Thoughts and stories, by Pal

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY DEAR HUSBAND WAYNE, AND HIS TWIN BROTHER BLAINE -- TODAY!  I TOOK THIS PICTURE THIS MORNING IN ST. GEORGE.   There are many blogs which tell about them.  If you are interested, you can check blogs # 703, on Sept. 18, 2016, #491 on August 29, 2015, # 233 on September 18, 2014, and # 109 on March 1, 2014.  Today would have been my husband Wayne, and his brother Blaine's 87th birthdays!  They were born September 18, 1930.  Their dear mother Gladys didn't know she was going to have twins.  They weren't expected to live the night, and they were given a name and a blessing.  In the blessing they were told they would live mature lives.  Blaine passed away at the age of 68, and Wayne at the age of 85. I put flowers on both graves this morning in St. George.  I'm now home from being down there for 4 days.  I went and returned on the Salt Lake Express Shuttle, and stayed with my sister Vina 2 days and...

I was at this ground-breaking, sitting in the warm sun at 8:30 a.m.!   I was at this groundbreaking, sitting in the warm sun at 8:30 a.m.!   It is exciting and I have been training to be a volunteer there.  I want to keep up on the latest technology, if it is at all possible.  I was starting there, and we found this week that my husband, Wayne, has esophogeal cancer, and we don't know yet what kind of treatment, or no treatment, (at age 85 in September) will be in our future.   Our 60th wedding anniversary will be on September 24, 2015 -- married September 24, 1955.  LDS Church breaks ground for first-of-its-kind St. George FamilySearch Library By  R. Scott Lloyd ,  Church News staff writer Published: Saturday, Aug. 15 2015 3:00 p.m. MDT Updated: Monday, Aug. 17 2015 12:25 p.m. MDT View 5 photos » Elder Allan F. Packer of the LDS First Quorum of the Seventy speaks to attendees at the groundbreaking ceremony fo...

 THIS IS THE FINAL ENTRY OF SAMUEL MILES' JOURNAL.  THIS LAST ENTRY IS RATHER LONG, AND YOU CAN TAKE YOUR TIME READING IT.  THERE IS A LOT OF HISTORY OF EARLY ST. GEORGE, WHICH HE WAS A PART OF. 1862 - After closing my school in March, I resumed my farming and cultivated two city lots.  On the 7th of May was born my fifth son called John Talmar.  I acted as teacher in the ward and assisted Bishop Hill in settling tithing.  Three hundred teams were sent to the frontiers to assist the poor saints to the valley.  (These were saints on the plains who needed help to get to Utah).      On Sunday the 19th of October, 1862,  my name with 150 others was called to go with our families to go strengthen the cotton growing country in the southern part of the Territory. (Dixie -- now St. George) I immediately began to make preparations to go with my family.   I sold my hay and pasture lots near the city.  I made a good fit out wag...

I want to put this shorter condensed history of Samuel Miles Jr. in today.  I still have 2 more entries which are from his own journal, and more detailed, and I will add them later for those who want to read the more complete journal.                        SHORT HISTORY OF SAMUEL MILES   BY A GRANDDAUGHTER, SARAH MILES WALLACE, SISTER OF PAL'S                                                  FATHER, ORSON PRATT MILES.   My grandfather, Samuel Miles, was one of the most humble and appreciative men I ever knew.   He expressed many times his thankfulness to the Lord for many blessings given him.  He was an efficient speaker and took many home missionary assignments.  He found great comfort in the Spirit of the Lord and lived a life worthy of the guidance of the Lor...

I decided to make this into two entries, as it was too long.  Please check entry # 99, # 2 which follows this story.  It tells details of Zion's Camp .    Early Church history has always fascinated me.  What inspiration the Prophet Joseph received, to be the instrument for setting up the true Church in these last days.  He received "line upon line".  One of those deciding experiences was when the Prophet Joseph took men on what has been historically called "Zion's Camp", in 1834.   Thomas Colborn, my gg grandfather was one of the men who went with Zion's Camp.  He was the son of Jonathan Colborn and Hannah Hamilton Colborn, born 3 August 1801, at Genoa, Cayuga County, New York.  He was baptized on April 15, 1833, and his wife Sarah on December 26, 1834.  I wish we had more details about their conversion.   As far as we can find out he is the only one of the family who accepted Mormonism, and he was opposed by his paren...

We are very blessed to live here in St. George, Utah, where there are many wonderful and inspirational activities to go to.  On Wednesdays, here in the Tabernacle, they have a program, usually quite musical, and on Friday nights, they have an inspirational lecture by a well known person.  On Saturdays from 12:15 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. they have an organ recital, or other musical recital.  Many other nights they have concerts by local choirs and musical groups. This is an amazing building, to realize it was built in the desert small pioneer town of St. George, when people were so in need.  My grandfather, William Gustavus Miles, was a stone cutter on that very building.  It has a magnificent interior, and has spiral staircases, and a balcony on 3 of its walls.  I have enjoyed accompanying many talented people in several concerts there.  It has a lovely Steinway piano! Tonight we went to a wonderful program by Clive Romney.   It was his great gr...