Argie
Hoskins Shumway
I
am a convert. On the 3rd of September 1955, I joined the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. During this time, a series of
missionary lessons called the Anderson Plan was an approach to
sharing the details of the gospel. One of the lessons which the
missionaries taught was on Genealogy. For me there was an immediate
connecting with the spirit of family history and why it is important.
As
a small child visiting
with
Grandmother Effie Argie Fairly Lawson in El Paso, Texas, I enjoyed
hearing of her young years spent in Natchez, Mississippi and Texas.
Effie Argie's parents, Daniel P. Fairly and Lenorah Alief O'Kelley
were married in Wilkinson County, Mississippi. After Lenorah Alief
Middleton O'Kelley died, Daniel P. Fairly left the home roots of
Mississippi and moved to Texas where he taught school.
As
a member of the Hoskins family, we took trips to see family from
California to Oklahoma, I loved to catch a glimpse of family
happenings.
I
grew up feeling the love and depth of belonging to a good Christian
family. Here was a Church that understood that spiritual longing of
bringing families together. I will never forget the feeling of
knowing that this principle concerning the eternal nature of the
family which the missionaries testified was true.
Genealogy
by its nature contributes to the gathering of Israel. We receive
Patriarchal Blessings which reveal that we are of the House of
Israel, and as we link our lines we bring together this holy
gathering. We belong to a great missionary force on Earth. There is a
great force of missionary work just through the veil. Quoting from
the Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith "It was the design of
the councils of heaven before the world was, that the principles and
laws of the priesthood should be predicated upon the gathering of the
people in every age of the world." "It is for the same
purpose that God gathers together his people in the last days, to
build unto the Lord a house to prepare them for the ordinances and
endowments, washings and anointing. One of the ordinances of the
house of the Lord is baptism for the dead. God decreed before the
foundation of the world that that ordinance should be administered in
a font prepared for that purpose in the house of the Lord."
Baptism for the dead
- What shall they do which are baptized for the dead:1 Cor.
15:29;
Exodus
40:12 and 13; 12 And thou shalt bring Aaron and
his sons unto the door of the atabernacle
of the congregation, and wash them with water.
- 13 And thou
shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and aanoint
him, and sanctify him; that he may minister unto me in the priest’s
office.
And
that work goes on with or without us participating in the blessings.
If
we choose to participate, we will share in the blessings of kindred
fellowship while still on this earth. Over 30 years ago, I made the
choice to gather family data and have the temple work done. I loved
the work. Many times after days, months and sometimes years, a way
was prepared, a book opened, a name was found. I felt close to Great
Grandmother Lenorah Alief Middleton O'Kelley's as I enjoyed her
spirit in the temple.
At
the time of my divorce some of this gathered information had not been
processed for Temple work. Ten years later as I picked up the threads
of that long awaited information, to my consternation, I found that
the work had been done by someone else. The Lord works in beautiful
ways to do what need to be done. We are instruments in a missionary
pursuit. If we don't bring the blessings of Temple work to our
kindred dead, when they are ready for these blessings, then someone
else will prepare the way for them. The work of the Lord will go on.
My
son Chris encouraged me to start doing Genealogy again because he
remembered it as something which I loved to do. As I have picked up
the pieces and made sense out of the scraps of paper, with the help
of the church Genealogy program, I let the prayers of my heart do the
thinking. I never start without having a talk with Heavenly Father.
Sometimes my logic doesn't work. Then I listen and the spirit guides.
My story is unique to me, however not unique to the work. I know that
the spirit could touch your family in a very special way to connect
with your living who are beyond the sting of death.
Three
years ago(1984) on a lovely October day, Mother, Edna Fay Lawson
Hoskins, Gene and I journeyed to Salt Lake for our usual Saturday
evening on Temple Square. In the early afternoon of that Saturday,
Mother and I had prearranged to meet Sister Boyle, whom we had met on
a previous occasion at the Salt Lake Genealogy Library. Sister Boyle
worked there as a consultant. We had found that she and Grandfather
Lawson had the same Lawson line. She was a very generous Sister.
After a delightful hour of information gathering from her, Mom and I
went over to the Genealogy Library.
