Conversion

Recently, Grandma Izzy's personal history was transcribed. Shortly after that, I interviewed Granddad JC and asked him some of the same questions. Here's a set about their conversion to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Grandma Izzy:

Describe your conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ:

In June of 1956, Bob (5 ½ mos) and I (24 yrs) traveled to Germany (Augsburg) to join JC who had been there since January 1956. Bob, who’d been born 29 Dec 1955, was not yet 6 months old. I was pretty nervous traveling by airplane to New York from Charlotte, N.C. and then on to Paris, France and on to Munich, Germany where JC would meet us.

I would then and I will now do anything, swallow all fear, overcome any obstacles to be with him.

During the 5 months we were saving the money to pay for this flight, JC had become acquainted with two excellent young men: Ronald Ercanbrack and “Sam” Leroy Bolinder who were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Their lives and healthy outlook plus their fun-loving spirits caused JC to want me to meet them.

Shortly after I met Ron & his beautiful blonde wife, Annette, and their friend Sam Bolinder, Sam gave me (and JC) a gift of the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price (3 books!) He told me since I had such a great (p.2) interest in the American Indians he wanted me to read the real history of the Am. Indians.

Now, since the childhood I had was in a home which boasted only one real book, the Holy Bible, I had a thing about books. If anyone ever gave me the gift of a book, I would read it.

JC was due to go out into “the field” for 10 days training in a few days, I determined I would get our apartment cleaned up, all my work done, and then I would just have to take care of Bob and read, read, read. I knew I could read this book in 10 days. It was only around 500 pages long. Sam said this was a true book – not fiction. He gave me a certain reference that would tell me how I could know for myself if the book were true.

JC went to the field, and I followed my plan. It took 3 days to get all my work done. For the next 7 days I was enthralled with this book. I took care of Bob, ate a bit when he ate, and read. I did not bathe; I slept in my clothes reading under the covers until I fell asleep (It was cold & there was no heat in my bedroom) (p.3)

JC arrived back and was appalled (mostly my body odor & scruffy appearance). I told him excitedly about the book. He said, as he pulled off my sweat shirt, “Honey a bath comes first!” But I’ve never forgotten kneeling on an icy hardwood floor in an equally icy bedroom with my breath visible in the air, putting Moroni’s promise to the test and feeling a warmth pour over me from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet. It was like warm water yet it was inside me as well as out.

I knew the book to be true, and I have never been the same since. It took me until Nov. 27, 1958 to be baptized, but my conversion began as I have described it. My conversion continues day by day all these years later as I serve my beloved Savior Jesus Christ by loving, caring for and serving those around me.

I continue trying to overcome my faults and leave sin behind, but I am far, far from perfect and struggle to stay true & faithful. I’ve learned a lot about endurance and faith. I’ve gained more & more confidence in my Savior and in the strength that comes from being in a strong loyal family who loves the Lord.

Grandma and Bob before leaving Germany

What can you remember about the day you were baptized?

The Elder (Hovey) who had taught us the discussions had been transferred the week before, and Brother Clemmie Dabney, the Camden Branch Pres. was going to baptize us. The font was under a hinged part of the stage and was about the size of & looked like just like a concrete grave. It was late November and already cold out. Pres. Dabney had some kind of heating element warming the water. When he got ready to baptize us, I assumed “Ladies first” & headed for the font. Pres Dabney said, “No, Sis. Connell (p.68) in this church, it’s priesthood first.” JC went in and was baptized. Then it was my turn. I stepped into the water & it took my breath away it was so cold - like ice. Pres Dabney grinned and baptized me quickly. The feeling of warmth that flowed over and around me as he put me under & drew me out of the water filled me with joy and I quietly said “Hallelujah” (and in my heart and soul shouted Praise the Lord Jesus. My sins are forgiven and now I have a chance to serve Him in my life.) Elder Carlos Cardon confirmed me and gave me the gift of the Holy Ghost. This day changed my life. The feelings I had that day were a key to letting me know when the Spirit is with me: those feelings are: warmth spreading over me, joy, happiness, fulfillment, enlightenment, learning, heightened awareness, pure knowledge flowing into me (like that day, I knew that Jesus Christ lives, loves me, gave his life for me & was resurrected from the dead.), feelings of expanding my horizons, desires to serve, love for those around me, feelings of forgiveness for those around who have offended, lack of fear, feeling I can accomplish anything with God’s help.

