The Strength of Our Roots

I have been wavering back and forth about what to write about next. I shared a picture a few days back on Facebook of my great grandmother Lillie Florence Jones Goff. I feel like I want to talk more about family and genealogy at this time. For those of you who knew my mom, you know that she spent years, decades actually, working on genealogy. I have in my possession the fruits of that labor.

While most of us who are LDS are inclined to do genealogy for the purpose of temple ordinances, my mother had another purpose in mind. She wanted to get to know the members of her family well enough through her research so that when she met them on the other side of the veil she could walk up to them and shake their hand and know about their earthly life.

I want to talk a little bit more about Grandma and Grandpa Goff. While I do not remember Grandpa, I have vague memories of Grandma. I know that they lived in a little house down the dirt road from Grandma Hazel. My mom got the pump organ and upright piano that were Grandma Goff's. I have them now and they will be passed on to my daughters. Of all my earthly possessions, I treasure the ones that have been handed down from generation to generation most.

James Wesley Goff married Lillie Florence Jones on May 27, 1900 in Carthage, Jasper County, Missouri.

Their union brought forth the following children:

• Glenn Wesley DOB 06/19/1901
• Edith Mary DOB 04/24/1904
• Walter Daniel DOB 10/20/1908
• Hazel Marie DOB 08/16/1911
• James Russell DOB 12/20/1915
• Jessie Lester DOB 03/29/1922

This last picture is of Grandpa and Grandma Goff with my mom, Dixie Lee Yeomans Northcott. I love seeing my mom as a happy child. She had a very colorful youth, but that is a post for another day. I am so proud of my roots. The joys, sorrows and enduring lives that brought me to this earth. I am so grateful for my mother's diligent work on documenting as much as she could find. I am excited to finally be able to share some of this information with the rest of my family.

Blooming in Winslow

“The gospel light has the power and purpose to bring blessings into your life and into the lives of those waiting in your path,” Elder Uchtdorf said. “You are here to facilitate those blessings. I urge you to bloom where you are planted.” President Dieter F. Uchtdorf.

I moved permanently to Winslow last Christmas. I drug my feet the whole way. I did not want to leave my nice house and nice things in Dewey (Prescott). When you move into a completely furnished house, there is little room to bring everything (anything) you own. Fortunately, my daughter is still living in the other house and I can go home to it occasionally.

I have been pouting for 6 months about having to move here. I lost my mountains to hike in. I lost my friends to work out with. I felt like I was giving up everything. It just didn't seem fair. So what have I done? Stopped everything. Stopped hiking, stopped working out, stopped living. You know what? It's not much fun. My body is getting weaker, while my butt is getting bigger. It is time to stop blaming Winslow for my lack of ambition. 

I planted a garden this year. It is tough to grow anything here. It takes a lot of work. The dirt requires a lot of cultivating, the water isn't the best. Some of the things I planted have grown, some have not. I think it is the same with me. Slowly I can test the ground. I may not have the beautiful mountains to hike in. I may not have all my "things" from Dewey. I do however have the ability to make a new start here. There are new friends. There are new places to explore.

The cantaloupe is going crazy!