RLDS Church – Genealogist on a Journey

Built on a Strong Foundation: The Women that Came Before Me.

Rebecca Walbecq — Sat, 09 Apr 2016 00:00:00 +0000

A strong woman
is one who can build
a firm foundation
with the bricks used to block her path

Every once in a while, I have one of those days that remind me that no matter what I am going through, I come from a long line of very strong women. I have shared the stories of some of these woman throughout my blog. These women would probably never have been given international awards or medals of honor. However, they were each strong and incredible woman in their own right. We often celebrate the heroes in our genealogy research, most of which are men. Today I want to celebrate the woman in my genealogy that struggled, loved, and survived in order to allow me to live the life I do today.

Sarah (Belden) Burt (1682 - 1749): Taken captive by Indians on February 29, 1704. She was 8 months pregnant at the time with her first child. She and her husband Benjamin, not only survived captivity but lived long enough to be rescued. Sarah gave birth to her first child Christopher. On the voyage home to Massachusetts, Sarah gave birth to her second son Seaborn. You can read more about Sarah (Belden) Burt, in the blog post: Benjamin Burt and His Family: Captives of the Deerfield Massacre

Mary Catherine (Clunas) McKenzie (1785 - 1857): Mary Catherine Clunas married Donald McKenzie in 1812 in Scotland, that same year they traveled almost 3,000 miles to Nova Scotia, Canada and then on to Malahide Township, Elgin County, Ontario, Canada to homestead in a new and untamed land. You can read more about Mary Catherine (Clunas) McKenzie in the blog post: Donald McKenzie, Talbot Settler of Elgin County, Ontario, Canada

Elizabeth (Miller) Faught (1845 - 1871): A young mother, suffering from a life-threatening disease. She fought with everything she had to find a cure that would allow her to stay with her husband and newborn daughter. You can read more about Elizabeth (Miller) Faught in the blog post: Elizabeth Miller and the hope of a cure

Sarah Ann (Healy) Hawley (1851 1924): Sarah Ann Healy, my 2nd great grandmother, left her home country of Ireland about the age of 16 to set off on her own to a new home in America. Once she arrived in America, she found her way to a small lumbering town called Alpena. She raised seven children and outlived all but two of them. She then made the long trip from Northern Michigan to Bellflower, California, and then back again after her husband's death. You can learn more about her life on her page or from one of the many blog posts I have written about her and her family.

Mary Anna (Faught) McKenzie (1870 - 1929): Mary Anna Faught, my 2nd great grandmother, overcame many struggles in her life, from losing her mother before the age of five, separated from her father and raised by her grandparents. Mary Anna grew up and married Alexander McKenzie. Alexander passed away at the age of 56, leaving Mary Anna with seven children to raise. Learn more about the tough woman by reading the blogs I have written about

Lavina (Hawley) Burt (1889 - 1953): Lavina May Hawley, my great grandmother, was the youngest of 10 children and grew up in a family with meager resources, to say the least. She was the mother of six children, four of whom passed away before reaching the age of 3. For this alone, I consider her a strong woman. However, one of the things I respect most about her is her willingness to care for a home and raise children on her own in order to allow her husband Ernest Burt to work as a Missionary in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I truly believe that this sacrifice played a large part in my and my family being a part of this church today.

Vera (Mason) Royer (1903 - 1982): Vera Ellen Mason, my great grandmother, was born around the turn of the century and married at 21. She raised five children through some of the most horrible and wonderful events in history. In her lifetime, she witnessed four wars (WWI, WWII, The Korean War, and The Vietnam War), lived through the great depression, saw woman gain the right to vote and the end of racial segregation. Most of her life she survived with a 7th-grade education. Until, at the age of 76, she went back to school to earn her high school diploma. I am proud to call this strong woman my great grandmother. Read more about this in the blog post: It is Never too Late to Learn...

Edna Jean (Burt) McKenzie (1927 - 2013): Edna Jean Burt was my grandmother. It is hard to summarize her strength because she is one of those people that made such a huge difference in the lives of so many. Born the youngest daughter of a minister, she grew up to raise five wonderful children. Throughout her life, she was the glue that held our family together. It was her quiet but constant strength and faith that my McKenzie family is built upon. She not only cared for her family but all those around her. Her love and courage were contagious and I for one am proud to say that she is my grandmother.