Granddad JC:

"Well, we were in the army and we were in Germany and these friends of mine from Salt Lake--two of them, one was from Salt Lake, the other was from a little town just outside of Salt Lake. Anyway, they were in the G-2 section that I was in in the 11th airborne division. We used to go in the evenings we would go over to this one's house he was married, his wife came over and Izzy came over (to Germany). We would go over there maybe weekend evenings and we would play Monopoly. We would play it all night. and that was fun. They always won. 'Cause that's what they did. I guess they did a lot of that when they were kids. We didn't,  We played Monopoly and I was smokin'. Izzy was smoking then, too, at that time. They said when we left, they'd open up the window and they'd fan all the smoke out. They were really nice folks. She still lives in Salt Lake. His wife. He passed away--Ron did.

We joined the Church when we got back to Camden. I didn't want to join over there so we were baptized right here in Camden. Bishop baptized us--He baptize you? 'Yeah.' [from Grandma]--Both of us. Bishop Dabney."

R-L: Granddad, Grandma, Grace, Bob, and aunt Betty Joyce (nee Connell)'s family. The two kids are Barbara Ann and Tony.
This is probably in Camden around the time Grandma and Granddad joined the Church.

How did you know the Church was true? "It was just naturally true. I just--it was common sense, really, with the Church. Joseph Smith, and the vision that he had, and all."

So your friends just invited you to church? "Oh yeah. We went to church with them in the army. Our kids--the thing about it, Izzy loved it so because Bob was our baby. and he would walk around to everybody and they'd pick him up, play with him and put him back down. and he'd go around to somebody else'd pick him up, talk to him, and put him down."

And here's the sound clip!

J.O. Thompson: Carpenter

J O Thompson, Sr
February 1962

My father was a carpenter (class A-1, of which he was very proud). He taught all of his 3 living sons the trade on the job. He usually walked to work unless the job was too far away. Then someone he worked with would pick him up and take him for which he paid.

Mama always packed him a lunch as there was no such thing back then as “going out to lunch.” He carried a lard bucket in which she would put a couple of biscuits with fried fatback or ham or whatever we had, a mason jar full of beans, maybe a piece of leftover cornbread from supper and that was it.

He left before sunup and got back about dark in the winter. In the summer they went in early and got off earlier in the afternoon.

I don’t know the companies he worked for over the years, but the reason we came to SC was following the building trade.

I don’t know from whom he learned the carpenter trade, but he was the best. His son, John Lloyd Thompson, later became the owner of his own company, John L. Thompson Construction. His grandson, Wayne Thompson, son of James O. Thompson Jr. is now part owner of Thompson-White Construction Co.* which was originally Patriot Construction, owned solely by Doug White, my son-in-law. (Wayne was trained on-the-job by his dad J.O. Jr. who was trained by J.O. Sr.; all of J.O. Jr’s sons who lived around him learned the carpenter trade.

Foy Thompson, the youngest son who went to Auburn Univ. and became a coach and later a principal, knew enough about carpentry to build his first home in Camden and help on his 2nd home. So J.O. Thompson Sr. was a good teacher of his trade.

-Izzy Thompson Connell, J.O's 8th child. Pgs. 205-206 of personal history. Written circa 1996

(reverse side)
J.O. Thompson Sr
daddy
looking a lot like Foy does now @ 75 w/out the big glasses

*Editor's note: Wayne Thompson's business partner Doug White said that Wayne was a talented carpenter, more talented than himself.

Where was J. O. Thompson after his mother died?

After J.O.'s mother died, his father was so upset by her passing that he didn't feel fit to care for his three children, so he sent them to live with his brother John Thompson. When J.O.'s father remarried, his new wife would take his two daughters to live with them, but said that she didn't want to have to raise a "big 'ol boy," so J.O. stayed with his uncle John. J.O. was only 12 years old.

