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Rehearsing
Celestial Reunions
By
Sherlene Hall Bartholomew
It’s almost “Summertime, and the livin’ is
. . .” crazy. It’s that season when somebody in the
family is going to get the bright idea that we ought to hold a reunion,
as just happened to yours truly.
I’m not big on the proposition that throwing
together a bunch of strangers from all over tarnation, who haven’t
talked in ages but are linked by pedigree, is going to bond us for
life. Nor am I convinced that even the best Christians in the family
emerge from such reunion tumbles wrinkle-free. Fact is, my relatives
on both sides will be relieved that I just deleted several paragraphs
of not-hot thought about past experience with this persistent family
custom.
My practical side agrees that nieces, nephews,
cousins, and such can now stay in touch, two sentences at a time,
over the Internet. This means for family communication avoids all
the bugs, hassle, expense, and after-the-fact recovery required
by more traditional ways of insisting to, especially ourselves,
that we are one big, happy family. For real life getting-together,
I prefer family-to-family meetings, as visiting occasion makes convenient.
So you can guess my response when my brother
David wrote this March, proposing what became a huge family bash
for all descendants of my father’s parents, Howard and Florence (Tracy) Hall. This event was happily initiated
and paid for by my parents, Ida-Rose and Tracy, who thought this
a meaningful way to blow proceeds from the recent sale to Walmart
of their Payson, Utah farm.
Ida-Rose
and Tracy Hall on Temple Square. after hearing the Choir on Mother’s Day, as part of
our recent Hall family reunion
Giving up their farm was a reluctant, but
voluntary experience—much different, certainly, than that of my
father’s parents during depths of the Depression. As jobs thinned,
Grandpa was told he would have to start working Sundays if he wanted
to keep his tenured job coming in and out of Ogden, as a train engineer.
Grandpa, a convert to the Church at age thirty
(after Grandma told him she would only marry in the temple) converted
to more than Grandma. He quit smoking cold turkey and after baptism
lived his new religion with fervor. He had strong feelings about
keeping the Sabbath, but his family about starved in the aftermath
of his leaving this coveted position. He took every odd job he
could get, but they finally lost the farm.
Howard
and Florence (Tracy) Hall, m. 14 Aug 1918, in the Salt Lake Temple
Dad, oldest of their five sons, remembers
his mother’s brave face and involuntary tears, as they drove away
for a small, cold apartment in nearby Ogden City, where she feared her boys would
not have the wholesome upbringing she fostered on their Marriott
farm.
No
Sacrifice for Good Unrewarded
Experience on this earth brings its ironies.
My Uncle Donald sent me his moving remembrance about those hard
times, after noticing that the day his brother Tracy made his breakthrough,
inventing synthetic diamonds for G. E., was the anniversary of the
very day they lost their boyhood farm!
General Electric eventually made billions
on Dad’s invention, for which they awarded him a $25 savings bond
and little credit, prompting him to quit and head for BYU. As David
pointed out in his farewell remarks at our reunion, the most my
father ever made was when he sold his farm--supposed to be a side
hobby, perhaps bought in search for closure on his parents’ loss.
Dad’s piece of land, bought on a professor’s salary, was intersected
years later by major highways that made it worth selling.
Perhaps this boon was the Lord’s way of teaching
us descendants of Howard and Florence that no sacrifice made
in the cause of keeping God’s laws goes unrewarded. From what I
remember about my ever-kind grandparents, there’s little doubt they
would have wished that blessing on future generations. I must admit
it seemed appropriate, indeed, that all Halls celebrate sale of
that farm with a party our grandparents would have never dreamed
possible.
David thinks big. This would be no ordinary
occasion and would be centered on other events the family might
like to attend, as other attractions.
All
From a Family of Seven!
So early in the merry month of May, my parents
sponsored flights and a stay for 1-4 days, at Salt Lake’s Grand America Hotel for many, if
not all out-of-town descendants of my grandparents. This incentive
may account for the fact that, at last count, 203 of a possible
260 descendants showed up, with their spouses, for this day of remembrance
and several days of optional planned activity, surrounding it.
