Recent conversation with Dad

He called me last week for my birthday. I know that I give my family a hard time but they really aren't too bad at remembering. So he called and told me Happy Birthday which somehow turned in a story. With Story-time Phil - this wasn't a stretch BUT this story had to do with how he remembers my birthday every year.

Apparently in November or December of 1989 (around the time that the Vegas temple was dedicated), Dad and Mom were asked to come to Vegas to be interviewed by L.Tom Perry. They had previously been interviewed by their stake president for possibly serving as mission presidents. So Mom and Dad had an interview with President Perry in which at the end, he said that was going to recommend them to serve as mission presidents. He said that if they were called they would know by the second week of January.

(Still wondering what this has to do with my birthday? - it does have a point, I promise). 

The second week of January 1990 passed without any calls. My parents were honored to have been considered but thought that they were not going to be called. 

BUT on January 22 (really the best day ever), my Mom received a phone call from Brother Allred who is President Hinckley's secretary asking to speak with my father.* Mom said that he was at work and gave Brother Allread the phone number. Then she hung up and called my Dad and said, "Don't take a bathroom break - President Hinckley wants to talk to you!" (The bathroom break warning was valid - Dad did take a lot of bathroom breaks). 

So Dad waited patiently by the phone. Brother Allred called and put him through to President Hinckley, who proceeded to give my Dad a small interview. He asked him how he was able to relate to young men - can he be patient? Can he be a good example? Would work allow him to take time off? He asked him all sorts of questions about his background and finally said that he would like to extend a calling for him to serve as a mission president for a Portuguese speaking mission. He said that the mission would be assigned at a later date.

So his mission president assignment is why he remembers my birthday every year. In all honestly I completely forgot they got that call on that day until he reminded me. But it was a really good day for my Dad. He was extended the calling to serve a mission with his wife and family. 

* This is the funny sidenote - Jacque had gotten her wisdom teeth out and was laying on the couch on this particular birthday AND Brother Allred had called but my Mom didn't answer the phone. One of the kids answered the phone and when he had asked for my Dad - the kid called out my Dad's name and put the phone down. Totally forgot about it. The poor man waited on the phone for a few minutes before my Mom happened to walk by and pick up the phone. She was sooooo embarrassed. Slightly funny but that is what I remember from that birthday day. 

Ps - this is Nikki - I have the January 22nd birthday. 

The Reason Why

In the last few years there has been a driving force for me to remember more. Record my Dad's stories (often using a recorder and force). Write down details that are sometimes fuzzy and I often wonder why? Why have I felt so compelled to remember everything? The answer comes down to family.

My Mom was a driving force behind us enjoying our immediate and extended family in our daily lives. She set up parties, reunions and drove thousands of miles to make sure we played with family. When Dad was working to provide for us, Mom was working at building memories with our cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles. Because of her efforts, I have a close relationship with my entire family.

My Dad? He always helped Mom but he provided us with a valuable gift. He gave us our heritage. He introduced us to family members we couldn't meet. Instead we became acquainted through his stories. Phil Brown is a story teller, much like his mother - Elda Whiting Brown.

Although Dad and Grandma Brown share a story-telling gene, I have been told that my Dad's temperament and personality is remarkably like his Father - Joseph Albert Brown. But I wouldn't know. I never had a chance to meet Grandpa Joseph Albert Brown. He died shortly after my parents were married. What I know of Grandpa Brown comes from the stories Dad has told me. But Grandpa Brown isn't the only one I know a great deal about. I know that I had a great great grandfather (Peter Isaacson) who left his family in Denmark to come to the U.S. to join the Saints. I know that my love of reading most likely came from my great great grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Cox, who read books while she walked. Strong people who sacrificed everything to ensure that their posterity knew the truth of the gospel. My great grandmother, Anna Maria Isaacson Whiting, wrote a letter to us, her posterity. I think her words say it best:

"I thank my Heavenly Father each day that you all belong to my posterity. My pleading prayer to the Lord is that you may never depart from the teachings of this gospel, and that you may continue this record through out all time." - Anna Maria Whiting, 1948

So here we are. Continuing our record. Our stories will differ from our ancestors but the end result will be the same. If we are faithful and true to the gospel, we are tied eternally to souls that have passed on before our time. Our ancestors who love us, know us and serve us through the veil.