J.O. loved his uncle John. When Grandma was telling me about J.O.'s stay with John Thompson, she said this several times. "My daddy loved his uncle John." John taught him how to farm and run a farm, among many other things. The skills J.O. learned when he was with his uncle John helped him land his job as manager of a farm in or near Charlotte when he met Grace Campbell, my great-grandmother.

Here's the 1910 census showing him with his uncle John Monroe Thompson's family. J.O. was the oldest child there by a long shot. If you sign in to Family Search to view the picture, you will need to go to the previous image to see the rest of John M. Thompson's family.

Sources: Grandma Izzy, Cousin Rita, 1910 US census

James Henry Thompson

James Henry Thompson -- my great-great-grandfater -- lived in Newnan, Cowetta County and also in Carroll County, Georgia for a large portion of his life. According to Google Maps, that's less than an hour's driving time away from where I live now! This will be the first time since I started doing family history that I've lived close enough to the places my ancestors lived to actually visit them and look at records of my family members that are not online. Wooo!

Sarah Burke Thompson, probably Hoyt Thompson, James Henry Thompson

James Henry is the man on the right. The woman in the picture is his third wife, Sarah Burke. Many women died young from complications during childbirth, and I believe that is what happened to James's first two wives. It was difficult in those days to raise children as a single parent, just as it is today, so many men remarried not just for company, but also to help raise the children.

Parents: John Henry Thompson, Martha V. Benford
Birth: October 3, 1866 in Heard County, Georgia
Marriages:

1. July 1 1888 to Callie Anita Nolan in Newnan, Georgia. Callie was about 20 and James was 21.
   Children: James Oren Sr., Lillie Belle, and Susie Ella
2. February 12, 1905 to Lena Lenderman. Lena was 19 and James was 38.
   Children: Siddie Odessa, Oliver Glen (Glen), and Clarence Richard
3. June 1, 1919 to Sarah Jane Burke. Sarah was about 32 and James was 52. This was Sarah's second marriage.
   Children: John B, Roy John, Elizabeth, and Harvey Hoyt

Death: February 14, 1943. James was 76 years old.

Since James, Henry, and Thompson were all pretty common names, at first all I found was the 1940 census and the record of his marriage to Callie Nolan. However, when I searched using James Henry's children's names or siblings' names, I was able to find many more records for him.

As you can see in the censuses, James Henry Thompson was listed as Henry or Henry J. This leads me to believe that he was called by his middle name, Henry. Several of his siblings also primarily used their middle names. This is probably another reason I found it so difficult to find records for J. Henry Thompson.

As I've been doing family history work, I've noticed that censuses records seem to be more of a casual record than records such as a marriage record. Census records tend to have less accurate ages and nicknames, while marriage records have more accurate ages or birth dates and names. Therefore, although I've only come across one record that lists J. Henry as James H. Thompson while the others list him as Henry J., I feel that it is more credible since it's a marriage record.

So J. Henry lived in western Georgia, really close to the Alabama border. In 1880, the area that he lived in was so far west that it was called New Mexico! New Mexico was/is located in the south west corner of Carroll county, right next to the Alabama border.

Henry is listed as living in Carroll County up until about 1930, where we see he's living in Coweta County. Coweta is closer to Atlanta and further east than Carroll County. However, Henry's marriage to Callie Nolan took place in Coweta County, and at least their first child (James Oren Thompson, Sr.) was born in Newnan, Coweta County, Georgia in 1892. It seems like Henry moved around some. I don't know how or where he met Callie, but I'm guessing that they lived in Newnan to be closer to Callie's family (She lived in Clayton County in 1880. That's east of Coweta County.)

You may have noticed that J. Henry's three oldest children were not living with him and his second wife in 1910, although his youngest from his first marriage would have been only 15 years old. I don't know where they went, but I'm guessing that J.O., Sr and his two sisters were sent to live with relatives since their widowed father didn't have the means or ability to raise his young children. I'm going to ask Grandma if she knows anything about it.

