Monday, January 18, 2016

Studying the Word of God with my Husband's Cousin

Dr. Truman Grant Madsen
Those of us who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been encouraged to read through The Book of Mormon this year, as it's the subject of study in our Adult "Sunday School" class, which we call the Gospel Doctrine class. I've been reading it daily and supplementing my study with videos that are available on You Tube. Some of the best videos are those presented by Dr. Truman G Madsen. Wikipedia tells us this about Dr. Madsen (13 Dec 1926-28 May 2009): "An emeritus professor of religion and philosophy at Brigham Young University and director of the Brigham Young University Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies. He was a prolific author, a recognized authority on Joseph Smith, and a popular lecturer among Latter-day Saints."

Since I knew that Dr. Madsen had died in the past few years, I referred to the Family Tree at familysearch.org to learn a little bit about his ancestry. I particularly wondered if he might have been related to any of the early Church pioneers. To my surprise and delight, I discovered that he was a grandson of Heber J. Grant, who served as the 7th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1918-1945. 

I knew from my past research on my husband's family that he was a distant cousin of Pres. Heber J. Grant. From the information presented on the Family Tree, I was able to connect Truman G. Madsen to Pres. Grant, thereby tying him to my husband, Larry C. Jamison. This report shows their relationship.   
Larry Jamison is a 7th cousin one generation
removed of Dr. Truman G. Madsen
I have to admit it gives me comfort to know I'm learning from not only a respected authority in my Church, but someone to whom my husband is directly related. 

Saturday, January 9, 2016

Telling My Story: A Music-Filled Childhood


As you can see from these photos taken when Dennis and I were 4 years old, we were exposed to musical instruments in our home. Our dad, Ernest Margheim, played the guitar and "fiddle", composed and sang songs in high school and entertained in a program on KVGB Radio in Great Bend, KS as early as 1938.
LaVerna Margheim on violin,
Ernie Margheim with his guitar
and brother Leonard on cello.
About 1941, Hoisington, KS
My Aunt LaVerna was especially gifted in music and was afforded the opportunity to study piano with Professor Oscar Lofgren at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas while a student at Hoisington High School. 
Becky and Dennis Margheim at
Aunt LaVerna's grand piano in the
home of our grandparents, 1955, age 8
When Dennis and I were 3 and 4 years old, we lived with our Margheim grandparents prior to our dad's remarriage to Phyllis Jones in 1951. Aunt LaVerna graduated from high school in 1947, the year of our birth, and remained at home until her marriage in 1953. She worked in a music store and also played the pipe organ at the local Lutheran Church. She occasionally took us with her to the rehearsals of the church choir, which had a big impact on our love for singing church music!

She started giving us lessons on the piano when we were 4 years old. After her Dec 1953 marriage, she moved with her husband Al Irelan to Great Bend, KS, living at the corner of 21st and Adams, only 2 blocks from our "new" home at 22nd & Jefferson. So she continued to teach us until she and Uncle Al moved to Colorado about 1954.
Becky and Dennis playing for our guests at
 our 8th birthday party, Nov 1955
Upon Aunt Laverna's move, we became piano students of Maude (Mrs. George) Maddy in Great Bend. She was a teacher who would not allow her students to play anything but classical music, so we were trained on Mozart, Debussy, Beethoven, Bach, etc. From 1954 until we graduated from high school in 1965, we sat down on the piano benches of Mrs Maddy every Thursday 4-5 pm and 5-6 pm. I look back now and realize that was only for a period of 11 years, but it seemed like 30 years at the time. We were required to practice one hour each day. Since I played flute and Dennis played French Horn in the Symphonic Band in high school and it met at 7:30 am, we took turns arising at 5:30 am to practice the piano. 

At the age of 8, while in 3rd grade, Mrs Maddy arranged for Dennis and me to perform in a recital featuring just the two of us. We played 10 songs solo, and two two-piano duets. 
Mrs Maddy with Becky and Dennis
in the Park School auditorium




It's to the credit of our step-mother Phyllis that we were exposed to a variety of music. I studied the flute from grade 6-12 and Dennis played French Horn, both in the marching band and symphonic band at Great Bend High School. I also played in the City Band during the summers (because it paid $2 per week!). 

