An Ancestor's Story

An ad for an online ancestry organization caught my eye. Next to a black and white picture of an American soldier it stated,

Where does your courage come from?

Such an interesting concept-my aptitudes, abilities, talents, and maybe even courage could be attributed to my progenitors! If such is the case, then my testimony is an accumulation of well-run relays by disciplined parents, grandparents, and ancestors.

The story of my great great grandma, whose children are pictured above (it's sad that I've forgotten her name, and probably invalidates my story to some. Nonetheless...):


She raised her children in what is now known as the 'Mexican colonies,' just south of the border from California. Her peregrination to the remote Hispanic territories was on account of her LDS faith. At the time some LDS persons were legislatively being pursued on account of practicing polygamy. Although her husband abstained from such, she followed her fellow saints in their travel from national persecution.

Her children recollected of their time in the colonies that they 'never knew want.' Despite the somewhat bleak and dire circumstances, their mother provided an atmosphere resplended with nuturing, love, and joy.

Her husband, true to the faith, served several (3?) missions. On returning from his last mission, he brought home another wife-and inducted himself into polygamy.

Her children said, "It was the only time in our entire lives we'd ever see mother cry."

She continued on. So, maybe I've inherited a bit of an odd attributed to be acclaimed- the ability to live with a broken heart. That is true courage in my book.