Life of James Brigham Wright mapped!

James Brigham Wright is my 3rd Great Grandfather.  I am a decendant of his through his son Edward James Wright, his daughter Fay (Wright-Homer), her daughter Eva Faye (Homer-Mortensen-Shaw), her son and my father Robert Kent Mortensen.

James Brigham Wright was born in Manchester, England where his family joined the Mormon church.  They emigrated to the United States on the ship Horizon.  James Brigham Wright was a Mormon Pioneer who crossed the plains with the ill-fated Martin Handcart Company when just 11 years old with his mother Sarah Ann Brett-Wright-Phillips.  His family was among the early settlers of Nephi, Juab County, Utah.  His wife, Sarah Jane Chappell, was a family friend going back to their days in England and several years after James came to Utah, he was sent back to escort more pioneers, among them, the Chappell family.  Later in life, they help settle Beazer, Alberta, Canada where they completed their mortal sojourn.

Internet searches will show you some of the written history of James Brigham Wright and his family.

I created this map as I read about James' life.  Click on the blue push-pin markers to read some details about his life.



View Life of James Brigham Wright mapped in a larger map

Interestingly, when James' family was in Nephi, Utah, so was the Mortensen family, but no connections were found during that time period.  I imagine they knew each other then.  Their families would not unite until my grandmother, Eva Faye Homer would marry my grandfather Keith K. Mortensen after meeting in Montana a couple generations later.

On my mother's side of family, both the Carlson and Albrecht lines had family members helping build the Manti Temple, so I wonder if these families ever knew each other.

Also of of curious interest, my wife's side of the family had ancestors in Raymond, Alberta, Canada that overlapped the time period of my ancestors in Beazer.  I imagine that they also knew of each other through church connections and the Cardston Temple.

LDS Church on Illegal Immigration Policy

I was delighted to hear the LDS Church's official policy on illegal immigration, while many of my Tea Party friends are frustrated and wishing the church had never said anything about it.  Too often, conservatives have no mercy.  Both the law of mercy and justice must be met.

Here is a quick summary of the LDS Church policy on illegal immigration...

Illegal immigration is strongly discouraged.
The border and immigration is a Federal issue.
States laws that focus on one group should give us pause.
Those illegals currently here should have a way to become square with the law.
Undocumented immigrants can still enjoy the full blessings of Church membership.

Looking back over this blog, I have discussed illegal immigration several times.  I am thankful that the conclusions I had come to in the past were in line with what the Church has just stated.

http://robertkmortensen.blogspot.com/2008/02/illegal-immigration-justice-mercy-and.html

Be Careful about Who you Date in Mormon-land! ...you just might be cousins!

Not that I am on the dating scene, but a couple recent experiences of finding fairly close relatives brought the potential concern for folks in Mormon-land to light...especially if you are LDS.  Let me give ya couple examples...

Case Study #1

I've been working in an office for just over four months now.  After a couple of months of working there, a lady I work with named Stacie noticed my name plate on my cubicle and said, "My grandmother was a Mortensen."  I first asked how she spelled it.  Since the spelling was "right", I asked what her grandmother's name was.  She said Elsie Mortensen and her husband was "Jack" Stevens.  I looked it up on new.familysearch.org and sure enough, Stacie and I are 3rd cousins.  Our common ancestor was Peter Anton Mortensen, who I blogged about recently.  She is a descendant of Peter Alonzo Mortensen and I am a descendant of Robert Benjamin Mortensen.  Stacie also looks a lot like my sister Kara and when we compared photos, Stacie and her family just could not believe the resemblance.

Case Study #2

Jessica's Grandma, LaMona Bascom-James-Newren, of Sandy, Utah, passed away suddenly last week after a brief illness and hospital stay.  She was found deceased comfortably in her recliner by the Visiting Teacher who came to bring her dinner.  The funeral was held on Monday this week.  Grandma Newren was born and raised in Raymond, Alberta, Canada.  During the viewing I was talking with some of the old Raymond cousins with the surnames of Bascom and Nielson (sp?) and casually mentioned that my Great-Grandma was raised in Beazer, Alberta, Canada.  The husband of one of the Raymond cousins perked up and asked me what her name was.  "Fay Wright," I replied.

"Well, I am Leo Wright" he said, "I knew Fay.  She was my cousin".

So with a little figurin' I discovered that Leo Wright is my 3rd cousin once removed.  He and his wife live in Spanish Fork, Utah.  By the way, when we lived in Greenville, South Carolina, our Stake Young Men President was a Kent Nielson.  During a YM training session he mentioned growing up in Raymond, Alberta and I asked if he knew any Bascoms, like the rodeo hall of famer Earl Bascom.  He told me he was related to them!  Leo's wife is his aunt.

