Memorial Day in Ephraim

This year for Memorial Day we met in Nephi to discuss Dad's Grandpa's Grandparents. Henry Goldsbrough and Ellen Jackson were true pioneers. They came by boat to America and then pushed handcarts across the plains. Ellen was Henry's fourth wife, and she died giving birth to her ninth child. What I love most about Ellen is that she wrote a short history of her experiences toward the end of her life that tells of many of her experiences and her testimony.

Henry was 35 years old than Ellen, and they met in Utah.

We had a beautiful day for our little Memorial Day service, and a lot of people showed up. There were about 28 Ockeys there, including Dad's Uncle Don who doesn't get out much anymore. It was fun to have both Grandpa and his brother there, and four of Dad's sisters made it. At the end Grandpa took us on a walking tour of the Vine Bluff Cemetery to show us were some of the other Ockeys are buried. The boys were really good to tag along and listen to his stories.

We were lucky to have a little shade. It was a really nice program.

We're glad to take our kids into the cemetery rather than on a vacation for Memorial Day.

We had a pretty good turnout this year.

Grandpa is 5 years older than his brother, but not nearly as tall.

We are so happy that we started this tradition four years ago.

Ellen Jackson is my favorite relative. She was a hat maker, mother, poet, artist,
and came across the ocean and the plains alone at age 16.

After the program we had lunch with Grandpa at a restaurant in Nephi. Then we headed down through Sanpete County. We wanted to stop by Dad's Mom's and Grandma's graves. The boys like to see these amazing women's graves, and we are so glad because they were such important influences on Dad. 

Grandma has been gone for 11 years, since just before Mark was born.

The boys always like to go to Centerfield to see their Great-Grandma Benson's grave.

When we go to Sanpete, we like to stop at the Temple.

Our boys are learning to love Memorial Day.

On the way back to Lehi, we ran into bumper-to-bumper traffic starting at Nephi. We decided to drive west around the lake, which seems a little longer. We were happy to see several herons and a mother pronghorn with her three small babies. It turned out to be a really great day.