Several
generations of Halls gathered for this reunion photo
Scheduling
Family History
My attitude perked up even more when David
sent a general e-mail, inviting all five (and still living) sons
of my grandparents to bring their family records to merge into a
general family file on a computer he would bring to the reunion.
I have been trying to gather family group records on our living
family for years, without much success. A blessed benefit, planning
reunions, is that they must be calendared well in advance, so family
history finally gets scheduled.
Something about anticipating The Day gets
people looking at their records, if for no other reason than to
call Aunt Mugshot’s spouse by his right name. Out come old photos,
along with family group records and those important attendant memories.
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Five
Hall brothers, L-R, youngest to eldest: Delbert Henry, Donald Rey,
Wendell Herbert, Eugene Melvin, Howard Tracy, Sr. in about 1954.
Power
in Pictures
David invited each of my Hall uncles to order
and forward family photos that he would assemble into power point
presentations he would bring to the reunion. These would then be
shown and moderated, after the final reunion banquet, by a representative
from each branch of the family. This would introduce us all to
the trials and triumphs our tribes have experienced since each son
married and left home.
The Howard
Hall Family. Front, L-R, about 1941: Howard Hall (1887-1972), wife
Florence Almina Tracy (1886-1996), H. Tracy Hall, Sr. (b. 1919);
Back, L-R: Delbert Henry (1929), Eugene Melvin (1920), Donald Rey
(1924), and Wendell Herbert (1923).
David also invited descendants from each
of the five branches—especially the younger generation, to present
talent numbers before, during, and after reunion meals, in the assembly
hall reserved for general family gatherings. A nearby sitting room
included couches, comfortably arranged to facilitate relaxed visiting
between meals and activities.
Babysitting
Provided, No Less!
What my daughter Laura loved was that a professional
service provided babysitting in a large hotel playroom, across from
the general assembly room, stocked with play equipment and marvelous
sitters. Child meals were brought in as an additional convenience,
so that young mothers in the family could enjoy adult conversation,
as they got to know our family better, over meals.
Tribes
Bring Records and Dance to Peace!
Wonderful things happened in response to
David’s good planning. The family dug up fantastic photos I had
never seen before. New records flowed in, too, over that highway
called the “Net,” before their owners followed airways from their
Zions to ours. Family talent, as played, sung, danced, and signed,
fortified our notion that we should all be in the movies (there
were, in fact, so many volunteers, David had to cut the initial
program by more than half, in his resolve that our final evening
together would end before dawn).
Meeting
Internet Cousins in Person
I knew I was a gonner when I started getting
ideas of my own for our reunion. Why not liven up the “Family Tree
Fair” David asked me to head up by bringing in some Internet cousins
who actively research our joint Hall lines? Though not descendants
of my grandparents, they are descended from Grandpa Hall’s grandparents
and are more involved in “The Search” than many of us on the LDS
branch of the family!
With authorization to sponsor their attendance,
we invited some who over years have contributed the most and were
delighted when three accepted! Two of those, Kathy Pyles and Delight
Heckelman (the third was her granddaughter, Lana Wood), agreed to
send in photos to assemble into power point presentations they would
narrate at our “Fair.” (You may remember these cousins from a former
column). There I told about Kathy’s sleuthing in original records
and Allen County, Ohio cemeteries for Hall family information.
Kathryn
Pyles at our reunion banquet, May 7, 2004
I also told about Delight’s amazing success
finding seven lost cousins who were adopted out when their mother
became ill and could no longer care for them. I asked Kathy and
Delight to tell the family these stories, showing photos as they
went along, and to also tell about their own families.
Delight
Heckelman, at our reunion banquet.
Not only was it a thrill to finally meet
my Internet cousins in person, but I was proud as punch to introduce
them to our family--and the other way around. I wish you could
have been there to enjoy their excitement and feel their spirit,
as they told about their joys, learning more about our Hall roots.
