From Anna and Wilmer Murray’s Journal December 2010

Monday 22, 1980
Still beautiful weather. I worked on the quilt binding today, got it cut, pressed and sewed on the machine. Darrell called this evening to tell us Mrs. Butcher passed away this morning. It really upset us as we thought she was better. They are having her funeral Wednesday at noon. Maybe we will go back with Neil when he comes tomorrow. We called LaVora, Neil and Dewey to tell them about it.
Tuesday 23, 1980
It is still beautiful weather. I did not get much done on the quilt today. Neil came about one thirty. Then Ross and Velma came. I called to see what Darrell and JoAnn thought about us coming out with Neil. Only Jodi was home. Shortly after, JoAnn called back, she said to stay home and take care of Dad. We felt that they were always here when we need them and when they need us we can’t go. So we have really been mixed up.
We had a good visit with Neil, Ella, Ross and Velma. Ross is a good comforter. Soon Neil and Ella were on their way home. Neil said they would go to the funeral tomorrow. Ross and Velma visited a while longer. We really enjoy them and hated to see them go,
Katherine Abegglen and her blazer boys came caroling and brought us a box of goodies. Ardis Davis brought a plate of goodies too. They visited a while with us and our company. We have good neighbors. John Urisk brought some shale for out yard. They tried to keep it a secret but Dean and Ramona came and Dad asked who was out in the yard. Then we went out. Wade was helping his dad.

The Butchers and Murrays


Santa

Family update--Adventure at Aspen Grove!

Dear Family December 31, 2010

Here it is the end of December and the end of the year and we are ready to start a New Year so Happy New Year everyone.

I would assume that everyone’s past month has been very similar to mine. We shoveled snow, shopped for Christmas, had Christmas Eve dinner and celebrated Christmas day etc. It is always good to be with family and it is epically nice this time of the year.

We made our usual trip to Aspen Grove. I think all of the family was there except for Van, Marc, Cami, Jordan and Joshua. It seems Marc needed to work and of course Joshua is on his mission. Things went pretty much the same as usual except that we added a slide presentation, Aspen Grove 1984 – 2010, which Reed and his family prepared and showed. Experiencing the presentation was a time when one needed to have tissues handy. Then we took an hour or so to let anyone, who wished, share a few thought with the group. Needless to say that this was another tender time as everyone remembered their grandmother and expressed their appreciation for the Aspen Grove experience.

When we went up the canyon on the 27^th the roads were bare and clear. On the 28^th we had a warm day with the sun shining, which made for an enjoyable day. The morning of the 29^th, however, everything changed as a storm moved in. For a while we were snowed in. This is the first time, on our last day at Aspen Grove that it has been storming like this as were leaving, so this was something new. What an opportunity, just think of the stories we can tell and they, depending on ones imagination, can only get better with age. It was not until in the afternoon, when we were getting down to our last steak and everything that they decided to dig us out. Then we had an interesting trip down the canyon. First I got to close to a snow bank on my right and got stuck. A kind couple, who Reed and Kerry had asked to watch for us stopped and helped. They and my grandsons soon got me going again. Then by cell phones we learned that they wanted us to turn in at Sun Dance so the emergency vehicles following us could pass. This we did and while we were turning around in there my grandsons decided to drive my car out of the canyon. We, however had not gone far until we found our selves behind a long line of cars. Here we leaned that a big tree had fallen across the road and as it went down it took the power lines with it. We were told that it was going to be a couple of hours before they could get the tree moved. So there we set in the snow storm talking to everyone up and down the road as well as our families at home. (Interesting invention, these cell phones.) I’m sure it did not take that long for soon they had the road open and we were able to continue down the canyon. Now, just think, couldn’t one with a little imagination really come up with a good story like: (You know how we were going down the canyon in our covered wagons and the sleet falling was as big as a baseball and the weight of snow on the pine trees was causing them to fall all around us causing our animals to go crazy and then alas one fell across the road in front of us stopping our progress. So now here we are, with our singe blade axes, chopping away at the tree in an effort to move it. I’m afraid we will be here for the night ---“) .Anyhow, a few of us, Brad, Brytni, Bridger, Lincoln, Kevin, Rebecca, Doug and my self, finished of the day with a meal at Chuck A Rama. It was a wonderful day and wonderful adventure and best of all I was with the very best people.

I hope this long note finds everyone well and in good spirit..

