26. Friends from everywhere, and all races!
Dear folks, It has been really touching today to read about the life and mission of Nelson Mandela in South Africa. It brings quite a few thoughts to my mind. These are from the histories of Pratt and Ruth Miles book.
My great-great grandfather, on my mother's side, John Lowe Butler, whose journal is included in our book of my ancestors, was married in Tennessee in 1831, and given 2 slaves as a wedding present from his wife's family. They became converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and were baptized in 1835. This is in their history: (On Page 119)
"At the wedding celebration held in their home, parents of bride Caroline Skeen, surprised her with three special gifts. According to family tradition, Jesse and Keziah Skeen, gave her an expensive sidesaddle so she could ride horseback in style, like a Southern woman of breeding should. They also presented to her and new son-in-law John Lowe Butler -- handsome, tall, and blue-eyed, two of their most expensive presents: two slaves.
The wedding linked two Southern families, the Kentucky Butlers and the Tennessee Skeens. The groom, twenty-two and the bride, eighteen, had been close neighbors. Soon after the wedding, John freed the two slaves who had been wedding gifts, as the Butlers did not believe in slavery, although they had lived for years among slave owners. Within four years John and Caroline cut themselves off from friends and relatives by converting to Mormonism and leaving Kentucky. They both died in Utah, leaving behind a numerous posterity.
John was born on April 8, 1808, in a section of Warren County, Kentucky, which soon became part of a newly created Simpson County. His father, James Butler,(#52 Ch 1) 26 years old at John's birth, was from North Carolina. His mother was Charity Lowe, 24 years old, also from North Carolina. James was part of the third Butler generation descended from an Irish immigrant ancestor. James became the county's justice of the peace.
Charity, his wife, gave birth to fourteen children, four of whom were stillborn. John was the 4th child."
On my father's side, his mother's father, Haden Wells Church, was a convert, and I've told some of his history in my blog 3 days ago, in # 23 -- "How did they do it?" This is also some of his story: (Page 78)
On one of his missions to the South, Haden brought at least one Negro back with him to St. George. Carter, in OUR PIONEER HERITAGE, Volume 8, said, "Another Negro to come here was brought by Haden Church, a native of Tennessee, who was called with his family, to the Cotton Mission in the fall of 1861. The circumstances as to how or when the Negro came are unknown, but it seems that there was no idea of his remaining in Utah permanently, for when Mr. Church received a call to perform a third mission in Tennessee, the Negro went back with him." The Negro probably came in 1870 and returned in 1875. A St. George resident told of remembering "old-timers" telling her that the Negro called Brother Church by the name of 'Massa Haden' and he was known by the nickname throughout the community."
I was taught by my father, Pratt, to not have any prejudice toward any other race. In Sweden we met people from Iran and Iraq, and Syria, and other countries -- Ethiopia, Bangladesh, etc. In our mission in Connecticut, we met people from South American, mostly Brazil, and also a lovely black woman who was a faithful member of the Church. I wish I had pictures of many of them to post. I will post some, and just tell you that as I grew up, I had no prejudice, and I don't feel so now. I know Heavenly Father loves all His children, and I want to learn to love others as He does!
The photo above P 205 in our life story book, is of Wayne and me and Toma Valid Daud, who had been a deserter of Saddam Hussein's army during Desert Storm, and defected to Jordan. He eventually got political asylum in Sweden, and we met him in northern Sweden. We became very close to him. He told us that he could never go back (we wonder if he has been back since) and just cried when he told us how much he missed his parents and family. He was just 26. After we came home he called us here, and begged us to be able to help him come to the United States. We contacted everyone we could, and even called a senator, but we couldn't because he wasn't a blood relative.
This is another picture of Valid. We wish we knew where he is. P 206.
These were Muslim friends, we had to our Christmas Dinner in Kalmar, Sweden. P 186
This is me, Elving, and Wayne, on page 204. Elving was a Swede, and actually came to the US and visited with us 2 months, in about 1998. We are afraid he has died now, as he had diabetes quite badly, and the last we knew he was in a care center.
We grew to love so many people there from all countries and races. Because Sweden was a country that allowed a lot of political refugees, we had copies of the Book of Mormon in 25 languages in missionary apartments, and we gave them out in 11 languages. None of the people above became members, but we loved them! We are all God's Children! We received our mission call to go to Sweden 20 years ago this December! We left the first part of May, 1994.
