Comments on: Guest Post: The Search for Edward Arthur Smith

By: kevinf

kevinf — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 17:17:09 +0000

Colleen, I have no information about Edward’s biological father, other than he was not around at the time that Joseph F. Smith adopted Edward. My brother in law has a copy of the birth certificate for Edward, and it does not show the father’s name. I will have to ask about the full name of the mother. I know the last name was Thorpe.

Also, as to the picture, for whatever reason, all I have is the cropped version, showing only Edward. Somewhere, I also have a picture of Edward as a young boy. If I can find that I will try to get that to you. I will ask Ardis to forward you my email address so we can talk offline.

[done -- AEP]

By: Colleen Carson

Colleen Carson — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:13:08 +0000

I am so happy to read your post. Edward was my husband’s great grandfather as well. The picture posted makes one think it is perhaps a wedding photo, but I have never seen who the woman whose hand you see included. Is it possible that you have the total picture? Also, could you contact me about Edward’s biological father shown as William and biological mother’s name as Jane? So glad to find this post!

By: kevinf

kevinf — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 16:01:58 +0000

Sherry, Ardis provided me with your email address, and I will follow up with you there, but in the meantime, here is my post about that wagon trip in 1914, including a couple of pictures.

By: Sherry Cochran

Sherry Cochran — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 05:07:08 +0000

I came across your post a year ago when my mother and I were trying to plan a trip following the trail that the wagon train my Grandmother and Grandfather had traveled with from Canada to Idaho. You can not imagine the wonder on my Mother’s face when we saw your pictures. My mother is Ilene Johnson, Einar and Nellie’s daughter. So now I am traveling to Oregon again to see her for her 90th birthday party and wanting to review your post. And what do I find but stuff about Edward Arthur. UNBELIEVABLE!! These are questions we have had forever. I will copy your post and show her. Are you related through Delva? I look forward to a reply when you have the opportunity. Thanks so much.

By: Jeff Johnson

Jeff Johnson — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 07:37:28 +0000

Worth a separate post is Joseph’s letter to Levira announcing his adoption of Edward, so I will save that for a later post…

Don’t wait too long, I am very interested.

By: Cameron

Cameron — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 21:07:01 +0000

I have no connection to Southern Alberta but have heard the story that Raymond and Cardston were in a some kind of a struggle to see who would get the Temple built there. Obviously Cardston won but I have heard rumours and probably just that an Apostle dedicated Temple Hill in Raymond, which is why it is called Temple Hill. People to this day think Raymond and/or Lethbridge will get a Temple but I don’t think that will ever in a million years happen now that Alberta only has about 20 stakes and three Temples as it is

By: kevinf

kevinf — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 19:20:25 +0000

Mark, thanks, I guess I should have researched that a bit more, but that is the day. As to the 51st state thing, the funny money (Loonies) and being able to cruise at 130 KPH, I knew that this was a land that had never known the touch of Ronald Reagan’s non-metric thinking.

By: Mark B.

Mark B. — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 18:52:35 +0000

A great tale. Thanks, Kevin.

I wondered about that “some kind of holiday” and discovered that the Canadians, celebratory sorts that they are, have a holiday the first Monday in August called “Civic Holiday” which is not even observed in Quebec (yeah, it figures) but in Alberta it’s called Heritage Day and is an Optional Civic Holiday.

How foreign!

And you thought Canada was just like the northern 51st state!

By: kevinf

kevinf — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 18:23:21 +0000

Thanks for the kind comments, all. What interests me most in doing historical research, is if I can make some kind of personal connection with the subjects, and I had them all over the place with Edward. As with much of what I have done, part of the motivation is that on the other side of the veil, these folks won’t be strangers to me. Not a very historiographical sentiment, but it works for me.

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 18:03:47 +0000

I’m not one to think that the spirits of our dead ancestors hang around cemeteries, waiting for someone to come by and visit.

Me, either. But I’ve shared that same experience. I was recording a small southern Utah cemetery once when I came across a familiar name on a stone at the top of a hill. I whooped and danced around it like I was unexpectedly meeting a good friend after a long separation.

This is such a good chronicle of how a name on a page eventually becomes a known and loved person.