July 24th!

Happy PIONEER DAY!

Pioneer Day commemorates the entry of Brigham Young & the first group of latter-day Saint (Mormon) pioneers to the Salt Lake Valley--July 24th, 1847. They settled there after being forced out of their thriving (at the time, near rivaling the commerce in Chicago!) community on the Mississippi River, Nauvoo, Illinois.

In addition to being an official holiday in Utah, Pioneer Day is considered a special occasion by many members of LDS Church--commemorated by reenacting pioneer walks/handcart trails, etc--remembrances of the pioneer experience with activities and songs. We don't have any events in our ward this year but I want to make sure to talk about it and celebrate it in our family.

So, I did some digging on FAMILY SEARCH and found some stories and links to my ancestors who were among the Mormon pioneers. I can't imagine leaving family and homeland to a place you had never known or seen--but these people had conviction in their hearts and their vision of faith.

 Their willingness to sacrifice, keep calm, live gratefully, and create beautiful spaces in trials is such an example to me.

I found this excerpt from a pioneer company journal that mentions my great-great-great grandfather, John Wagstaff.

He is one of many in my ancestry that gave, served, lived, lost, and still kept the faith.