My great-great grandfather, on my mother's side, John Lowe Butler, whose journal is included in our book of my ancestors, was married in Tennessee in 1831, and given 2 slaves as a wedding present from his wife's family. They became converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and were baptized in 1835. This is in their history: (On Page 119)
"At the wedding celebration held in their home, parents of bride Caroline Skeen, surprised her with three special gifts. According to family tradition, Jesse and Keziah Skeen, gave her an expensive sidesaddle so she could ride horseback in style, like a Southern woman of breeding should. They also presented to her and new son-in-law John Lowe Butler -- handsome, tall, and blue-eyed, two of their most expensive presents: two slaves.
The wedding linked two Southern families, the Kentucky Butlers and the Tennessee Skeens. The groom, twenty-two and the bride, eighteen, had been close neighbors. Soon after the wedding, John freed the two slaves who had been wedding gifts, as the Butlers did not believe in slavery, although they had lived for years among slave owners. Within four years John and Caroline cut themselves off from friends and relatives by converting to Mormonism and leaving Kentucky. They both died in Utah, leaving behind a numerous posterity.
John was born on April 8, 1808, in a section of Warren County, Kentucky, which soon became part of a newly created Simpson County. His father, James Butler,(#52 Ch 1) 26 years old at John's birth, was from North Carolina. His mother was Charity Lowe, 24 years old, also from North Carolina. James was part of the third Butler generation descended from an Irish immigrant ancestor. James became the county's justice of the peace.
Charity, his wife, gave birth to fourteen children, four of whom were stillborn. John was the 4th child."
On my father's side, his mother's father, Haden Wells Church, was a convert, and I've told some of his history in my blog 3 days ago, in # 23 -- "How did they do it?" This is also some of his story: (Page 78)
On one of his missions to the South, Haden brought at least one Negro back with him to St. George. Carter, in OUR PIONEER HERITAGE, Volume 8, said, "Another Negro to come here was brought by Haden Church, a native of Tennessee, who was called with his family, to the Cotton Mission in the fall of 1861. The circumstances as to how or when the Negro came are unknown, but it seems that there was no idea of his remaining in Utah permanently, for when Mr. Church received a call to perform a third mission in Tennessee, the Negro went back with him." The Negro probably came in 1870 and returned in 1875. A St. George resident told of remembering "old-timers" telling her that the Negro called Brother Church by the name of 'Massa Haden' and he was known by the nickname throughout the community."
I was taught by my father, Pratt, to not have any prejudice toward any other race. In Sweden we met people from Iran and Iraq, and Syria, and other countries -- Ethiopia, Bangladesh, etc. In our mission in Connecticut, we met people from South American, mostly Brazil, and also a lovely black woman who was a faithful member of the Church. I wish I had pictures of many of them to post. I will post some, and just tell you that as I grew up, I had no prejudice, and I don't feel so now. I know Heavenly Father loves all His children, and I want to learn to love others as He does!
The photo above P 205 in our life story book, is of Wayne and me and Toma Valid Daud, who had been a deserter of Saddam Hussein's army during Desert Storm, and defected to Jordan. He eventually got political asylum in Sweden, and we met him in northern Sweden. We became very close to him. He told us that he could never go back (we wonder if he has been back since) and just cried when he told us how much he missed his parents and family. He was just 26. After we came home he called us here, and begged us to be able to help him come to the United States. We contacted everyone we could, and even called a senator, but we couldn't because he wasn't a blood relative.
These were Muslim friends, we had to our Christmas Dinner in Kalmar, Sweden. P 186
This is me, Elving, and Wayne, on page 204. Elving was a Swede, and actually came to the US and visited with us 2 months, in about 1998. We are afraid he has died now, as he had diabetes quite badly, and the last we knew he was in a care center.
We grew to love so many people there from all countries and races. Because Sweden was a country that allowed a lot of political refugees, we had copies of the Book of Mormon in 25 languages in missionary apartments, and we gave them out in 11 languages. None of the people above became members, but we loved them! We are all God's Children! We received our mission call to go to Sweden 20 years ago this December! We left the first part of May, 1994.
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