May 5 - May 11 - Sunday to Saturday

An early Mothers' Day surprise for Sister Tolman from her daughter Christina received on Thursday night

Sunday May 5

We attended Music and the Spoken Word.  The spoken word was about the 150 year anniversary of the completion of the first transcontinental railroad which is commemorated this week on May 10.  After the broadcast we met a couple that we had talked to on Saturday afternoon and evening in the library.  I gave them some hints about seeing the parks in Utah and Arizona (see more about them on the Thursday entry).

After the broadcast, we stopped and talked to a sister missionary from Tahiti (Taravao district on Tahiti).  We then saw Tekehu and Henriette Munanui (we have been friends since 1970).  They introduced us to Henriette’s sister Simone and I immediately remembered her from my missionary time when I served on the Island of Raiatea.  We took pictures and Tekehu gave me his email address and Simone’s.  I emailed them copies of some of my slides from 1969 with Simone and her sister and their mother.  

Simone and her husband, Henriette and Tekehu Munanui, Elder and Sister Tolman

Henriette and Simone's mother - far left, Simone on the far right on the island of Raiatea in 1969

Elder Tolman driving the mission power boat on Raiatea in 1969

This month is my turn to conduct Sacrament meetings and since it is Fast Sunday I was able to bear my testimony.  I mentioned my mission in Tahiti and that I today met someone that I knew in Raiatea.  I hadn’t planned on sharing that in my testimony but after the meeting as Sister Beal who works on the British Floor talked to me after the meeting and shared with me that her husband served a mission in Tahiti just after I did.

We enjoyed dinner with Seniors at their home.  Sister Tolman fixed chicken enchiladas, hard shell tacos, refried beans with guacamole and sour cream.  After dinner we played four games of 7-up and each one of the four of us won a game.

Update from Sister Tolman

Saturday May 4.  Saturday night is the slowest night of the week, usually.  We only had a total of five people working this shift.  However, it was 7:45pm and a group of four people walked in.  Elder Tolman was the Floor supervisor and he assigned me and the young elders and the other sister to help them. 

We got started and were able to get them all accounts.  The woman that I was helping asked if she could add her brother.  She did and started to cry.  I put my arm around her to comfort her and she told me the story of her brother who was 18 years old and going to college.  One evening a car came past he and his friends that were in a car and opened fire on them killing four of the five and her brother was one of them.  It was a case of mistaken identity and the others were caught and sentenced to 30 years in prison.  We were able to find his find a grave which had a military marker on it and she started to cry again.

I noticed that two of the other three were also crying and had even gone to the front to get tissues.  I told this woman about memories and then I showed her some of the things that I had added for Kim.  She was so excited.  She wanted to be able to add good memories for people to see so that they would know her brother for the great person that he was.

The spirit of Elijah truly touched these people this night and we could all feel it.  They continued to work until about 8:50 pm and finally thanked us and left.

Update for this week from Sister Tolman.  Elder Tolman looks great in the new tie that he received on Wednesday night (see pictures on the Wednesday entry).  I am putting off wearing the scarf because it is now getting too warm to wear things around my neck.  I have never worn scarves but I will wear this one at some point.

We have had some weird experiences this week and not just me but several in the library.  We continue to help our guests and get to know them a little.  Actually Elder Tolman has quite a following of the senior women who visit the library as he gets to know them, talks and laughs with them and helps them.  I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have heard how wonderful he is.  He really has made an impression.

Monday May 6

We attended the mission devotional at 7:30 am as normal.  One of the speakers mentioned that her father was a mission president in Tempe.  We asked her after the devotional ended and her father’s last name was Jones and he served in the early 2000’s in the Arizona Tempe Mission.

We went down to Santaquin to take my sister JoAnne and her husband Craig to lunch.  We went to a Mexican Restaurant and the food was excellent.  We had a very enjoyable visit.  After lunch we went to the “Red Barn” for ice cream (a Tolman tradition). I also purchased a gallon jug of their homemade apple juice. It is really good.   

JoAnne Barlow and Elder Tolman

We attended our MTC Group social.  We enjoyed snacks and then listened to Sister Vanja Watkins talk about the history of hymn books in the church starting with the first one prepared by Emma Smith which contained only the words to the hymns.  She showed us a lot of the various hymn books that the church has put together.  Sister Tolman's mother and Sister Watkins worked together at Ensign Elementary School in Salt Lake City.