My efforts to continue our record involves recording Dad's stories. Sometimes I write them down. Some stories have already been written. I have approximately 4 hours of Dad's recorded stories. I have a working document of stories that I would LIKE Dad to record. Why? Because I need to remember so I can teach my children. Help them recognize their past so they can shape their future.

So this is a question for my cousins. Are there any stories you would like to hear more about? Stories that are not written down but need to be? Please leave a comment with any Whiting, Brown, Berry, Isaacson, Cox, Clemmensen story you would like to have recorded. I know there are more families, I just can't remember all of their names. I don't have a Phil Brown memory. :)

"Twins"

Joseph Albert Brown and Robert Brown

This is Grandpa Brown (Joseph Albert) and his "twin" brother Robert. How are they twins? They were born a month apart. To the same father. Different mothers - who happened to be sisters. How does that happen? Well, it was back in the days of polygamy. Two sisters - Cynthia (Great Grandma Brown) and Thurza Berry married John William Brown.

They didn't live in the same house but their children were close. Often one family would sit down to dinner with a few cousins at the table and vice versa. And Robert and Joseph were close. In fact, Joseph Albert (Grandpa) looked more like Thurza's boys than his own whole brothers. One of Thurza's boys - Berry (sp?) looked so much like Grandpa that they were often confused as twins.

Once Elma (Phil's sister) was in SLC for General Conference with her family. Her daughter, Christine was lost and she was looking frantically for her. Eventually she found her Uncle Berry holding Christine. He had driven down from Idaho to attend conference and said that he was about to go in when a little girl walked up to him and said, "Grandpa!" He figured he had better wait. Christine was sitting on his lap, happy to be with her "Grandpa."

Dad remembers that one time there was a Brown family reunion when he was 18 years old. Someone said to Uncle Robert that they ,"couldn't tell who is your half-brother and who is your brother." According to Dad, Uncle Robert growled, "I don't have any half brothers, I only have brothers."

Ahhh, the joys of polygamy. Judging from Uncle Robert's reaction, I imagine that they had plenty of comments made throughout their lives about who is a "brother" and "half-brother." I think his answer was perfect.

Wanted

Is this the face of a gang member? Maybe someone who is prone to stealing?



If you thought no, you were wrong. Dad went through a criminal phase as illustrated in this story I recorded.

Dad and The Chicken Stealing Gang

PS - this is my mom's favorite picture of my dad from his childhood. I love the freckles but I wish I could see his red hair.

Dad's Stories Continuted

This story is about the 4th Berry brother, William Berry. Again - if you know of any details to the story I have not recorded, please let me know.

William Berry

William Berry was called to serve a mission in Tennessee. They were at a member's house, about to start the service when a mob rushed the house and started shooting. William Berry pushed one of his companions out the door and saved his life. However, the mob shot and killed William Berry and one of his companions.

The president of the mission at the time was B.H. Roberts and J. Golden Kimball was his secretary. The mob published a challenge in the newspaper to B.H. Roberts to come forward and dig up the bodies of his missionaries. If he did, they would have a "necktie party" waiting for him.

B.H. Roberts decided he needed to dig up the bodies of those missionaries and J. Golden Kimball wanted to come. B.H. Roberts wouldn't let him come, he was easier to notice, being quite tall.

So B.H. Roberts decided to dress up like a hobo and dig up their bodies. He said that, "These boys are heroes and they deserve a hero's burial." He took a wagon and went to the cemetery in the middle of the night. He quietly dug up their bodies, put them in lead coffins and took them straight to the train station and sent them back to Salt Lake City.

Brigham Young spoke at their funeral saying that, "the Berry's have shed more blood for the church than any other family." (*does anyone know if that is true?)

William Berry's wife survived and was eventually buried by her brother in laws in Grafton, UT.

On a sidenote - Dad did tell me that B.H. Roberts has one of the most fascinating histories in church history.

