Eagle Project making progress

We've spent a couple more saturdays working on Isaac's eagle project.  It is almost finished now -- we just need to finish up the railings.

Stephens homested

Family,

Nancy Lincoln posted a picture on her blog of a picture Hyrum Grant Stephens painted during the early 1960's of the cabin and homestead of the Stephens family on the banks of the Snake River i Star Valley. I will also include the comments posted in her blog.

On 5 November 1908, Grant and Myrtle Stephens were married and settled into their first home near the town of Alpine, Wyoming, the following spring. It was a homestead on the banks of the Snake River. The homestead included land on each side of the river. The nearest post office was about 14 miles and the nearest store about 20 miles either way, at Freedom, Wyoming, or at Irwin, Idaho.



Grant says, "Before summer was through we had moved into our new house which we thought pretty nice. We lined it with lumber and covered with shingles. I got the logs out and took them to the mill and had them sawed for $9 a thousand for the lumber and $5 for the shingles. We put in about 20 acres of oats. On our place there was many springs and several acres of high quaking aspens and of course along the springs were willows and the ground along the bottom was a heavy dark soil covered with big thick brush and was very fertile."

By 1910 enough people had moved nearby that the Alpine area got a post office. Grant got the contract for carrying the mail for the first 5 years. He got $20.22 per month for making the 16 mile trip twice a week. In summer he rode a horse and buggy and sleigh or skis in winter. Grants says, "I had a lot of tough times while carrying the mail. Nearly every winter I would have to carry it on skis for several months. I remember one time I started out on the 2nd of January with a team and bob-sleigh. The snow was over 4 feet deep and snowing and blowing until I could hardly see the team so they could hardly follow the road at all." He eventually had to leave behind his sleigh and start off with just the horses. "I tied one horse to the other one's tail and started them for home. I was holding to the last horse's tail. It took me all that day to get home."

Many years later, when Grant was in his 70s, he took an interest in painting. They came to visit our family for a few weeks. My mother, after watching him paint on art paper, cardboard, or whatever he could find, purchased some canvas boards for him to paint on. One day, my father asked him what the old homestead had looked like. Grant's response was this painting which now hangs in my parents' house.



It will be the only visual memory we have of the setting for their early married life as the site of the homestead is now covered by the waters of the Palisades Reservoir.

1 comments:

Jack N Stephens said...

Nancy,

I appreciate the picture of the Stephens home stead.

Jack

December 5, 2009 9:36 AM

Update from Flint, Anette and Creed

The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind for us. At Thanksgiving we were fortunate to have Mom and Dad with us, as well as Sam. The downside was that Anette had gall bladder surgery the day before so she did not get full enjoyment out of the holiday. She is doing much better and was back in school yesterday.

Thanksgiving was also Creed's first day in the Dominican Republic. We got an email from him today and it sounds like he is enjoying his time. The MTC there is on the temple property. I'll forward his email to anyone who wants to read it.

Friday Mom and Dad left and I started getting an ear infection. Sunday morning I went to the emergency room because it kept getting worse. My left ear was much bigger than the right one and the pain extended into my neck and back. It is getting a lot better now, but they told me it will take a couple of weeks to get back to normal.

Brandon has been accepted to his two top choices for dental school. We hope they will pick UNLV. Either way, we are very happy for him and Jenine.

Eagle Project

We spent several hours today working on Isaac's eagle project.  It is finally starting to take shape.  The top picture shows a couple of the wheelchair ramp modules partially constructed.  The bottom picture shows one of the small modules completely built.  Hopefully Isaac will be able to complete the project in the next few weeks and I'll be able to put my car back in the garage.

October events

Since there wasn't any Girls Camp this year due to "Trek," and since the 12 and 13 year olds couldn't go on Trek, Lynette went to "Beehive Camp."
Halloween: Elaine and two of her best friends.
Rachel's birthday.
Halloween. Lynette, Rachel, and Lynette's friend, Karlotte.

James' robotics competition was this month. They missed going to state by one point!

My baby is gone!

Anette and I dropped Creed at the MTC today. For the past couple of weeks we've been trying to cram in lots of things he will miss. This is so hard. The picture is after he was set apart last night. The stake president said he is one of the best prepared missionaries he has ever seen.

When we pulled up to the curb at the MTC, one of Creed's friends who entered a week ago was there to greet him. That brought a big smile to Creed's face and the two of them walked off and never looked back. "No man, having put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God."

Our other children are all doing well. Grey was a little sick today so we hope he does not have the flu. Laila is growing fast and looking more like Jenine every day. She likes to be carried constantly and doesn't like to be put down to sleep--just like Jenine was when she was a baby.

October update

October 2009 It has been cold since the first of the month. Yesterday, October 10th we went to Flint's and attended the Tinpanogos temple for Creed to receive his endowment. In the evening we went to Jenine and Brandon’s home to participate in Laila’s blessing. Then early this morning we had to travel back to Logan so that I could give three Patriarchal blessings.

The pictures are of Branden and Laila and our five Great-grand children with the adults needed to hold them down long enough to get some kind of picture.

25 October 2009 Today we went to Flint's to be present at Creed's Farewell Sacrament meeting. Creed gave a good talk and I am sure he will be a good missionary. He leaves November 4th for the Missionary Training Center. He will stay there for three weeks before going to the Dominican Republic.

I have hesitated to put spiritual experiences in my journal but I must include what happened. Last Sunday I gave my 900th Patriarchal Blessing. I gave two blessings to a young married couple, ( that I felt must be having some spiritual trials and that was the reason they chose to receive their blessings at this time). Following them I had a young lady by the name of Breanna Robb, a beautiful young lady whom I had never met before. What made this blessing so special was that as I was giving the blessing she received the lineage of Manasseh. This was a complete surprise to me. I haven't given a lineage of Manasseh since May of 2007. Usually those of Manasseh are descendant from American Indians or some other person with darker hair and features. Breanna is light skinned, blue eyes and didn’t fit my pre-conceived notion of a person of the lineage of Manasseh. It came with such power and certainty that I had to pause for a few seconds and regain my composure before I could proceed. This type of experience really confirms my testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel and the sure knowledge that I am guided by the spirit of revelation as I give Patriarchal blessings.

31 October 2009 Heather Broadbent was in town this last week to give a performance at Snow College and a Violin Recital at Utah State University. There were all kinds of frustration concerning her programs. The person making all the arrangements failed to do her job and really caused Heather a financial burden. We, however, got to listen to an hour of beautiful Violin music given by a very talented Heather

Dad and Mom