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Vanja Watkins and Sister Tolman

Tuesday May 7

I helped Don Attridge for a short time.  He reserved the Endowment work for his great uncle.  He had previously asked the person who had reserved his temple work to release the Endowment so he could complete the ordinance. He forgot to bring temple cards for sealing to parents ordinances for temple work.  I helped him reprint those so he could do the sealings today in the Salt Lake Temple.  He gave me a copy of his Christmas storybook.  

I helped Don Clarke with his temple list to determine priorities and which ones to complete so the the entire family could have their temple work done.  As we were looking at individuals, we also researched and found additional family members to add to Family Tree.

Helped Bob and his wife whom I helped last week.  He needed some specific research help so I took him to another floor where they could better help him. 

Wednesday May 8

I led the prayer meeting at 7:30am. The display screen at the podium was not working and I wasn’t able to use the computer to show the announcements, etc.  Things did work out and we were able to complete the meeting.

I helped Paul Isaacson from Rose Park and his sister-in-law who is visiting from out of state.  When they first arrived, they said they wanted to download a PAF file to a thumb drive and share the file with Paul’s family.  I was the floor supervisor and had just 15 minutes to go so I assigned myself to help them and the assistant floor supervisor took over. 

When I had a chance to figure out what they actually wanted, I found out that Paul had done some original research that is not on Family Tree and was worried that someone would make changes.  Once I had a chance to talk to them, they decided that it would be a good thing to add that information to Family Tree to share with others. I told Paul that I would help him with adding the information.  I also helped him understand the power of stories and photos to connect his family members to their ancestors.  Paul agreed that sending each one of his children a copy of his PAF database would not help his family look at their ancestors.  He has a lot of old pictures and he will bring some to the library in in a couple of weeks.  He visits the library on Wednesdays.  I will help him add the photos and add his research to family Tree.

I helped Waynette from Arkansas built her tree.  She is a couple of years older that I am and is here for some medical treatment.  Her son Tommy and daughter-in-law were with her.  We connected her to family already on the tree and added some aunts and uncles.  We made a lot of connections and merged some duplicates.  She wanted to find information about her great-grandfather’s death.  Her great-grandmother died before 1880 leaving her great-grandfather with their six children.  He left the children with family and neighbors and went to Colorado to be a miner and wasn't heard from again.   We found him on the 1880 census living with a group of miners.  We could not find any information about his death.  We added her son Tommy to the tree and also added his father and ancestors on his father’s side.  I printed a pedigree chart for him to take home in case he wants to get his own FamilySearch account. 

I helped Elder and Sister Homer.  He had some questions about his temple list.  I showed her how to change her password.  She is using the FamilySearch apps when helping guests and shared a positive experience that she had today.

I received a response from Steve Granat about the help that I was able to complete for him in transferring his information to Family Tree.

“Elder Tolman,

    I can't thank you enough for all your work, and I apologize for the tardy reply.  My wife Cydne and I are still on our road trip through Utah, Arizona and Nevada after attending our grandson's BYU graduation, and haven't been checking our email regularly. 

    I'm very much looking forward to returning home to my computer and looking over our newly transplanted family tree on FamilySearch.org,  I'm especially curious as to what additional information you've managed to find.  The Family History Library is an impressive institution serving a wonderful purpose.  

    Again, thank you so much, and I can't wait to see what our family looks like now!

Best Wishes,  Steve Granat”

We attended the Missionary Appreciation event tonight at 7 to 8:15pm at the Tabernacle.  We heard from President Fenn and Elder Bradley Foster.  Jenny Oaks Baker and four children provided the music. For an example of her music access this link. The messages were really good and the entertainment was excellent.  

We received gifts after the program.   I received a tie and Sister Tolman received at scarf plus an appreciation certificate for our service.   You see Sister Tolman below wearing her scarf and with her new glasses that we picked up on Tuesday.  They look really good on her.

Sister Tolman wearing her scarf

 

Elder Tolman wearing his tie

Thursday May 9

We enjoyed talking to our daughter to Laura in the morning which we normally do on Thursdays.  We attended the 8am Endowment session at the Salt Lake Temple and afterwards picked up a parking pass at our complex for my sister Glenna that she and her daughter Lori will use for the concert at the Conference center on Friday night.  We went food shopping at El Rancho Market, Lucky and Smiths. 

I have talked most days this week with a couple we met last Saturday and Sunday.  I have shared various things with them including to use the FamilySearch Research Wiki and The Family History Guide.  Their names are Cal and Gayle Platt and they live in northern California but are currently traveling in the western states in their RV.  Cal has played golf this week and a person that he met had extra tickets to the concert at the conference center on Friday night so they will be able to go to that event. 