We
discovered that the research we had done for Grandmother Effie Argie
Fairly years ago had not been recorded in the proper way. I had been
studying this problem on the microfiche, closed the little microfiche
drawer and sat contemplating my next avenue. I looked up. How could
this be! Standing within inches, a rather tall gentleman helping his
wife with her coat in preparation to leave the library, silently
identified himself with a name tag, Kenneth Fairly, Chief of Police,
Natchez, Mississippi. The Police chiefs were having a National
Convention in Salt Lake, and here was a Fairly from Natchez!!! My
voice came out like it was stuffed with cotton. "Sir, you won't
believe this....I just closed the microfiche, looking at Fairly
names." I whipped out my pedigree chart...yes...their stood my
direct 3rd cousin, whom I didn't know existed...a wonderful
Presbyterian and his lovely Baptist wife Clariece, both filled with
the spirit of Elijah. Kenneth's next comment: "I started to
take this name tag off before I left the hotel, something told me to
leave it on." For the next few minutes, we chatted about the
library, how to use it, etc. I explained to Clariece why we do
Genealogy and Temple work. Later that evening, Kenneth and Clariece
visited Temple Square to meet Gene. We invited them for Sunday dinner
and invited the family over to meet them. After showing them around
the B.Y.U. campus, we exchanged and copied Fairly information. It was
a delightful experience.
When
Clariece returned home, she sent me some McLaurin information which
she had acquired from a cousin, which helped piece together other
information which I had on that line. As Clariece shared the Salt
Lake experience with other members of the family, she referred to our
meeting as providential and referred to us as kindred spirits.
Last
Christmas, (1986) the Christmas card from the Fairly's announced a
Fairly family reunion to be held over Labor Day weekend at Union
Church, Mississippi. Gene, Daniel and I started making plans to
attend.
I
could see that my chance to go to Natchez, Mississippi for the Fairly
reunion was also an opportunity to go to New Orleans for the
O'Kelleys, who married the Fairlys, was fast becoming a reality. I
mentioned my Great Grandmother, Lenorah Alief Middleton O'Kelley who
married
Daniel P. Fairly. About 15 years ago, I found a distant cousin, 2nd.
cousin, 2 generations removed, who lives in New Orleans, Phares
O'Kelley, Catholic, unmarried and now 85 years old, who has shared so
much O'Kelley information with my mother Edna Lawson Hoskins.
A
few days before we left for our trip, I turned in about l5 names for
processing, one sheet was for Phares' Grandfather John Beatty
O'Kelley. That day I turned in James Edward and wife Elizabeth
Middleton's sheet. As I walked from the Church office building, the
most overwhelming joy came to my heart. I had a feeling that arms
were around me and that I had been cleansed from all my sins. I felt
joy in my heart.
Sept.2,
1987, we flew into New Orleans.It was a wonderful feeling to put my
arms around Phares and at last meet this dear man, who had helped so
much with our O'Kelley line. As we pondered his records, I found a
will which outlined many names. Names which are now on their way to
the Temple. Since I returned home, a letter from Phares, reads, "You
were lucky to be able to combine on the one trip the pleasure of
delving into the past of both sides of your family. I do hope you
will follow through with ours." I have gone through as carefully
as I can the enclosed sheets on the O'Kelley clan...etc. I love
Phares.
Now
from New Orleans to Natchez. On our way we stopped at a cemetery in
Woodville, Wilkinson Co. Mississippi, because this is where Daniel P.
Fairly and Lenorah Alief O'Kelley had been married and their first
child was born. We looked for O'Kelleys, Middletons, McLaurins and
Fairlys. Gene drove through looking, I was running, and both missed
the grave of Ann O'Kelley, who had married into the family name of
Coon. Daniel found it! We were all touched. She was with her husband
and all her children. My records at home were out of order in
relationship to these records on these old stones. This is Phares'
Grandfather's line, who was my great,great grand father's brother. We
arrived in Natchez to the open arms of the Fairly home. Sunday
brought a testimony of reverence and family commitment. The old
Presbyterian Union Church is surrounded by a forest.