J. Henry passed away at the age of 76 years old. His youngest child Harvey Hoyt was only 14 years old.


1880 Census:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M8L6-F1J

1880 Census, Carroll County, GA

Marriage to Callie A. Nolan:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KXVK-G4Q


1910 Census:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MLV1-WTV

1910 Census, Carroll County, Georgia

1920 Census:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MJ8X-5WH

1920 Census, Carroll County, GA

1930 Census:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/331Q-X2M

1930 Census, Coweta County, GA

1940 Census:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K7LD-WWD

1940 Census, Coweta County, Georgia

Peanut Butter in the Roof of My Mouth!

This is a story that Grandma Izzy is a pro at telling. Hopefully someday I'll get a copy of her telling this story herself!

Izzy playing with a dog

When Izzy was a little girl, peanut butter was made a little differently than they make it now. The way peanut butter was made in her day, the oil would rise to rest on top of the rest of the peanut butter, and you'd have to stir it up before eating it.

Well, little Izzy loved eating that peanut butter! Sometimes she'd sneak into the pantry at the back of the house and she'd stir and stir and stir until she could finally eat some.

One day, Izzy must have been a little impatient with stirring the peanut butter, because as she was eating it, she realized that there was some peanut butter stuck on the roof of her mouth! It was thick and dry and very stuck. Izzy didn't know what to do!

First she tried to use her fingers to get it out. That only made her fingers really slobbery. Then she tried removing the peanut butter by poking it with her tongue. That was also a no-go.

Finally, Izzy decided to enlist some help. She wandered around the house looking for one of her brothers or sisters to give her some inspiration. Foy was the first she ran into.

"F'y! F'y!" she said, looking desperate. Foy didn't know she was calling his name, but he could tell there was a problem. He asked, "What's wrong with you, Izzy?"

"There pea'ut bau'er in the ruf a' my mouf!" Izzy exclaimed.

"What? I can't understand you! There's something in your mouth--"

"IT PEA'UT BAU' ER!" It would have been a yell, but the peanut butter was muffling everything that poor Izzy said.

"You have peanut butter in your mouth?"

Izzy nodded furiously. "Yef." She was close to tears.

"Have you tried poking it with your tongue?" Foy asked.

Izzy nodded forlornly.

"What about using your fingers?"

Another nod.

"Here, I'll try," and Foy proceeded to try to pull that peanut butter out with his fingers. Of course it was too slippery to get a grip on, and he soon gave up.

"Maybe I can carve it out with my knife!" Foy pulled out his pocketknife. His trusty knife had solved many a problem for him in the past, and he was sure it could help in this situation. Izzy made a terrified noise and backed away from Foy--just a little bit. She knew he wouldn't hurt her, but the thought of having a knife--a sharp knife--in her mouth made Izzy uncomfortable.

Little Sugie walked up at this point. She was the baby of the family, and a few years younger than Izzy. She was too little to really be able to do anything for Izzy--at least that's what Izzy and Foy thought.

"Hey Sugie." Izzy couldn't pronounce the "sh" sound at the beginning of Sugie's name, so it sounded more like "Soogie."

Sugie noticed the lapse in enunciation and asked, "What happened to you, Izzy?"

Dejectedly, Izzy told her, "I go' pea'ut bau'er in the ruf a' my mouf."

Foy jumped in, "Yeah, we tried everything! I used my fingers, she used her fingers, and I was about to try my knife--"

"Why don't you just swallow it?" little Sugie suggested.

"Swallow it?" Izzy thought. "Well, I might as well try."

Izzy made an effort, and whaddaya know? All she needed to do that whole time was just swallow that darn peanut butter! Who knew it could be so easy? In gratitude, Izzy smiled on Sugie and said with perfect enunciation, "Thank you, Sugie! That peanut butter was starting to get on my nerves!"

What's in a name: Foy

Up until a few weeks ago when I started this blog, I thought I only had two Uncle Foys. Well, it turns out that I have three!

