Kalona - Amish and Mennonite Country

On a recent P-day we visited the town of Kalona, Iowa.  This town of about 2,400 residents is 95 miles from Nauvoo and is the home of many Amish and  Mennonite families.  The Amish began settling in this area in 1846.  (Click on either of these links to learn more about these people)

Our day included a 2 hour guided bus tour that took us to the area around the town.  The guide took us to the Golden Delight bakery (many goodies), to the JK Creative Woodworking shop and the Kalona Cheese factory.  We saw the fields, homes and gardens in the area and learned about the people.  The farms are well cared for and very attractive.  It is obvious that the people take pride in their homes.

Dinner

After the tour we had lunch in an Mennonite home outside of town.  The meal was great and the 82 year old hostess/cook was delightful.

Garden - one of many

Countryside

Horse drawn cultivator

Bonnie wants one of these when we get home

The Nauvoo Groves

In the early days of Nauvoo there was no building sufficient to house the people for large gatherings. Today there is an area identified as "The Nauvoo Groves".  There are several plaques available for those who visit this area that include excerpts from the journals of those who recorded their experiences at the Groves.

One of these plaques includes the following description of these places.

"It was in nearby groves which were located northeast of here where many great and historic speeches were given by Joseph Smith and other church leaders of the time.

There were other sites where meetings were held including:

• ·   The East Grove, located one-quarter mile east of the Temple between Young Street and Knight Street, east of Robinson Street.
• ·   The hollow across from the Temple, south of Mulholland Street
• ·   The floor of the unfinished Temple

 Inclement weather was at times a factor in whether and where meetings were held.

Maintaining reverence and order was difficult in such an informal setting as a wooded grove of trees.  Joseph Smith reminded the saints of this on an occasion of September 17, 1843, when he gave instructions about order in the congregation (horses in the assembly and men and boys on the stand who didn’t belong there).  He requested the people to keep good order and asked the police to exercise their authority to see that it was done."

Another plaque reads:

In the afternoon (May 1844) we drove to visit the farms upon the prairie which this enterprising people had enclosed and were cultivation with every appearance of success.  On returning, we stopped in a beautiful grove, where there were seats and a platform for speaking  “When the weather permits” said Smith, “We hold our service in this place…”  “I suppose none but Mormon preachers are allowed in Nauvoo,” said the Methodist minister, who had accompanied our expedition.  “On the contrary,” replied the prophet, “I shall be very happy to have you address my people next Sunday, and I will insure you a most attentive congregation.”  “What! Do you mean that I may say anything I please and that you will make no reply?”  “You may certainly say anything you please, but I must reserve the right of adding a word or two, if I judge best.  I promise to speak of you in the most respectful manner.” - Josiah Quincy, Figures of the Past, (1883), p 393


And another:

7^th (February 1846) The Saints met at the Grove in front of he (Nauvoo) Temple for the last time to be addressed by the Twelve.  Much instruction was given by President Brigham Young in relation to our leaving Nauvoo and emigrating to the wilderness.  A large congregation of saints were present and (it) was a solemn time. - William Huntington, autobiography, Typescript, BYU, p45

The "Groves" today is a peaceful place where we can reflect on the people who lived and worked here over 150 years ago.  Many of our ancestors lived and died in this place.  The Prophet Joseph Smith and other leaders spoke here. 

Old Stone Bridge

The "Old Stone Bridge"

Joseph Smith referred to the land purchased for the saints at Commerce in the following terms, "The place was literally a wilderness.  The land was mostly covered with trees and bushes, and much of it was so wet that it was with the utmost difficulty that a footman could get through and totally impossible for teams."  The people suffered from extreme hardship as they cleared the land and prepared it for a gathering place.  Many fell ill due malaria, ague and fever that came in part from the mosquitoes.

The swamp had to be drained.  The origin of the water was NOT the river, but came from springs on the land above.  In order to capture the water a large ditch and/or canal was dug to divert the water to the river. 