Dennis studied the pipe organ under the direction of our Deaconess, Mertice Spaude, at Trinity Lutheran Church at the age of 11, while in 7th grade. His proficiency allowed him to be employed as the organist through Junior High and High School. That was the beginning of a wonderful career for Dennis, as he currently serves as the organist at Western Hills Methodist Church in El Paso, TX today.  
Our musical involvement wasn't limited to the keyboard or instruments. We learned to Tap Dance under the direction of Carol Kutina in Great Bend while in grade school, performing for many local organizations and events.
From grades 7-12 we took Arthur Murray Ballroom Dance lessons from Hazel (Mrs. Herb) Smith in Great Bend.

I did my best while learning the piano and flute in school, and enjoyed the dancing, but I discontinued my studies upon high school graduation. It's amazing that those years of being involved in music only covered a span of 14 years. It seemed like twice that! I'm grateful to have had the experience and happy that I can read and appreciate music, but I'm much more comfortable today at my computer keyboard than my piano keyboard. 

Friday, January 8, 2016

Rest in Peace, dear cousin Paulette Harris

Pictured above at left is Ruby "Paulette" and at right Ruth "Pauleen" Harris. The twin girls were born 10 June 1948 to my mother's sister Edna "Pearl" (Flanders) and her husband George Harris in Stafford, Stafford, Kansas. 
L to R: Pauleen and Paulette Harris
I was able to get acquainted with my cousins as a child (1947-1959), just to the age of 12 as my twin brother and I visited our mother and step-father monthly at the home in Stafford, KS of our maternal grandparents, Milo and Nannie (Becker) Flanders. Our monthly visits ended, however, when we reached the age of 12, so my contact with my cousins ended at that time also. It's unfortunate that we became "disconnected" as we grew to adulthood.
Ruth Pauleen Harris
My cousin Pauleen passed away 24 Oct, 2014 in Topeka, KS. As her estate was settled, I received her vast photo collection with the agreement that I would scan, share and preserve the old family photos. I gratefully upheld my part of the agreement as I scanned the photos, saved them to CDs, uploaded and filed them on Dropbox, sharing the 1,500 photos with cousins, sisters, and nieces this past summer. 

I received word on Wednesday, January 6, of the passing of (Ruby) "Paulette", who was named after my mother, Ruby Flanders. 
I didn't know Paulette well throughout my adult life, but our mutual cousin Nancy shares this with me: "Paulette was sweet, caring, and complicated. She embroidered. She had been dealt a difficult hand in life but she did the best she could with what she was given. She loved to play card games, do puzzles, and play board games. She watched soap operas and loved all her extended family, siblings, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, niece and nephews. God sent us a special gift in Paulette!"

Early in her childhood, Paulette was stricken with measles, the case which was accompanied by a very high fever that left Paulette with epilepsy and mental and physical limitations. She was blessed throughout her adult life to be cared for by her devoted and loving twin sister Pauleen. 
Pauleen (1948-2014), standing, and
Paulette (1948-2016) Harris
Rest in Peace, dear cousin Paulette. You will be missed, as you are dearly loved by your family. 

Let me share some of the treasured photos of Pauleen and Paulette from their own valued collection.
Pauleen and Paulette Harris (left to right)
George Harris is proud of his children (left to right)
Sheryll Lou, Pauleen, Paulette, and Duane, as he poses
with them in front of our grandparents'
(Milo and Nannie Flanders) home in Stafford, KS
Pauleen and Paulette Harris (left to right)
pictured above and below
Paulette and Pauleen Harris on vacation in Virginia,
the home state of their father, George Harris
Paulette and Pauleen in the front yard of the
home in Stafford, KS
Left to right: Sheryll Lou Harris, Duane
Harris, twins Pauleen and Paulette Harris,
twins Dennis and Becky Margheim
and cousin Rita Diane Flanders,
(seated on the porch) at the home of my
paternal grandparents, John and Mollie
(Koleber) Margheim at
114 E. 6th St, Hoisington, Barton, Kansas.