Comments on: Sarah Day Hall: Southern Mother in Israel (Redux)

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Fri, 16 May 2008 11:26:56 +0000

Thanks, Maurine. For a struggling new blog, your encouragement really matters.

By: Maurine

Maurine — Fri, 16 May 2008 06:02:15 +0000

Ardis,I just happened to discover your blog. I’m impressed. I love all of your stories, but I especially like the women’s stories. I look forward to reading more of them.

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Wed, 14 May 2008 16:05:56 +0000

Mark IV, were you a journal-keeper as a missionary? I would dearly love to have a copy of that day’s entry, even if it doesn’t record as much detail as you tell here.

By: Ray

Ray — Wed, 14 May 2008 15:03:52 +0000

#14 – Mark, that is incredible – absolutely amazing.

By: Mark IV

Mark IV — Wed, 14 May 2008 15:01:31 +0000

Jeff’s story reminds me of one of the most amazing days from my mission in northern Germany.

We only had access to a car for one day every six weeks when the ZLs came to visit. That was the day we set aside to visit the referrals that were too far out to get to on bicycle. We had a referral that sounded pretty good, but it was forty-five miles out of town. When we got there, the woman hummed the tune to Oh, My Father, then asked us of that song belonged to our church. She had never been baptized, but when she was a little girl, her nanny was member, and would sing that song as a lullaby. For forty years she had had the words to our hymn running through her head.

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Tue, 13 May 2008 23:50:53 +0000

Jeff, you reminded me of something I picked up and stashed away, and I’ve been looking for it all day. Found it. It was a missionary visit to a woman who told her history: “Those who joined when she did went to Nauvoo, Ill. She had never heard an Elder preach sence 1848 untill we preached to day … she has always held to our faith & still does ” — this visit occurred in 1898.

I’ll have to find out more about this woman and write up her story, in honor of those like her that you met.

By: Jeff Johnson

Jeff Johnson — Mon, 12 May 2008 22:59:00 +0000

I served my mission in the South in the 1960s and met people who lived out in the country who had joined the Church in the early part of that century. They loved the “elders” to come by and eat with them. They were sorry that the regular wards were too far away to attend. In one case, in Alabama, we met a woman that had not seen “any one from the Church” for thirty years. We baptized her great granddaughter in a small creek near the house and of course had supper with them.

By: Ray

Ray — Mon, 12 May 2008 22:57:21 +0000

Ardis, what part of SC? My son is attending Winthrop, in Rock Hill. Should I ask if he knows any Halls in the ward?

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Mon, 12 May 2008 22:36:28 +0000

Thanks, Erin. I’ve heard my grandmother (Lella) tell some of these stories many times as I grew up. Others I learned only much later by searching out documents.

daniethew, my Halls were in Alabama since about 1830, and South Carolina before that. If your mother’s family or ancesters were from the South, I’d be glad to compare notes with you.

By: Erin

Erin — Mon, 12 May 2008 22:08:13 +0000

What a beautiful tribute, and inspiring woman. Keep them coming!