This ditch can now be seen from the "Old Stone Bridge" site on the southwest side of Nauvoo.  

Our 50th Anniversary

June 1, 1964 we were married in the Salt Lake City, Utah Temple.  We were (perhaps still are) a handsome couple.

We met on July 4, 1963 on a blind date and were engaged by fall.  We both have many memories of this courtship time.

We graduated from BYU in June 1966 and moved to Denver that summer.

We had hoped that we would celebrate our 50th with our children.  But, we were given an opportunity to serve in the Nauvoo Illinois Temple from April - October. So instead of being with our children and grandchildren we celebrated here in Nauvoo.   Hopefully, we will be able to celebrate with our family next year.

The night before (Saturday) we stayed home and had a Digiorno's pizza.  (We go 1st class all the way.)

Before going to church we opened an anniversary book that included a wedding photo from each of our children along with memories and thoughts about us as their parents.  This was really a special treat and memory that we'll treasure for years to come.



We went to church in the morning and then stopped in front of the Nauvoo Temple to take our 50th Anniversary picture.

As it turned out we were responsible for hosting a "break the fast" dinner with three other couples. The missionary couple that lives above us (the Dalling's) had a similar assignment so after we had dinner we met in our apartment for dessert with the other couples (7 in all).  We had lots of dessert and really enjoyed being with the other couples.  We particularly liked the cupcake "50" prepared by Sister Moller.

We received calls from each of our children and really enjoyed the video that Mike put together with comments from each of children and many of the grandkids.

On Monday we received a beautiful bouquet of flowers from Bryan and Justine ... just perfect.

Overall it was a great anniversary celebration.

We love our family and will be glad when we can be with them later this year.  For now we are happy to be serving in Nauvoo.

This is the right place for us to be at this time.

Old Nauvoo Burial Grounds

In early May we visited the Old Nauvoo Burial Grounds.  The Burial Grounds are about 3 miles east of Nauvoo.

This is a special place with tender feelings about those who died here ... especially our ancestors.

Path to Burial Grounds

The Kiosk

There is a kiosk near the center of the cemetery that contains a list of  some of those individuals who died in Nauvoo between 1839 and 1846.








Some of the names of ancestors that we recognized included Absalom Tidwell, Stephen Foote, and Daniel Spencer.

Plaque in the Kiosk

A portion of the Burial Grounds

Kent's Ancestors in Early Nauvoo

Nauvoo Land and Records Office

Kent has several ancestors that were in old Nauvoo.  We made a visit to the Land and Records Office in Nauvoo in October 2012. This office has a variety of information about most of the people who lived in Nauvoo between 1839 and 1846.  On this visit we got a CD that contains information about all of our ancestors that were here during that period. There were 18 ancestors included in the CD. Seven of these individuals died in Nauvoo. Two were born just prior to coming to Nauvoo.

The map below shows the locations of property owned or occupied by Kent's ancestors.  

So who were these people?

Joshua (Jr.) and Prudence Fairchild are my 3rd grandparents. 

Joshua was born in Canada in 1797 and died in Basin, Idaho in 1891.

Joshua Fairchild Jr - 1797

Prudence was born in Rhode Island in 1799 and died in Tooele, Utah in 1895.  There is more to their story ... to be told at a later time.

Prudence Fenner Fairchild - 1799

Timothy Bradley Foote is my 3rd great grandfather, on my mothers side, and was born in upper New York in 1799.  He died in Nephi, Utah in 1886.  

He was a colorful character ... again much more to his story.

Timothy Bradley Foote - 1799

Stephen Foote is Timothy Bradley Foote's father.  He was born in Connecticut in 1774 and died in Nauvoo in June 1844.

John Riley is the father of Nancy Jane Riley, Timothy Bradley Foote's 2nd wife (they married in 1847 after the death of TB Foote's 2nd wife about six months earlier).  John Riley was born in Ireland and died in or near Quincy, Illinois.