My hope is that someday, my life can also be an inspiration to my daughter and her daughters. Not, because I did miraculous things or the millions that I won't make, but because life itself is tough, and the normal day to day things, like raising children and working to provide for a family, take strength. Although I have highlighted the strength of these nine women in my family history, I am well aware that there are so many more. I will continue to research and discover their lives and share their strength through my blog posts.

How did they meet?

Rebecca Walbecq — Sat, 28 Mar 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Sarah Anne (Healy) Hawley, my great-great-grandmother, remarried after her first husband William, my great-great-grandfather passed away in California in 1914. The man she married was Asahel Atherton. They got married on October 30, 1919, in Beaverton, Gladwin, Michigan at the L.D.S. Church. Their marriage was officiated by another member of the L.D.S. Priesthood George F. Albertson. Witnesses were Mary E. Albertson and Dorthy E. Albertson.

On the same marriage register that Asahel and Sarah's marriage was recorded, there was a marriage record for Henry Estes and Mrs. Ida Livingston. Their marriage was officiated by Elder George W. Burt, who was also my paternal great-great-grandfather (the father of Ernest N. Burt and father-in-law of Sarah's daughter Lavina).

I always wondered... How did Asahel and Sarah meet? I also always questioned why Elder George W. Burt would not have officiated Asahel and Sarah's marriage. It just seemed logical to me. They were family and they were living in the same area.

Asahel Atherton and Anna Hawley Marriage Record - 10/30/1919

I started to do some research on the Albertson family. I found a marriage record for George F. Albertson and Mary E. Atherton.

Although, this is only my version of how I believe Asahel and Sarah met, I am going to share it anyway. It makes sense to me. Let me paint you a picture...

Mrs. Sarah Hawley, a widow since 1914, moves to Beaverton to be near her daughter Lavina and her family. The family attends the Latter Day Saints Church, where her son-in-law is a member of the priesthood. Mary (Atherton) Albertson and her husband George are also members of the L.D.S. church. Mary's father, Asahel Atherton, is also widowed in June 1918. So Asahel and Sarah were married by Asahel's son-in-law (George F. Albertson) and the witnesses were Asahel's daughter (Mary E. (Atherton) Albertson) and his granddaughter (Dorthy E. Albertson)I can just imagine, Lavina and Mary, talking at church and deciding to play matchmaker, both with a recently widowed parent. I believe that this is how Asahel and Sarah met and got married, with a little bit of assistance from their matchmaking daughters.

Lesson Learned: Always remember to do cluster research when you are looking for that hard-to-find ancestor or when you just want to learn a little bit more about the story.

Disclaimer: I cannot say with certainty that this is what actually happened. But it helps me to answer a long outstanding question. Whether Asahel and Sarah met while attending the same church or had some help from their daughters, I'm sure that this connection is the answer to my question... How did they meet?

More information about Sarah Anne (Healy) Hawley Atherton can be found on her personal page.

Treasure Chest Thursday: Grandma’s Bible

Rebecca Walbecq — Thu, 26 Mar 2015 00:00:00 +0000

My McKenzie family has experienced two significant losses over the past year and seven months. My paternal grandmother Edna Jean (Burt) McKenzie passed away on August 26, 2013, and my father Tom Orlando McKenzie passed away on November 6, 2014. Both my father and his mother were amazing people that brought light, faith, love, and humor to our lives and are truly missed.

As the family genealogist, due to these recent losses, I have been receiving several family heirlooms. One of these heirlooms that I truly treasure is my grandmother's bible. This bible was given to my grandma, on November 11, 1945, by her father Ernest N. Burt, who was an Elder and Missionary in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The cover page states that is was "A reward for her labor and love".

Edna Jean (Burt) McKenzie (8/19/1927 - 8/26/2013)

Edna Jean (Burt) McKenzie Bible - Cover

Edna Jean (Burt) McKenzie Bible - Front page

Edna Jean (Burt) McKenzie Bible - Inside page with a name. I have a feeling that my father (Tom McKenzie) probably got in trouble for helping decorate this page.

Edna Jean (Burt) McKenzie Bible - Page marker - The lord prayer

Edna Jean (Burt) McKenzie Bible - Family Register page

Edna Jean (Burt) McKenzie Bible - Births

Being able to have and touch a bible that has been held now by five generations of my family, including myself and my children is absolutely amazing. I will treasure it always and someday it will be passed on to the next generation!