Love. Neil

Abby, Marie, Neil, Karly, and Mariel

Story Time -- Things are not always what they seem By Neil R

In the November story time item I mentioned that during the years I was in elementary school at Myton, as second and sometimes the only source of income, the folks took in borders. At first it was construction workers and then later school teachers. Over time these arrangements led up to some interesting and choice experiences. It seems, at times, we had three or four teachers staying at our house and two or three others that stayed at Zirker’s and had their meals at our house. Over time we became quite attached to most of these people. As a matter of fact they became like family. It seems that the time I’m thinking of there were three teachers staying at our house, two women and one man. It seems, when there was free time, the borders, including mother and dad, would sit around the dining table and play games. One game that was popular was Chinese checkers. Anyway to get on with the story there was this one night, after mother and dad and the rest of the family had gone to bed that the teachers, I think Helen, Thelma, Hazel and Purcell, were still at the table playing games, talking or just being young adults. Fast forward to the next morning when mother and dad got up there in the middle of the table was the water pitcher with a note in the top with the word written on it “contaminated”. Well mother took this personally. She thought they, and Helen in particular, was saying that mother was not adequately cleaning her dishes etc. This thought that mother did not keep a clean house built up in mother’s mind until she was, well very angry and she was seriously planning on asking Helen to move out. Mother must have mentioned her feelings to one of the other teachers because she, and I think it was Hazel, told mother “Oh Anna, Purcell drank out of that pitcher and that is why Helen put the note in the pitcher with the word Contaminated”. Ooops

Update

Thanks to everyone who fasted for Lyle and his family.  Just to update everyone, he has been working at a temp job, so hopefully this will be able to help out and until bigger and better things occur!  Thanks for keeping him in your prayers!

Grandma and Grandpa

Groom's Name: Wilmer Murray




Groom's Birth Date: 18 Aug 1902



Groom's Birthplace: Vernal, Utah



Groom's Age:



Bride's Name: Anna M. Winkler



Bride's Birth Date: 30 Aug 1906



Bride's Birthplace: Ferron, Utah



Bride's Age:



Marriage Date: 08 Dec 1923



Marriage Place: Uintah, Utah



Groom's Father's Name: James B. Murray



Groom's Mother's Name: Atta Ashby



Bride's Father's Name: Herman J. Winkler



Bride's Mother's Name: M. Verona Gardner



Groom's Race: White



Groom's Marital Status: Single



Groom's Previous Wife's Name:



Bride's Race: White



Bride's Marital Status: Single



Bride's Previous Husband's Name:



Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M74682-5



System Origin: Utah-EASy



Source Film Number: 481105



Reference Number: 1162



Collection: Utah Marriages, 1887-1966

Jerry Murray Family

Jerry Murray Family


While in Utah we took two trips to Myton to do a little work on the house. On one trip we noted there was an oil rig on the old farm. So we drove over to it. There it was as big as life. It was sitting on the 20 acre field where I have cut a lot hay. We were back out in Myton about ten days later so I thought we should go check it out again, and to our surprise, it was gone. It looked like it had been moved up on the north Myton bench. Our thought of getting rich quickly vanished.

We have been home for nearly two months and have been working at the house and spending some time helping at the Mission Office. They have us doing apartment inspections - Not the funnest task as we find that some missionaries are better housekeepers than others. Marylyn is the sergeant of arms and the master inspector. I just make sure she gets to the apartments on time.

We had Allison here for Thanksgiving for a short visit and then she was off to Morgan Hill to stay a few days with Lisa and Bob. We only had a small group for Thanksgiving for a change as Susannah, Kevin , Allison, Jennifer and her dog represented the family. On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, we had the grandchildren and their parents. We ate too much and spent too many days eating. I guess that is what Thanksgiving is all about.

The Bishop asked me to be in charge of the ward Christmas party. It was a lot of work in a short amount of time. However, the ham was great and there was a lot of food. The only problem was that the High Priests provided pumpkin pies but no whipped cream. A rather dry dessert.

As soon as the party was over we headed down to Morgan Hill to help Lisa and Bob get unpacked in their new home. It is a new home but they have found there are a few problems with the house as it foreclosed before it was finished. They purchased it as is and so are responsible for fixing all the little items the contractor did not finish because they were not paid - like the gas outlet for the dryer did not have shut off valve ( a dad project). No code for the gate opener - still researching. One of the five bath room showers only has hot water - a major plumbing problem and a major leak in the sprinkler system. We were able to stop the leak but it will have to be fixed in the spring. A few other problems like trying to determine what all the light switches control. Other than that, it is a great house. We were there for five days and all tuckered out. It was good to be home in our small house where we did not have to walk so far to get from one end of the house to the other.

We will be picking Allison up tonight from the airport to spend Christmas with us and then she will head down to Lisa's to spend another few days. She just returned from an exciting trip to Prague and a side trip to Austria. She has become our world traveler. Jenn is off to Hawaii for Christmas. Lyle and family will join us here on Christmas morning to open presents. Susannah and Kevin are spending Christmas with Kevin's family this year. We will go to Lisa's after Christmas to work on their house some more.

Merry Christmas to all of you! We love remembering our time in Nauvoo with lots of the Murray family. Thank you again to the Tucker Family for making it all happen.

Just a side note regarding Neil's lunchroom story about me…Mom had been asked to work in the lunchroom and I was only 5 years old and she had no babysitter for me. She worked out an agreement with the principal that I would go to first grade at age 5, and that is the reason I was eating at the school lunchroom. Neil was right…Mom made sure that I cleaned up my plate because none of us would eat the "stuff" Neil brought home to the pig disposal!!!