Samuel Henderson is my 4th great grandfather (on my mothers side).  He was born in Tennessee in 1785 an died in Salt Lake City in 1856.

Samuel Henderson - 1785

In addition to those listed above there were others who lived or owned property in areas outside of Nauvoo.  Joshua also owned property south of Nauvoo, as did John Riley and Absolom Tidwell. The Tidwell family was burned out of their home and came into Nauvoo in 1846.  Timothy Bradley Foote also had property in Quincy, Illinois (about 50 miles south of Nauvoo). 

Bentonsport - Cantril

On preparation day we traveled to Bentonsport and Cantril Iowa to see the area.  Three other temple missionary couples traveled with us.  

The Terry, Slack, Dalling and Fairchild Missionary Couples

Bentonsport  and Cantril are in Van Buren County Iowa.  This county is beautiful farm country.   There is a significant Amish and Mennonite population in this area.  










Of particular interest in Bentonsport is a shop called Iron and Lace.  Iron and Lace (http://www.ironandlace.com/) includes a blacksmith who makes a variety of metal items, both decorative and practical.   In addition there are some other small shops along the Des Moines River.  

The river is next to the town.  It is a beautiful setting

The Lace shop sells Queen Annes Lace pottery items.  When we first arrived the owner of the shop did a brief demonstration of how the items available in the shop are made.  (See a portion of the demonstration by clicking on the video opposite).

Queen Annes Lace is a wild flower that grows around Bentonsport.  The flowers are picked and then dried.  The dried flowers are pressed into the clay when the pottery is fired, thus each piece is unique. 

The pottery available at the shop is beautiful. Bonnie purchased two pieces. One of these is pictured here.  

While the ladies were shopping Elders Dalling and Slack passed the time with a game of checkers ... the game ended in a draw.

Boneparte Retreat

On leaving Benstonsport we stopped in Boneparte at the Boneparte Retreat for lunch.  This building was a grist mill that is now on the National Register of Historic Places. 

There is a plaque at the bridge near to the restaurant that states the Brigham Young and the saints crossed here in 1846.

From Boneparte we drove to Cantril to visit Dutchmans store.  Before going to Dutchmans we stopped at a harness shop about 3 miles west of Cantril.  Another buying opportunity. We now own a dinner bell that will be used at our home in Colorado ... just what we needed.  At Dutchmans we bought a few grocery items ... the most important purchases were some pies.  This alone made the trip worthwhile.

We had a delightful time with our missionary companions.

We got BARGED

We sometimes cross the Mississippi River going to Fort Madison and other locations in Iowa by crossing a bridge about 10 miles north of Nauvoo.  It is called the Ft. Maddison Swing Bridge.  If you want to know more about the Ft Madison Swing Bridge click on this link to Wikipedia.  The bridge is used by the railroad for about 100 trains per day.  The bridge was completed in 1927 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. When barge traffic comes up or down the river the "swings" open so the barges can pass.

There is no vehicle toll when crossing from Illinois to Iowa.  There is a $2.00 toll to cross from Iowa to Illinois.

When a barge is approaching the bridge the bridge closes for vehicle and train traffic until the barge traffic passes.  When you are in the line waiting for the barges it is called "Being Barged". 

Well we've had that experience twice in the last couple of weeks.  The wait time has been 15 - 30 minutes depending on when we arrive and when the barges are coming. 

We were "Barged" a few days ago on a return trip from shopping in Burlington, IA.  The wait was about 30 minutes.  It was a nice day so the wait was pleasant. We definitely would not want to be on the bridge if the barge hit the bridge.  You can see a barge passing under the bridge at this link - Ft. Madison Swing Bridge - Barge passing by.

Nauvoo Illinois Temple

Nauvoo Illinois Temple

For members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the temple is the house of the Lord--the most sacred place on earth.