07/15/08

I call Dad everyday. Our conversations haven't changed. He talks about volleyball and how Lexi is the world's greatest volleyball player. He also talks about how he meets people and makes connections. He met my sister-in-law Elizabeth this weekend for a little photo shoot and made about 3 connections during that time. She told me that there should be a game called, 7 Degrees of Separation to Phil Brown (not Kevin Bacon), which I think is the truest statement ever made. He also managed to tell a few of his jokes to help loosen up the atmosphere at his photo shoot. :)

Today our conversation went something like this:

Nikki: Hey Dad - how are you feeling today?
Dad: I am in a little bit of pain. My bones just hurt today.
Nikki: I'm sorry Dad.
Dad: This is what I signed up for. So I suppose I will just have to deal with it (his attitude seems to be consistent with his personality, very accepting).
Nikki: What are you doing today?
Dad: Gives me details about the day which somehow becomes a family history lesson involving Berry brothers and Brown brothers. (I wish I could follow, Dad actually makes connections faster than I can follow sometimes).
Nikki: Dad, wait, I can't follow you.
Dad: Well you had better start writing this down, I'm not going to be around for me to tell you.
Nikki: Duly noted. (as I get paper and a pen to start writing the family history). So tell me about the Berry brothers.

In honor of Dad's desire for us to know this story (and the 7 others he told me about), I am going to relay the story of the Berry Brothers - Robert and Joseph. And how Grandpa Joseph Albert Brown (Dad's father) got his name. The other stories will come later. With that being said, if there are any inconsistencies, this story is told to the best of Dad's recollection. Which is pretty dang good.

** Mandy remembered some facts - so they have been added. I confirmed it with Dad. If anyone knows of any details that have been left out, please let us know.

The Berry Brothers (with a few Brown family facts)

There were 4 Berry Brothers - John, Robert, Joseph and William. They were very close. At one time, Robert and Joseph went down to southeastern Utah to establish a community under the direction of Brigham Young. The community was called Berryville (now called Glendale). Robert and Joseph wanted to visit Spanish Fork where their brother John (our Great-Great Grandpa) was the mayor. So Joseph, Robert and Isabelle (Robert's pregnant wife) climbed into a buckboard wagon for a trip up north.

At this time, there were no established roads to Spanish Fork so the path was down towards Kanab to the desert in Arizona and up through Hurricane, UT to get to the main "road". They made it to Spanish Fork in safety but did not return home. When they failed to return home a search party was sent out and their bodies were found 1/2 mile from Colorado City. They were filled with arrows and it was presumed that they were attacked by the Ute Indians in the area. They had a dog with them that had survived. He was a loyal companion and they were not able to get the bodies of the Berry family because the dog was guarding them. They were finally able to lure the dog away from his masters by filling a hat with water because the dog was so thirsty. The place that they were discovered is called Berry Knoll, about 10 miles away is Pipe Springs Monument.

They took the bodies to the town Grafton (where they filmed Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) and buried them there. Grafton is located right across the river from Rockville which is right at the entrance to Zion's National Park. I have included that part because Dad has taken me there and just in case anyone else wants to visit the Berry brother's monument. They were considered the first Mormon settlers killed by Indians in Arizona (Berry Knoll is technically in Arizona, right by the Utah border).

After the Berry brothers were killed, Brigham Young moved their settlement back to Kanarraville, right below Cedar City, UT.

We are descended from John Willliam Berry (0lder brother in Spanish Fork), who had 2 daughters - Cynthia and Thurza. Cynthia married John William Brown (the John William name was just a coincidence). Later, John William Brown married Cynthia's sister Thurza as well and they moved to St. Johns, AZ. They lived a few blocks away from each other and were very close. Dad (Phil) said that there is a story that is frequently told that indicated they had a bad relationship. But Dad said that was simply not true, he figured one story didn't define their relationship. They raised their children together. Cynthia had a daughter named Thurza and Thurza named her daughter Cynthia.

When Cynthia and Thurza had sons within a month of each other, they decided to name their sons after the Berry brothers that were killed by Ute Indians. Cynthia had Joseph Albert Brown (our grandfather) and Thurza had Robert. Grandpa Brown always maintained that Robert was his "twin" because they were born a month apart.

I hope this account was easy to follow :)

Nikki