A Tale as Old as Time - James the 1st and Lady Joan Beaufort - King and Queen of Scotland

A tale of pirates, prison and love - dealing with my 16th-Great-Grandparents - James the 1st, King of Scotland, and Lady Joan Beaufort, Queen of Scots.  Thanks to their 18th-Great-Grandaughter, Olivia, for supplying the artist rendition of the "walk in the garden" as contained in The Kingis Quair

My Great-Great Aunt Elizabeth meets the Prophet Joseph

Just a short story about my Great-Great Aunt, Elizabeth Tidwell, who met the Prophet Joseph when she was 7 or 8 years old.  She gave this talk at a birthday celebration for the Prophet on 23 December 1907 at the Tabernacle in Manti, Utah.

Richard Warren - Mayflower voyager and Mayflower Compact Signatory

A quick clip about my 9th-great-grandparents, Richard and Elizabeth Warren.  Richard was an original Mayflower passenger and signatory on the Mayflower Compact.  He was granted the title of "Mr." - which meant more then than it does now.....

The one where I talk about my DNA test results........

For Christmas, my wife gave me a DNA test-kit to take a scientific look at my ancestry.  I am trying to relearn a lot of my college genetics coursework to make sense of it all.  Bottom-line: I'm pretty much a product of European ancestors........
If any of my relatives would be interested in looking closer at the three reports that were generated, let me know -

Great-great-great Grandmother Mary Byington Southworth - with joy, wend your way westward!

My maternal Great-great-great grandmother, Mary Byington Southworth.  Just a short snippet from her crossing as a pioneer and coming into Salt Lake.  I found it interesting they were told by an Apostle of the Lord to "laugh, dance and make merry to be able to make it to the valley"......good advise for us too.  Men are that they might have joy - and with joy, wend your way.  And in the end, get rebaptized to wash away the sins of our long and tedious journey.  Now, we just take the sacrament each week.

James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray

A little story about my paternal 11th Great-Grandfather, James Stewart, who became the 1st Earl of Moray........brother of Mary, Queen of Scots.  He holds an unique distinction you may find of interest........

Melinda Bradford Durfey Hatch - my 4th Great-Grandmother

A quick story about one of my maternal 4th-Great-Grandmothers.......I find it amazing that it took 6 years from the time she left Nauvoo until she arrived in the Salt Lake Valley!  She was truly a "frontier woman", and even endured being run-over by a wagon!  A very remarkable woman.