Tales from the Big Black Book and other Family Lore
March 20, 1959
1 young couple
got married
in the Logan Utah LDS TempleMarch 20, 20096 children
24 grandchildren
2 greats (almost)
And still going strong!
Happy 50th Anniversary!
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I Want to Go "Home" Last week, my friend Tipper at Blind Pig and the Acorn wrote a post called "The Daffodil." She says, "Each spring, I ponder the Daffodil blooms I see in fields or in wooded areas - in other words blooming in the middle of no where - yet sending out a strong and mighty signal that someone once lived there." She can tell where her grandparents, great-grandparents, and other ancestors lived by watching for the blooming daffodils. I have thought so much about her story this week. Tipper lives in the place where her family has lived for generations. Her past is such a big part of her present.That's something I've always longed for. I've always wished I lived in a home my ancestors built. I want an attic full of old things that I can search through. I want to feel the past. I want to know where I came from. Most of my ancestors came West with the Mormon Pioneers between 1850 and 1885. They left behind their homes, their farms, and even their families. They settled in these valleys of Utah and Idaho in sod huts and log cabins that are long gone. We frequently make pilgrimages to these places - we visit cemeteries and feel the land under our feet. We tell their stories, and we remember. But I want more. I want to know about my distant past. Where did those pioneer ancestors come from? Today I found out. As I was thinking about Tipper's daffodils, I pulled out this picture from one of my mom's scrapbooks, and got to thinking.... (Photo courtesy of Dawn G. Perkins) What is Ceres, Virginia like now? Are there any daffodils growing where my ancestors used to live? My ancestors left Ceres, Virginia in 1881. I know that my great-grandfather, Henry Clay Heninger, came to Utah. And I know his parents - my great-great-grandparents - James Preston Heninger and Louisa Catherine Groseclose Heninger came too. Who did they leave behind? What was their life like in Virginia? I started doing a little online searching....and this is what I found. I have an ancestral Home! At Dean's Corner, Dean (my distant relative), tells all about my Groseclose ancestors - things I've never known before! I knew some names and a few dates, but very little about them - especially that their HOME IS STILL STANDING and being lived in. It even has an attic filled with treasures! The house was built by Peter Groseclose, Sr. (my 5th great-grandfather) in 1793, who built it for his son, Henry Groseclose (my 4th great-grandfather). It sits on land that was part of a land grant to Peter Groseclose signed in 1785 by the Governor of Virginia, Patrick Henry. I have an ancestral home! I can feel my roots pulling me back - back to a home I don't even know. And it all started with a little daffodil. The Groseclose clan is having a family reunion this summer. Should we go?! Photos of Groseclose...
You're a charm!! (Need to get a picture of Thomas in there somewhere!) Thank you!! Love you!! One day, we'll get a family picture with everyone smiling! Love to watch your blog every day!!
Posted by: Dawn | March 21, 2009 at 01:26 PM
What a wonderful tribute to your parents! I believe I have only a couple family members who made it to their 50th anniversary, one couple was my great grandparents Bert and Eva Hanaway! Thanks for sharing...these are terrific pictures friend.
Posted by: Pam Taylor | March 22, 2009 at 03:47 PM
That guy in the wedding picture looks just like Cary Grant. Is it?
Posted by: Mike J | March 22, 2009 at 08:34 PM
JoLyn, I enjoyed this tribute to your family so much. Thank you so much for sharing.
Posted by: Judith Richards Shubert | March 23, 2009 at 09:22 PM
What a beautiful wedding photo!!!
Posted by: Bridget | March 23, 2009 at 09:41 PM
I love that wedding photo. Happy Anniversary to some wonderful people.
Posted by: Jenny-Jenny | March 24, 2009 at 11:56 AM
Such a sweet post! And what an amazing marriage they have had-50 years-just wow!!
Posted by: Tipper | March 25, 2009 at 11:22 AM
Yes... a lot of water under the bridge.... I hope to find a still water...
Posted by: Paresh Solanki | October 10, 2009 at 03:57 AM