I went on the Relief Society Train Trip last week. We drove to Ogden Utah to catch the FrontRunner Train to Salt Lake City Utah. Had never done the train…and we sat on the second level where we could see all over. Then we transferred to the Trax Train to downtown SLC.
There were 24 ladies, some young with new baby girls. Some mother-daughter combos (including me–my daughter serves as a Councillor in the Presidency of the local group). Some elderly ladies, one in a wheel chair. And a great time was had by all.
We ate lunch at the Nauvoo Cafe in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. Then had a group photo taken with an old-time camera. Had to hold still without moving for 5 seconds–picture turned out well with everyone laughing.
Then we toured the Relief Society Building. Built largely with donations from the members: In October 1947, General President Belle Spafford asked each member to donate $5.00 and each LDS Stake Relief Society to donate 50% of their yearly budget. The original list of all those members who donated is in the Cornerstone of the building, placed in October 1954. A typed list fills many loose-leaf binders in the Records Room. And they have a digital list online of the more than 123,000 women who donated their $5.00.
My mom (with her name spelled wrong), two of my aunts, my mother-in-law, and various other relatives are on the list! With their local church units identified. I discovered that my two aunts attended the same congregation. Very cool.
Members in Europe and the British Isles were not allowed to send money out of their respective countries this close to the end of World War II. So they sent works of art–some glorious porcelains and paintings which adorn the building. This building houses the World headquarters of three women’s auxiliaries: Primary (children), Young Women (12-17 years), and the Relief Society (adult women 18 years and up).
You can access the online database at https://www.lds.org Put “R. S. Building donation records” in the search bar. Click on the link “This is your history”.
In mid-afternoon, we all boarded Trax then FrontRunner for the return train trip. What a fun day we had! Your favorite genealogist, Arlene Eakle http://arleneeakle.com
PS Genealogy Records are where you find them! Always keep your ears and eyes open for genealogy research opportunities.
PPS The Casper Wyoming Family History Expo will be held this week at one of the great hotels of the West, the Parkway Plaza Hotel and Convention Center in Casper. What a great time we expect to have! And I have prepared four new power-point presentations! That is worth the cost of the event alone–Me doing Power-Point. You won’t want to miss this entertaining site.
PPSS 12-13 September 2014, the MidWest Family History Expo will convene at the Holiday Inn Convention Center, Kearney Nebraska. Mayor Stanley Clouse will give the welcoming keynote. And the program is a refreshing and informative mix of solid research classes and how to use the latest technology–you can register for the Early Bird Price until 31 July 2014. What a bargain!