which supplied our stove with wood and heated our house in the winter. Every Christmas, my dad brought home and chopped what seemed like a ton of wood which he loaded into the back of the old pickup till it was overflowing. Then he went to the store and bought several bags of oranges. We spent a few hours delivering wood and oranges to many people in need. He didn’t have an assignment or a calling to do this. He just wanted to make sure that those people felt warm and loved. My dad passed away many years ago, but every Christmas I remember his hard work and his selfless service to those in need. I try to follow his example and find someone in need that I can serve and love. I can almost see him smiling in heaven, knowing that his legacy is still blessing others. Dad’s Story, Snowflake AZ 1935 – Santa & Montgomery Ward This Christmas story comes from the history of Chadwick F. Avery, my father. (Submitted by: Diane Saunders, MHA Tour Member) “The Christmas I remember best has to be the last one we spent in Snowflake, AZ back in 1935. I was eleven years old then and becoming a little more aware of things about me. As Christmas approached, Mother and Dad appeared worried, and by Christmas Eve I could tell they were upset. As the oldest child, Mother took me aside and asked what I would do if Santa didn’t come. I’m afraid I didn’t give her a very positive answer. “Christmas morning, when we went into the parlor, we soon discovered that something was wrong. Mother had made an article of clothing for each of us, but there were no other presents. Our stockings had been filled with candy and nuts though, and a note from Santa was attached to explain that somehow our gifts had been lost along the way. He was very sorry, but they would be delivered as soon as they could be found. “We all took it pretty well, as I recall, and soon went about our usual activities. I remember being...
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