I AM A CONVERT

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.