" WHEN WE KNOW WHO THEY WERE, WE WILL KNOW WHO WE ARE "....

HAPPY 24TH OF JULY UTAH

Today is a big celebration here in Utah, we are celebrating out pioneer ancestors who
came to Utah in 1847. This picture was taken July 1897 of a celebration of these first pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley, now know as Salt Lake City, Utah. My great great grandfather is on
the second row, about the 4th one in from the left, his beard is not as long as the others and it
looks like he is holding a hat, or something on his lap. His name is Charles A. Harper and I am
thankful for such a great man who with such courage, came so far for religious freedom. He
was a great leader and brought not only his family here to Utah but went back and brought
many other families too. Because of him and other relatives, I am so blessed now...thank you
dear pioneers!

My mom, Ella Mae Lemon Jeppson, with her first child Jared...a well feed little boy!

my Dad, Morris Leon Jeppson with his first child, Jared

My mom and dad on a trip into Salt lake one day (Ella Mae and Morris)

This is Hans Jacob Jeppson, father of Morris Leon, and my grandpa. He and his wife had 11 children, he had sandy red hair.

My Dad, Morris Leon Jeppson, he served a 3 year mission to Australia, came home and captured Ella right off the dance floor! They were such sweethearts, they had 7 children, were farmers. He had a magnificent base voice, was very easy going and kind...he loved Mom's spunkiness!

My Mom Ella Mae Lemon Jeppson, I picked her to be my Mother, it says that in my patriarchal blessing. She was a family genealogist all her life, a beautiful, gracious lady, and so much fun to be with, a feisty, fun, strong woman.

This is Dorothy Elizabeth Riggs Jeppson, my grandma, mother of Morris Leon

A little picture of my family at a Christmas..Orville with the gun and mitt, Martha on the horse, me sitting by Mom, John kneeling behind Orv, Alda and Jake in the back, Jared was away in the air force.

This is Julia Margaret Fraughton Peterson (I am named after her) she is Ella's grandmother, married to the handsome John Peterson

This is Catherin Mayer Lemon, Ella's great grandmother

This is Bengt Peterson, he is Ella's great, great grandfather

This is William McClure Lemon Jr. son of Catherine Mayer Lemon and (William McClure Lemon Sr.  the pioneer surveyor). William McClure Lemon Jr. was Ella's grandpa.

This is Johanna Johnson, wife of Bengt Peterson, Ella's great, great grandmother

This very handsome man is John Peterson, he was Ella Mae's great grandfather

Pioneers of 1847: Harriet Taylor Harper and Charles A. Harper. Charles came with Brigham Young and the first company of pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley, he was the wheelwright for the company. He had a carriage shop in Nauvoo and he sold everything he had and gave it for the great trip west. He was a Yale graduate, he became a member of the church in 1840. He was one of the great leaders of the church but said that he was most comfortable to be quiet about it. (this was verified in a church news article July 20Th 1986) He left a great history for us.

George Fraughton and his wife Mary Jane Simpson (Ella Mae Lemon Jeppson's great- great grandparents) They were pioneers~
These original pictures were given to me by my mother, I have copied them and distributed them through out the family, I hope you will treasure them and learn about these great people...your family.

It was no mistake that we were sent here in groups called families, giving us the greatest chance for joy through all eternity. When I look at you I see a person, who has coursing through their veins, the same blood as me. We are living humans who came from the same roots, we've got the same DNA and bone structure head to foot.

I'm so proud and grateful for the legacy that our family, who came before us to pave the way, left for us. They never denied the or betrayed Joseph Smith, in fact they gave everything they had to help with the pioneers great move to the West. They were humble, obedient, giving, and hard working, faithful...they left us a true, clear path to follow.

They heard the midnight mobs hounding, the gun shots, the fists pounding. they smelled the smoke of Nauvoo burning, tasted the tears of grief and pain, they heard the icy night wind screaming. They chipped a grave for the little son, gripped the trembling hand of Mother, then went on, living one day and then another. They rationed every root and berry, gritted their way across the prairie. Stormed the mountains steep and looming, saw the oxen straining, fuming. They tamed the great desert, brought the waters, raised up Zion's sons and daughters. Now we send our stripling missionaries over seas and prairies...see the millions now congregating! Oh thank you dear sweet ancestor pioneers.

I could fill several posts on my blog with much about our ancestors, but please know that what they did, they did for us. We need to remember them and love them and know that whether we know it or not, we carry within us their genes and if they could do hard things, know that we can too, because when we know who they were, we can know who we are.

Remember that when you are in Heaven again, you will ask someone in which time period they lived in and you might hear, " I was with Moses when he parted the red sea," or "I helped build the pyramids," or "I fought with Captain Moroni."

And as you are standing there in amazement, someone will turn to you and ask. "Which prophet's time did you live in?" And when you say "Gordan B. Hinckley," a hush will fall over every hall and every corridor in all of heaven, and all in attendance will bow at your presence. "You were held back six thousand years because you were the most talented, most obedient, most courageous, and most righteous. Are you still? Remember who you are." (Boyd K. Packer)

Yes, we fight Satan's last great battle, for the spirits of each of our children, holding hands with God every day...our victory will be Eternal. May we know that our ancestors helped us then and that they help us now. They are watching over us, praying for us, helping us, cheering for our success...that we may all kneel down "together" one day, when we are all reunited in our Heavenly Fathers presence. What a lot of hugging and kissing and tears of joy that will bring...we will know who they are and they will know us...we will FEEL the STRENGTH of FAMILY...because it is true...FAMILIES ARE FOREVER. (these are just bare minimum facts about some of my family, there are many more pictures and stories. I have handed all this information out to my family, I hope they will look it up and learn all their family)

WITH ALL MY LOVE

JULIE