MOTHERS DAY TALK

May 2011 mothers day talk.

When I told Penny I had to give this talk she said tell about some of your heritage. So with things that ran threw my head and what I remember from long ago I'll try to put some of it together as I remember. Clay,Lanie, CJ and Alex and Andrew were all there and thanks for your support. There will be some things I wrote but didn't say due to time.

Brothers and sisters just a warning if the phone rings and Mike Hodell's name comes up my advice is don't answer it are you may be up here next week [laugh's]
A few weeks ago my daughter and I flew back to W.D.C. spent a week with a grandson and his family. We saw many beautiful and interesting places. After we left Denisse ask the children what their best memory of our visit was. Brielle said when grandma read to me and Braden said when aunt Penny tickled me. Such simple things that made for happy memory's for little children it doesn't take much.
My mother was a story teller and I didn't inherit that. I loved to listen to her tell of her early life as we peeled peaches apples pears are what ever was being canned to feed us all through the winter.
She loved talking about her grandfather William williamson who at age 33 got on his horse and road of to the civil war leaving his wife and children behind in Louisiana. He returned home on the same faithful horse. He packed his wife Joissine and 3 of his surviving children to move to south east Texas leaving three graves behind in Louisiana.
I don't know how many slaves he may have had but when they were packing One said "Mr. Williamson would you take me with you.?" Grandpa told him he couldn't as that was breaking the law. One of the lessons that taught my mother to obey laws.
Great grandma Williamson was French and raised Catholic but when they arrived in Texas the only church was Baptist. So she could continue worshiping she joined the Baptist church. She often tried to talk Grandpa Williamson into being baptised but he said it wasn't the right church and when the right one came along if it did he'd know and join it if he got a chance.
They bought homestead rights on 160 acres that became 'The Williamson Settlement' in south east Texas. They raised 9 children to adults out of 16.
As grandpa's age and health was failing they moved to Weiss Bluff by a son's family. It was here a Mr. Busley from Johnson's army stopped in and was sick. Williamson's took him in and cared for him till he passed away. He often talked about Brigham Young and what a good man and leader he was also complimented the Mormon's on their goodness and industry. Grandpa said that is the church I'll join if I ever get the chance.

One day Grandpa Williamson looked out and saw two men walking up the lane and he said "them's my men". From that he and Grandma Williamson were baptised on April 20, 1900 making their posterity heirs to their conversion.
This was the beginning of the church in that part of Texas. All of the nine surviving children were baptised in their adult years and 'The Williamson Settlement Branch' was established. They built a small log church to hold Sunday School as there wasn't any Priesthood yet. They didn't take the sacrament unless there were elders in the Settlement. As that church deteriated a frame church was built. [I remember going to Primary there when I stayed at Aunt Delia's the summer grandma Baker passed away.] Now it is brick and marter and I don't know how many buildings. The branch lasted ntil 1953 when it became a ward.

The Settlement has been incorporated into Vidor and is now 4 stakes with Williamson decendant's scattered through out those stakes.
Grandma Baker took her nephew into their home when his mother passed away and he and mom were good friends close to the same age. One day going to school when they got to the swamp there was an alligator and they started chasing it with sticks. Soon they were wet and muddy so couldn't go to school and the day was spent chasing the alligator. The teacher boarded with them so of course they had to be honest and tell the truth. Honesty was always one of mom's strong teaching's to her family. {I wonder why I had a mother] Popped out and every one laughed.
Great grandpa Barton a widower came to Kaysville Utah with the saints. He had a three room home and spent much time driving his team to help haul the granite for the S,L.C. temple. His daughter and son with four children left Ince, Wiggan England and migrated through Liverpool. They crosed the continent by train and moved in with Grandpa Barton until grandpa Farrimond could work and get the money for their own home another small house. My aunt often said "grandpa was dang onry" { and if I had six people move into a little 3 room house I'd be dang onry too}
After Grandma Farrimond died Uncle Joe and Aunt Leah with their children and grandpa F. and my dad moved to Twin Groves. Idaho up north of St. Anthony. Dad was called on a mission to the Southern states mission with the mission home in Kansas City. He told of being sent to Houston and he and his companion walked and tracted as they went. They ended up in Beaumont and at the Williamson's. After dad's mission he went home and helped with the summer farming then when that was finished he returned to Texas where he worked in the ship yards and courted my mother. They married there in the settlement and caught a train to head to Idaho stopping in SLC for their temple sealing. One of mom's happiest day's. They were hard working honest people with eight children.

When Darleen the oldest was ten mom had diptheria and the red sign went up on the door QUARANTEND. No one came in and no one left. Darleen became the mother figure caring for 5 younger siblings. She cooked meals, carried water from the canal, scrubbed diapers on the wash board cleaned house and what ever else it took to care for us. I was two with a baby brother to be cared for. She kept us out of mom's room with hopes we'd not get sick.
Darleen was often called on to mother us when mom went to work to help feed us and pay the bills. After she married and moved to Bisbee, AZ. I know she did all she could to help keep the little branch going.`Then again as they became a ward. She was the pianist in all meetings I think plus other calling's. After Chet retired they moved to Provo where their daughters live.
Darleen again as a grandmother helped care for her grandchildren and they in turn were so helpful to her these past few years.

She had visiting and home teachers who became her dear friends. A few years ago 2 young sisters whose husbands still in college and starting their family's became her visiting teachers. When their first babies arrived Darleen encouraged them to bring the babies. She loved these young sisters and they in turn loved her. As they added to their families those children also came with their mom's. These young ladies went more than the extra mile as visiting teachers to Darleen. We buried her two weeks ago in Provo. As family and friends gathered at the church my daughter came to me and said mom you've got to meet Darleen's Visiting teachers. These two young ladies came to the funeral. The one who's husband had graduated and moved to Spokane left her husband with the older children and she flew to Utah with a six weeks old baby to be at Darleen's funeral. I'd say she went more than the extra mile. Brothers and sisters I love my home teachers and visiting teachers and they are important to me. I hope we all recommit our selves to visit teach and home teach through out this year.
Here I bore my testimony of my savior and his sacrifice for my sins and that I know President Monson is our prophet at this time.

Yesterday at church the second councilor to the bishop came in tapped me on the shoulder and said "we sure enjoyed your talk so very much. Our children have talked about it all week and our nine year old son ask if I believed that alligator story was true. He laughed when he was telling me and said"I told him I knew it was true". Bryce said his son's eyes got so big it was funny.
I hope this is what Penny ask me to write up for my posterity..