Horan Family News: July 2008

Monday 13 July 2008
Virgil’s son Von and his family came to Nauvoo and had supper with us tonight. They will be here for awhile tomorrow and then they will have to leave. That’s a short trip.

Wednesday 16 July 2008
Jacob came to town yesterday. He was able to do baptisms at the Temple, first thing in the morning, then Carolin took him to a couple of Sites until she had to report to the Post Office. I was able to leave the project I was working on, so Jacob and I went to the Blacksmiths, Browning Gun Shop and the Heber C. Kimball home. He was afraid of missing the bus so we didn’t visit any more Sites but we drove down Parley street to the Mississippi River and along Water street, past the Red Brick Store, the Homestead and the Mansion House. Jacob learned when Joseph and Hyrum rode away to Carthage for the last time, they left from Joseph’s Mansion House. Now he has seen that house he can better visualize the event. I’m sorry he didn’t have more time, there is so much to see here. I was able to drive him out to see the area where the well King Follett was digging, was located, when he was killed, but it would have been nice if he could have taken the carriage ride, to the other places. It was good to see him.

Thursday 17 July 2008
Elder McKissick and I must work too fast. Our list of jobs was almost empty so our director, Steve Campbell, asked us to supervise a group of young men and their leaders, with a service project cleaning up the drift wood debris, left from the flooding. We got two dump trucks and met the boys by the river. The boys worked hard and filled the trucks 4 times. We dumped the wood at the saw mill site, to be burned. I have been surprised at the lack of environmental concerns for pollution, in Illinois. In Utah, we had to get permits to burn, dispose of fluorescent lamps and ballasts in a certain way, not dump oil or paint, and make sure not to pollute the water. I was told, Illinois has no of those restrictions. The people put oil and paint in the garbage all the time. 65,000 lbs of raw sewage goes into the Mississippi River every year.

Friday 18 July 2008
Picked up a dump truck again today. Drove to Ft. Madison for a load of wood chips and spread them on walkways.. Next time we get a list of work orders for electrical work, we’ll pace ourselves.

Saturday 19 July 2008
This morning, Carolin and I went to a vignette given by some of the Pageant cast, along the Trail of Hope. The Trail of Hope is the name given to Parleys St., from the Seventies Hall to the River. The cast members were stationed at the reader boards, along the path, to give small presentations of different Nauvoo saints and their message of hope for the future, as they left Nauvoo on that cold February day in 1846. It was very impressive to listen to the stories presented by people, not just reading the stories. I could visualize the Saints more, as real people, and as all these experiences we are having here accumulate, I can see in my mind like a movie, Brigham and Heber in the wagon, on their way to England, and all the people struggling with the mud in the streets, as they moved up and down main street, past the Print Shop, Browning Gun Shop and Riser Boot. I now see Nauvoo` almost barren of trees and grass but covered with houses, barns and sheds, and gardens. A lot of smoke in the air from the 48 blacksmiths working, the 7 brick yards burning 60 cords of wood for each 40,000 brick, and the approximately 2500 homes cooking and heating with wood fires. Most of the homes were small, so people would be outside for much of their work and play. As you moved about, many people would be seen, where today we spend most of our time inside with the A.C. and T.V. Yesterday, I was in the Blacksmith Shop listening to the tour, when one of the people on the tour asked the Missionary how the wheelwrights would reduce the circumference of the iron wheel if they made it to big. The Missionary didn’t know, but the man admitted it was a loaded question. This man, was a descendent of one of the Blacksmiths who had operated in Nauvoo and gone west to repair wagons, maybe in Winter Quarters. He told us, his father had been on a tour, in Nauvoo, years ago. While in the Blacksmith Shop, he remembered seeing a “tire shrinker” his grandfather had used to repair wagon wheels. He called home, to Malad, Idaho, and asked his son, the fellow who was telling the story, to go outback and dig around to see if he could find this piece of equipment. The tire shrinker was found and shipped to Nauvoo, where in now sits in the Wainwright shop. I think this guy from Malad, Idaho was a little disappointed that his donation to the shop, wasn’t used in the script. I wonder if anyone even knows it is here, and what it is. Maybe I’ll tell them.

Sunday 20 July 2008
Normal meetings today. We had a district meeting tonight at the Anderson’s and were asked to pickup three young sisters who are in the band. The meeting was at 7:00, so to be sure the young ladies would be ready, I went to their apartment at 6:15, knocked on the door, and announced to the sister who answered, “I was there to pickup three sisters for the District Meeting”. I heard shrecks and saw three colored streaks, as they sprang for their rooms. I told the sister at the door, I was kidding and that I would be back at 6:45 to get them. They took it well, laughing about it all the way to the meeting. It would be nice if us older people were as amiable.

Monday 21 July 2008
Elder McKissick stayed home today, to be with his daughter and other family members, as the daughter received her Endowment in the Nauvoo Temple. I spent all day fixing lights in the Visitors Center. Tonight was Sunset. The sky was cloudy, which was nice and cool. A little into the show, the wind picked up and a few rain drops followed. Then a few more. We continued, the wind became stronger, then the rain came harder, and everyone stayed. It was announced that the rain might hurt the electronics and we would have to cancel. The crowd announced their displeasure, so we continued. About five minutes later it just opened up and poured. The crowd scattered, the cast had to put all the props and instruments away, the rain came down so hard it was just like being in the shower. In two minutes we were so soaked, we couldn’t get any wetter, so we did what needed to be done and then went to our cars. I took a picture of Carolin when we got home.

Tuesday 22 July 2008
They split Elder McKissick and I up today. The plumber needed a hand, so McKissick will help him and I will work alone until another plumber comes to the Mission, hopefully soon. I have been quitting at noon, because of the lack of work, and welding in their shop. I have been practicing with the TIG Torch and later I’ll work on the MIG machine. I also go to the Blacksmith Shop and listen to the different presentations of the Elders who serve there.

Here are the latest photos from Mom and Dad.

How exciting for Jake to be able to visit Mom and Dad while he was there with Heritage Tours.

Mom or Dad, when you get a chance can you add some comments to these photos?

This was taken when Jake came out of the Navuoo temple after finishing doing baptisms for the dead. Mom said they could only have 35 youth do baptisms and there were three bus loads of kids. They did a lottery and Jake was one of the 35 youth chosen to do baptisms.

Jake and Dad at the Gun Smith Shop

These photos are of Grandma and Grandpa singing and dancing during the program "Sunset". You can see Grandpa playing the harmonica above grandma to the right.