Elder Tolman with Gayle and Cal Platt

My good friend Ira Gentry visited the library tonight and we had a chance to talk for about an hour.

Soon after we arrived back at the apartment Sister Tolman received a phone call from a delivery person indicating that she had something for her and would be at our apartment building around 10pm.  We went down to the apartment entrance just before 10pm and Sister Tolman received some beautiful flowers for Mothers’ Day from our daughter Christina.

Sister Tolman with flowers sent by daughter Christina

I share a message from churchofjesuschrist.org about Mothers.  I appreciate so much my wonderful mother, my dear wife and eternal companion and each one of my amazing eight daughters.

"Motherhood can feel like participating in a race without a finish line: slow at times, frantic at others, exhausting and exhilarating all at once. “No matter your circumstances, Heavenly Father promises blessings as you participate in this essential work of salvation. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland assured, “You will be magnified, compensated, made more than you are and better than you have ever been as you try to make [an] honest effort”.   

Watch a short video at https://www.lds.org/blog/you-are-enough?lang=eng

Friday May 10

Today was our cleaning day. Sister Tolman indicated that the kitchen floor was a little sticky so I did a more thorough job of mopping the kitchen in addition to vacuuming the carpets.  Most of the apartments in our building have tile.  We like the carpet.

I helped several different people today.  One interesting interaction was when a man visited the floor and asked what we have here.  I showed him the books and the computers.  He didn’t have much time so I suggested that we look for a historical record for an ancestor.  We looked for information about his grandfather who had an unusual name, Alexander Rambicur.  All he knew was the name and about when he died.  We looked on FamilySearch and found the WWII draft registration card for him and also a marriage record for his daughter which was this man’s mother.  He indicated that he didn’t recognize his mother’s spouse and then he remembered that his mother was married briefly to this individual before she married his father.  We printed the WWII draft registration card.  I helped him set up an account on FamilySearch so he could look at these records at home.  He said a good friend is a Bishop and I showed him where he could get help at home so he can follow-up with what he learned today.  This all took about 15 minutes.

We had a final visit with Cal and Gayle Pratt as they will be leaving on Saturday.  They have an RV spot in Glendale, Utah which is a good spot to stay in order to visit both Bryce and Zion National Parks.  I helped him with some final travel planning for his trip to southern Utah and northern Arizona.  We looked at a boat trip to see Rainbow Bridge on Lake Powell, visiting Canyon De Chelly, Meteor Crater, and Sedona among other places.  I found out that he and Gayle were married in September 1972 so we have been married just a year longer.  Their hometown is in Mt Shasta, California.

Around 9:30 pm we heard some loud noises and we had fireworks right outside of our window.  There was a concert tonight in the Conference Center commemorating the completion of the transcontinental railroad at Promontory Point Utah May 10, 1969.  The fireworks were part of the celebration.

Saturday May 11

I helped several older women who have been here this week with various items including downloading documents to flash drives and printing.  In helping one of them, I discovered that accessing the wireless network in the library gives guests access on their laptops to the premium family history websites.  This will help a great deal during busier times when most of our computers are occupied.  It also helps as some of our researchers would just as soon stay working on their laptops and not have to go back and forth with library computers.

One older member sister wanted to print a fan chart and thought she did not remember her password.  I helped her and we verified her password and were able to logon to FamilySearch.org and get her access to LDS Tools on her phone.  She was able to get a fan chart printed and was happy as she needed access to LDS Tools for her church calling.  We never know what type of help we can provide.

I helped a young couple, Tanner and Lauren. He is serving in the Air Force at Hill Air Force Base in Layton.  I helped them set up FamilySearch Accounts and install the mobile apps.  They need to learn more from their parents and grandparents before they can make more progress.  We found some information about his grandfather who had passed.  I helped them both add photos from their phones and tag the pictures.  I encouraged them to go to the Layton Family Search Center which is a lot closer to them for their next visit to get help.

I was asked to help Yvonne from San Rafael, California.  She is here with her husband.  We found a lot of records for family members.  She was born near London, England and came to the United States with her parents in the early 1950’s.  She found the ship manifest listing her family.  Her mother was born in England and her father is from Poland.  I helped her determine how to order her mother’s birth certificate.  She was happy that we found so much about her family. The two of them are off to see the Utah National Parks.