 Whereas our meetinghouses are open to the public and are used for Sunday worship services and weekday activities, the temples are a holy place dedicated to our highest form of worship and is a spiritual environment set apart from the outside world.

WHY DO WE BUILD TEMPLES?

From the days of the Old Testament, the Lord has commanded His people to build temples-sacred structures where He could teach, guide, and bless them.  For example, the Lord told the Israelites to build a portable tabernacle that would be their temple while they traveled in the wilderness.  

  

When Jesus Christ was on the earth, the only existing temple was known as the Temple of Herod. Jesus was often found in this temple  After the rejection and deaths of Jesus's Apostles, there were no temples on the earth for many centuries. When the gospel of Jesus Christ was restored in the early 1800's, the Lord again commanded His people to build temples  Today, the Church has 142 operating temples around the world and another twenty-eight will be completed in the year 2015. 

WHAT DO WE DO IN THE TEMPLE?

In the temple we are taught, we make covenants, and we are promised blessings. We receive ordinances that enable us to live in the presence of God.

One ordinance we receive in the temple is the endowment. The word endowment means “gift” or “bestowal.” As part of this ordinance, we are taught about the purpose of life, the mission and Atonement of Jesus Christ, and Heavenly Father’s plan for His children. We gain a glimpse of what it will be like to live in His presence as we feel the peaceful atmosphere of the temple.  In exchange for the endowment we agree to be virtuous, honest, upright. and to serve others.

Another temple ordinance is the sealing ordinance, in which husbands and wives are sealed to each other and children are sealed to their parents in eternal families. This means that if we are faithful to our covenants, our family relationships will continue for eternity.

In addition to receiving these ordinances for ourselves, we can receive them for our deceased ancestors. In this way, people who died without receiving essential ordinances such as baptism and confirmation, the endowment, and sealing have the opportunity to accept these ordinances.

The following pictures were produced by the Church for a brochure given out to visitors at the dedication of the Nauvoo Illinois Temple in 2002.  

Entry Foyer

The Baptistry
The font rests on the backs of twelve oxen, symbolic of the twelve tribes of Israel.  It is a close replica of the font in the original Nauvoo Temple 

The Assembly Room patterned closely after the one in the original Nauvoo Temple

The Garden Room depicting the beauty and tranquility of the Garden of Eden

The world room which depicts the world in which we now live, complete with contrasting happiness and hardship, which are part of our growth.   

The celestial room.  The Celestial Room helps to remind us of our ultimate goal of living a life fully in accordance with God's commandments to allow us to return and live again with Him.

AT THE END OF A DAY

 We are facing the temple and behind us are the statues of Joseph and Hyrum Smith as they look back on the city of Nauvoo and the Mississippi River before leaving for Carthage where they were killed by a mob.    

   

The following is a video titled "Why Mormons Build Temples"

Our Assignments

We received our assignments during our 1st week of training.  We are at the temple five days a week.  Our schedule is:

• Monday - 12:30 - 6:00 p.m.
• Tuesday - 1:30 - 8:00 p.m.
• Thursday - 7:30 - 2:00 p.m.
• Friday - 7:30 - 2:00 p.m.
• Saturday - 7:30 - 2:00 p.m.

Wednesday is our P (preparation) day.  This is a day to run errands and to see some of the sights in the area.   About 10 other couples have the same preparation day and it is likely that we will go to visit places together.  For example on May 7th several of us went to the jail at Carthage, followed by dinner at a local mexican restaurant. 

Kirksville, Missiouri LDS Chapel

On Sunday we have been asked to attend the Kirksville, Missouri 2nd ward.  We attend this ward with Elder and Sister Rich. Kirksville is about 100 miles from Nauvoo ... it takes a little over 2 hours to drive there. Kirksville has three colleges.  Two of these are medical schools and there are several young couples attending the ward that go to school there.

We have been asked to teach a temple preparation class for two young men who will be leaving on their missions in the near future.