Memorial Day: Daniels

John Edwin Maycock & Alice Mercy Marshall

As Randy mentioned in the previous post, we wanted to start a new tradition for Memorial Day. He came up with the plan, I just copied for my family. My family memorial day was scheduled for Saturday, and Randy was glad that I was going to have to go first--I was the guinea pig. I chose my great grandparents (my mom's dad's parents) John Edwin Maycock and Alice Mercy Marshall. I knew that they had both died young because my grandpa was raised by someone else, but other than that I had little information on them.

One of the neat things about my great-grandpa was that he served a mission to the Eastern States, and we have his two missionary journals. My mom has one, but the other one was with a cousin. I borrowed it from him and was able to share some of John's experiences from his mission. He was called on a mission two months after he was married which I think is very unfair. Alice Mercy Marshall died when she was 36. She left her husband and two young sons. John Edwin Maycock never really got over her death. He was depressed and sick for the next 4 years until he passed away at the age of 45. My grandpa and his older brother were raised by his cousin, Lizzie Maycock Jones,  who John Edwin Maycock had taken in after her dad (his brother) had died. Quite the craziness!

My sister and mom are connected to people via Facebook (which I am not), so they were able to invite the more extended family. My mom's two living sisters came and some of my cousins. My sister had a baby the day before so she couldn't make it even though she is the family history buff in the family. But one of my other sisters made the trip down from Idaho. I made little bio cards with a picture on the front for everyone to keep, and lots of cookies. We spent a big part of the time walking down the row and looking at all the Maycocks...there are a lot of them buried by each other.

It was really like a mini family reunion. And I learned more about my ancestors that I didn't know. John Edwin was 6'4." I knew he was tall, but not that tall. My cousin has pictures of him that I didn't. It was a great way to connect and be together. This is what family history is all about.

I was so pleased with how well it turned out and I am so excited for next year. I can't decide who to do, but at least I have a year to decide.

Here we are by John Edwin Maycock & Alice Mercy Marshall's grave

We had an awesome turnout!

My mom, her sister Linda, her other sister Bev.
Her brother was going to come, but he had to follow my mom's Uncle Clint home to Idaho (he's 98).
He had randomly showed up that morning to visit the graves.