Remembering

Kevin Brooks and new granddaughter, Natasha Ruh






















Vivian Warner, Jerry Miller and Linda Gibson


















Miller, Gibson, Brooks, Warner cousins (12)



Heleman 5:6
Behold my sons, I desire that ye should remember to keep the commandments of God; and I would that ye should declare unto the people these words. Behold, I have given unto you the names of our first parents who came out of the land of Jerusalem; and this I have done that when you remember your names ye may remember them; and when ye remember them ye may remember their works; and when ye remember their works ye may know how that it is said, and also written, that they were good.

Most of my readers and authors for this family history blog recognize my passion for family history. By that I mean a love for, not just how family members are connected, but for the lives of family members and what they did or didn’t do. You may be aware that I have delayed writing about the lives of my immediate grandfather, Francis Harvard Brooks, and my grandmother’s Armstrong family. I have delayed those writings because I wanted to give a couple of my grandsons a view of their Warren fathers. I have become so involved in the project that I have neglected writing about ancestors closer to me. I’m not sorry about that decision, because I have learned to love them and felt of their love for me.

Recently, I discovered a living Warren relative that had in her possession some hand written pages about the history of their parents and grandparents based upon their personal knowledge. They were only two pages, but it contained a brief sketch of a life. These were priceless to me because they conveyed firsthand information concerning their ancestor that earlier forced me to make conjectures and make assumptions based upon public documents. As I read these short stories concerning the lives of their mothers and fathers and grandparents, I pondered in my mind the question: What will my children write of me and their mother? For those unborn great grandchildren or for those recently born, will their parents and grandparents have anything to say about this generation, what we did and how we felt?

I asked my authors to consider writing about a remembrance of significance concerning their parents in a previous blog. No one responded. May I extend to you another challenge to write a two page brief history of one of your parents or grandparents. Publish it here in this Blog so we may all benefit from it.

I’ll paraphrase Heleman’s word to his sons, “when you think of your name, remember to think of the works of those who have preceded you, that their works were good.” Re member is an interesting word. Does it have implications regarding family members? There is so much to remember, especially, remembering Him whom we have chosen to follow; remembering those who await in the spirit world for saving ordinances. So much to remember! If and when it is taken away from us while we sojourn upon this earth, we will have lost a pearl of priceless value. We should not take our remembrance for granted. Let others enjoy your memory.

RHB