Over the years I have done some family history work and felt prompted, guided, to find information that I needed to complete a family tree or locate dates that would clarify some history. This week however, I have felt the Spirit of Elijah in a very different way.
President Thatcher is the first counselor in our mission presidency and a few months ago we talked about his great grandfather, Ben Mitchell. He has a very special connection with Ben. I did a little research and found that Ben was born in Atkinson, Illinois which is just a little more than a two hour drive from Nauvoo. President and Sister Thatcher and Scott and I decided we needed to take a pday field trip to Atkinson to see if we could find out some more information about Ben and his extended family.
Atkinson is a small town of about 1,000 people. As we drove down the main street we were all impressed by how clean, tidy and well-kept the place is. But the more amazing thing about Atkinson is the people who live there. Before we left I was a little concerned that, since I didn’t have much information on the family, it would be an anti-climactic trip and that we wouldn't find too much more. I prayed that that wouldn’t be the case. I’m sure the Thatchers were praying for the same thing. Heavenly Father heard those prayers and we had an amazing day. At every turn there was someone to help us along, give a suggestion, make a phone call, spend their time with us, and answer a multitude of questions.
There were kind people in the small boutique we first stopped at who directed us to the Historical Museum. When we discovered that it was closed we headed for the public library. The library wouldn't open for at least another hour but the ladies in the public education office in the same building suggested we head to "Lisa's Place" for lunch and then come back. So we did just that and found that the food was delicious but the hospitality and concern for us was even more amazing. The owner tracked down Bill Freddy and his friend Art who were the curators of the museum and arranged for us to meet them. They were more than willing to open the museum. Bill and Art have a passion for Atkinson and preserving its history. Bill is 93 and Art is 87. Those two men spent close to two hours with us and showed President Thatcher pictures of his great grandfather Ben's family on his mother's side, the Yargers. We learned where one of their family homes were and where the Mitchell family home stood. We had a wonderful conversation about families and eternal connections with Bill and Art. We were extremely grateful for their time and attention. When we left the museum we took pictures of the Yarger and Mitchell homes and then headed to the library. The librarian there was more than helpful and Sister Thatcher was able to locate a book with the plat map of where families owned land in the 1860's. So, of course, we headed out to the crossroads west of town where the Yargers had owned land. It was awesome to look out at the fields and know that was the general location where Ben and his family farmed. But that's not the end of the story. President Thatcher felt impressed to drive back a block or so and, surrounded by farmland there was a home. And in the yard was a man on a riding mower. President Thatcher parked the truck and got out to talk with him. I listened as the man, whose last name was Causemaker, said that his family had bought the land three generations ago from the Yargers and he had the abstract that verified the purchase of 80 acres for $1,280. So there we were, standing on the very land that had belonged to President Thatcher's family. What a tender mercy.
As we drove home we all discussed the amazing day and how each person was placed in our path to lead us to where we needed to be in the end. We were grateful for every single person in Atkinson that we encountered. Their warmth and kindness to us as complete strangers was overwhelming.
From that trip to Atkinson President Thatcher now has a few family names that he can do temple ordinance work for. The Spirit of Elijah is alive and well!
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Our destination...Atkinson, Illinois in Henry County.
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Guess someone had a baby :0)
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President and Sister Thatcher in front of the town hall.
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The Yarger home in town in the mid-1800's.
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The Yarger home today.
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Bill Freddy and President Thatcher in
the Atkinson Historical Society Museum.
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Art, President Thatcher, me, Sister Thatcher and Bill
talk about the influence the Belgian immigrants
had on the town of Atkinson.
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A panoramic view of the property west of town that was owned by the
Yarger family in the mid-1800's and later purchased by the Causemakers.
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We celebrated Sister Lusvardi's birthday on
Monday. She is as kind, thoughtful and loving
as any person you could imagine!
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At the end of Parley Street the Mississippi River is flooding the road.
Thankfully, that's the only place in Nauvoo that has been affected by
flooding. Other cities to the north and south have had quite a bit of damage. |
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