Across
the road, the church cemetery keeps in waiting the old Scottish
families. A historical placque reads "Settled, 1806, by Scotch
Presbyterians, whose Gaelic speech long survived. C.W. Grafton served
as minister in area 61 years. Site where Grierson's raid was checked.
April 28, 1863."
Our
families had come from N. Carolina and of course, before that from
Scotland. They were Highlanders, supporters of Prince Bonnie Charles.
In that cemetery lie some of my Fairlys, Mclaurins, McColls or
McCalls, and others whom they married. It was fun and just wonderful
getting acquainted with people from Va., N. Ca., Tex., Okla, and
Mississippi, who had come to celebrate our family roots. Until that
day, I didn't know them. A couple of Fairlys shared that they had
good friends who were Mormon.
Cousin
Kenneth gave a family testimony of Faith in God and of the Christian
goodness of our ancestral roots. I shall always rememeber the
powerful testimony of my Presbyterian cousin Kenneth as he spoke of
his love of the Lord Jesus Christ. As the group sang, "Amazing
Grace", I could feel the wonderful family bond we shared.
Clariece did an outstanding job of organizing a history of the
Jefferson Co., Miss. Fairly family. They did a wonderful job of
bringing together the family. My, it was a great experience! Then,
what a great moment, as Kenneth and I stood at the graves of our
mutual Great, Great, Grandfather, Peter Fairly and his wife, Mary
McLaurin. This was a cemetery across the road from Union Church where
we had the reuion.
After
the reunion, Clariece and I returned the key to the Church custodian.
As she inquired about getting into the Church vault to examine
records, the custodian said, that in the bedroom he had a couple of
old record books. My heart leaped. My sense of gratitude could hardly
be contained as we walked out with an early Union Church Register as
a loan to be returned later the next day. Clariece had the words and
spirit to say just what was needed. This register lists the twenty
six charter member of March 2, 1817, and spans more than a century in
its listings of Pastors, Elders, Deacons, Communicants,
NonCommunicants, Baptisms, Marriages, and a few Deaths. As we studied
it that night I told Gene of my strong feeling that the whole
Register needed to be copied. He was experiencing the same feeling
but we didn't know how to broach the subject. We didn't want to
offending our hosts. We prayed about it and the next morning,
Clariece said, "We need to copy the whole book." Gene and
Clariece set to work on that project.
Clariece
had demonstrated a strong interest in the recording of the Natchez
Cemetery markers. She handed me a book which was a compilation of
recorded markers. I found James Edward O'Kelley and Elizabeth
Middleton's names. Now, I needing to find my O'Kelleys, Daniel and I
pointed the car toward the Natchez Cemetery where Elizabeth Middleton
and James Edward O'Kelley with other family members are waiting the
resurrection. As I knelt at their graves, I had the same feeling that
I experienced three days before when I turned their sheet in for
Temple processing...."I Love you."
Not
only was my cup running over, Gene found a Catholic Shumway who is
working diligently on the Shumway line. We found this Shumway because
his daughter married one of Chief Fairly's police officers.
Another
note, the Rev. C. W., Grafton who
served
as minister at the Presbyterian Church at Union Church is buried with
his family and many of his congregation at Union Church. At one
point, I looked over and saw Gene perched on a large stone, studying
the Graftons, only to ask me if work could can be done for those who
are not members of the family. When we got home, we were looking at
Gene's pedigree chart and to our surprise, he has a direct line to
the Grafton name. A grandmother Pricilla Grafton, whose father was
Joseph Grafton. Pricilla was born around 1600.
As
we left the Fairlys, we observed that they live the principles of the
Gospel better than I do. They pray, bless the food, daily devotion,
do Genealogy, are great parents, have wonderful children, serve
others with love and charity, and love their country. What a fine
example!
I
feel the divine nature of gathering family information, connecting
our family lines, building family history and dedicating our families
to our Lord. I love and appreciate my family, both dead and living.
My cup is full and blessings abound for having sons who are noble
spirits. I am thankful.
My
heart is filled with gratitude. I would not be able to do this work
and enjoy some of these experiences if I did not have the support of
my husband, Gene Shumway.
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