Case Study #3

James Brigham Wright

Talking with Leo inspired me to do a little internet searching on the life of  our common ancestor James Brigham Wright who was in the ill-fated Martin Handcart Company of Mormon Pioneers, but he survived and has a great posterity.  While reading his history I came across a quote from one of his granddaughters named Ardis Elizabeth Wright-Maughan.  I recognized the surname Maughan as the last name of a guy I work with at the same office as Stacie, so I jotted down the Maughan names to ask him about this morning.  When I mentioned the name Ardis, he said, "That's my grandma!"  Ardis is the sister of Fay Wright, my great-grandmother.  So, Jason Maughan and I are 2nd cousins once-removed with our common blood ancestors being Edward James Wright and Alice Maria Warner.  He emailed his dad who confirmed that he knew Fay and my grandmother Eva and even lived next to them in Charlo, Montana for a time.  Small world!!!

Conclusion

So, the moral of this story is...for all you kids ages 16 to married anywhere in Mormon-land...you might want to consider carrying around a six-generation pedigree chart and check for similar names before you start smooching.  If you are married, you might not want to compare family trees too much, 'cause you might me kissin' your cousin. In this case ignorance would be bliss!  Turns out that my wife is my 10th Cousin once-removed, which explains a lot about our unfortunate kids!!!

Oh the perils of doing family history and genealogy.  But finding out how you are blood-related to people you ain't kissin' sure is fun!

12 Years with Jessica!

The other day while driving home from work I was thinking about how it seems like Jessica and my relationship was just starting.  There are times where it seems fresh, new, and exciting in spite of the mundane schedule of life.  Then I started thinking about all the places we've lived, all the things we've experienced together, and the kids that we have...and WOW!...we sure crammed a lot into those 12 short years!

I'm especially grateful for my bride of 12 years for all the love and support she has given me in this last year of financial challenges related to my under-employment.  She was so strong, so faithful, so grateful...just what a guy needs to help him navigate through adversity.

Although she detests the molly-mormon stereotype and her personality and personal style doesn't match it all, she can do all those wifely, motherly, and homemaking things with the greatest of skill.  Some of you know, but others may not, that Jessica is a dang good cook!  She sews all kinds of things, paints, scrapbooks, you name it, she can do it!

Jessica loves to celebrate holidays and birthdays.  She goes way out of her way to make each event BIG for the kids so that they have wonderful traditions and memories.  I admire that!

Jessica is the sincerest friend.  Though often shy at first, once you are in her circle of friends you get her full devotion, concern, service, and gifts.  Because she is such a good friend, her example of living the gospel and inviting others to join her is just natural.  She is the best missionary I have ever seen and I am proud to be married to her.

Anyway, I could go on with my wife-imony, but let it be known on the records of Earth and Heaven that Robert Keith Mortensen loves Jessica LaPreal more now than he did 12 years ago!

The Life of Peter Anton Mortensen - mapped!

Just for fun, I created a map on Google Maps of the life of my Great-Great Grandfather Peter Anton Mortensen who was born in Denmark, joined the LDS Church, traveled to New York on the Emerald Isle, made his way west to Utah, and then moved all over the place in Utah and Idaho, even Montana until he passed away in Los Angeles, California.

If you click on the yellow push-pins you can read little snippets about his life and circumstances.  Most of the info I obtained was from the Mortensen family history book written by my 3rd cousin Ann Mortensen McClary.  Enjoy!



View Peter Anton Mortensen in a larger map

Bloated Government

This is why we should vote for representatives that are willing to cut government programs:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703749504576172942399165436.html?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTTopStories

Another plug for the show "Who do you think you are?"

If you aren't watching NBC's "Who do you think you are?" You are really missing out!  If have missed these shows, you can get caught up online at NBC.com or at Hulu.com.  Check it out and spread the word!  This is some of the best television I have ever seen.  Jessica and I just love each episode.

Family History is pretty amazing stuff!  I am excited for a 3rd cousin of mine who wrote a book about my Albrecht ancestors, which I read and really enjoyed.  She is doing a speaking tour about family history and she'll be in Bountiful the first weekend in March.

At my new job in Salt Lake, a gal I have worked with for a couple months noticed my last name for the first time and said that she had a grandmother that was a Mortensen.  I asked her name and her husbands name, and in just a couple minutes on www.FamilySearch.org I was able to find out that she is my 3rd cousin.  Peder Mortensen and Jensina Katrina Lind are our common ancestors.  She is descended from Peter Alonzo Mortensen where my side is from his brother Robert Benjamin for whom my dad, me, and my son Robert Kyle are named.

Family connections are so cool...plus this all leads to the most important family connections welded together for eternity in the holy temple.