Tams-Hickman Genealogy

10 August 2007

Vent

As I have worked to confirm ordinances, I'm always surprised to see so much work redone and redone again (in some cases as many as 10 times). Most of my recent ancestors (up to and including almost all of my Great-Great Grandparents) did their own ordinances while they were alive. Some of my Great-Great-Great Grandparents even did their own work. Though there are mistakes in the Temple Ordinance Records, it is usually pretty easy to match names and see that the work has already been done.

I realize that for years, Temple Ordinance Records were only updated irregularly and were difficult to access. Because of that, work that needed to be done was often duplicated. But now, those Ordinance records are updated almost in real time -- and are easily accessed on the internet. There really isn't any reason that these already completed and recorded ordinances should be redone. A recent example is that work on my Grandma Coombs (who just died 11 years ago) is already being redone -- as recently as 2002. Her name was resubmitted with an incorrect birthplace. Careful checks in the Ordinance Records would have showed that she had completed all of her own ordinances while living.

We receive blessings in our lives just for attending the temple. But redoing ordinances takes hours of proxy time that could be used for someone who actually needs the work done.

Stepping off my soap-box. :o)

Myrthus & Felton

In prior research, I discovered that Josiah HICKMAN had married his third wife, Helen Josephine HANSON, after the manifesto (in Mexico in 1902). After some calls to Family History Centers and eventually to the temple, I discovered that all sealings like this would have to be redone. Everything else had been redone -- except Myrthus & Felton had not been resealed to their parents. I originally made a disk and took it to the temple to do the work. I was surprised, though, that my disk wouldn't work. Because of this, I felt that it was not my place to do this work, but rather was for their direct ancestors. I was please to see, while working this week, that the work has been redone during the past year.

Confirming Ordinances

I've been working on the Tams line this week. After struggling at the ends of the line and not finding any links, I've decided to change my approach. I am working from my closest ancestors. I am 1) Confirming that all of their ordinances are done and 2) Confirming that all of their children's ordinances are done (including sealed to spouse). So far I have confirmed up to my Great-Great Grandparents on the Tams line (Elijah TAMS etc.). I am waiting, though, for some information on Boston & Leon Richman (Leon is the son of John William RICHMAN & Jane Charlotte SINFIELD -- and the brother of Zoe Sinfield RICHMAN). I can't find information on Leon's descendants -- but did find a website of a "Lynn RICHMAN" which has pictures suggesting they are descendants. Temple Ordinance Records show that Boston & Leon received their endowments on the same day that they were married -- which suggests to me that they were also sealed that day. However, the Ordinance Records do not show a "Sealed to Spouse." I sent an email to that site -- hoping for a positive indication that they were sealed (I'm 99% sure that they were).

07 August 2007

Harold Ross COOMBS & Lois Jane WATT

Harold Ross COOMBS & Lois Jane WATT are buried in the SW corner of the Honeyville Cemetary.

06 August 2007

Missing Photographs

On the TAMS line, I am still missing photographs of the burial markers for:

Thomas TAMS & Margaret HOMER (both died in Stafforshire, England).
John RICHMAN & Sarah Ann STEPHENSON (both died in Fremont, Idaho & buried in Teton-Newdale Cemetery).
Christopher Marinus OLSEN & Caroline Sophia JENSEN (He is buried in Richmond, Utah -- I can't figure out where she died/was buried).

Hans JENSEN (Caroline Sophia JENSEN's father) may be buried in Hyrum, Utah.