Here they are:

Uncle Foy, my mother's brother.
Great-Uncle Foy (b. mid 1920's), my maternal grandmother's brother.
Great-Great-Uncle Foy (b. 1903), my maternal great-grandmother's brother (brother to Grace Viola Campbell).

I didn't find any other Foys, but I only looked at Great-Great-Uncle Foy's aunts and uncles.

Searching for "Foy definition" on Google gave me some neat results.

From the Merriam-Webster website:
foy chiefly Scottish: a farewell feast or gift

From dictionary.com:
foy
1. chiefly Scot. a farewell gift, feast, or drink.
2. faith

The Scottish origin makes sense, since I'm pretty sure that both the Campbells and the Dunns (the parents of the first Foy) originated from Scotland. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Also, I like to check name popularity on a parenting website called babycenter.com. It shows popularity of a name through time, and it's really fun to play with. Here's the graph for Foy:

Before finding this graph, I thought we were the only family that used the name Foy. It's fun to see that there were other people that used the name! I think it's funny that the graph ends in 1938. I guess the name didn't catch on, which I think is too bad. I've always thought the name Foy was really cool.

Vital information - James Oren Thompson, Sr.

James Oren "J.O." Thompson, Sr. 


He was described as "about 5'10", Dark Brown hair, blue eyes, ruddy complexion, with a darker skin tone."

Birth date: July 2, 1892

Marriages: 

1. June 30, 1912 (Three days before his 20th birthday) to Lula J. Hanson
2. July 30, 1918 (26 years old) to Grace Viola Campbell

Death date: February 5, 1968

Records of James Oren Thompson:

• In the 1920 census. It shows that he was married to Grace Thompson, had a son James under a year old, lived in Mecklenburg County, NC, was born in Georgia, and that his occupation was that of electrician.

Click image for greater detail

• Information about him on a web page dedicated to descendants of David Atticus Nolan
• Marriage information to Grace Viola Campbell at Mecklenburg County register of deeds

James Oren Thompson "J.O."

J.O.  was a headstrong man. He worked at the mill for a dollar a day, and kept a large garden/farm off to the side. He motivated his children to do important things (like finishing highschool) by daring them. "You'll never be able to do that." Then they would - just to prove him wrong.

He was a religious man, and a renowned healer. People would come for miles around to have him pray over them.

Also, since lovers lane was near his house, he would "happen" to shoot birds near them, scaring too-frisky couples back to appropriate affection.

More later...

Grace Campbell

Grace Viola Campbell, mother of Grandma Izzy and 9 other children.

This is what I know about her as a person:

• She was a seamstress
• Her husband was not as well off as her family was
• She was 23 when she married and 24 when her first child was born

Birth date: September 4, 1894

Marriage: July 30, 1918 to James Oren Thompson, Sr.

Death date: March 18, 1960

Records of Grace Viola Campbell:

In the 1920 census, as Grace Thompson

Information about her on a web page dedicated to descendants of David Atticus Nolan

Birth and death dates on FindAGrave.com

Marriage information at Mecklenburg County register of deeds and on FamilySearch.

Quilting with Grandma Izzy

I have really wonderful grandparents, on both sides of my family. My mother's parents left a legacy in the (small) town I grew up in--many people I met knew of my grandparents and admired them.

I lived just a short walk down the road from my maternal grandparents, so my siblings and I would go over to their house often to visit, to be babysat, or to help in their garden. I even took piano lessons at their house!

One of my favorite things to do at Grandma Izzy's house was work on the quilt she was currently working on. I was the youngest of all my sisters coordinated enough to do the stitch work on the quilts (no, they were not tied quilts!), and while we quilted, Grandma would tell stories. Boy, could Grandma tell stories! Unfortunately, I don't remember them, but I do remember how much I enjoyed spending time with her and my sisters. Eventually, we made one quilt for each sister except for me--I think people were running out of steam by the time they got to me, and I don't remember telling anyone how much I wanted a quilt.

Quilting with Grandma was something I looked forward to and enjoyed doing with my sisters. I could feel her love for all of us, and I loved the family bond that came from it.