They must have felt a little trepidation,
wondering what it would be like among all those Mormons. Delight,
in fact, forewarned: “I know you’re excited about your religion,
Sherlene, but I’m coming out to meet Halls and visit the Family
History Library, not to be converted.” Or something like that.
My reply: “I understand. Do you want us
to bring you back to the hotel before we attend the Tabernacle Choir
broadcast on Mother’s Day?
Hers: “I wouldn’t miss that for the world!”
I: “Well, maybe we should bring you back
before we attend the worship service, after the Choir broadcast.”
She: “Anybody who loves Jesus is my friend.
I plan to attend the worship service, too. I’ve gone to lots of
different churches, so this will be interesting, too.” Or something
like that.
Do you get the feeling it’s me that
scares them, not my church?
Dumping
Treasure in the Vault!
Getting back to their presentations--as each
photo was sent by cousins via e-mail attachment, I gleefully dropped
it into my own PAF media file for that individual, before forwarding
it on to David, who has his own company, so was able to enlist his
staff to help assemble the presentations. Forced to search through
boxes of unorganized photos, preparing my own thoughts, I finally
got many of them scanned and attached to my media files, before
forwarding them on, as well. Reunions do have a way of helping
us get organized!
Jane Hall, an avid Hall family researcher
who sent her regrets, forwarded a fabulous old photo of her husband’s
ancestor Isaac Hall and his family that I was thrilled to show as
part of my own presentation. What fun it was to show that pioneer
photo including four men and let the family guess which was Isaac,
brother of our ancestor (they easily guessed, by his distinct Hall
features). Jane and her husband Garth, a descendant of Isaac, still
have that bell you see on top of the pole—what a way to call the
family to dinner!
Isaac
Hall family, L-R, abt. 1900: John D. Price (Gertrude's 1st husband),
Isaac Hall (brother of my ancestor Henry C.), Sarah Ann (McElroy)
Hall, Gertrude Lillian (Hall) Price, youngest child of Isaac &
Sarah, George Harding (neighbor), Willis Hall, son of Isaac &
Sarah Ann.
Howard
Hall Hub
Jane also sent an old survey of two thousand
plus acres of land our earliest William Hall settler once owned
near Harper’s Ferry, in early Virginia--before the Indian wars
encouraged the family to move west, that is. This amazing document
totals their land acreage, names all their surrounding neighbors,
and shows where the Ferry was! Now we can go see those rolling,
blue hills, for ourselves and stand on land we know our ancestors
walked. Document lover that Jane also is, she knew I’d want to
make copies of that survey for all there, along with other handouts.
Looking at that survey helped me decide
to finally post my family group record on these early pioneers,
William and Hannah (Richardson) Hall, along with voluminous notes
I have been assembling about them and their times for several decades.
I had placed these notes in chronological order, hoping to someday
write a book about them. That likely failing, the family group,
including all notes about my research on this family, is now on-line,
with hope that other descendants will add their input.
David has been after me for years to post
my genealogy. It felt good to finally get started by accepting
his invitation to post that and other records gleaned for this reunion
on a family site he now maintains as “The Howard Hall Hub.” Address
for this site was published on the reunion program that David placed
on-line, as announced by e-mail before the reunion. It was again
distributed as a memorable, multi-page picture souvenir, as Halls
checked in at the hotel. This program included maps of the hotel
and, best of all, all descendants of Howard and Florence, including spouses, were
listed on the program, so we could review names, after meeting cousins
from distant places. It also helped that large-print name tags
were prepared for us to wear, as we showed up for initial reunion
activities.
Those of you now designing program formats
for your reunions may get ideas from our scheduled events, printed
as part of the distributed program
Copies of a 550 page hardbound copy of Uncle
Delbert’s Howard Hall, Florence Tracy Hall and Their Progenitors—A
Book of Remembrance was distributed to all who signed up for
one, and we also look forward to distribution of another significant
volume by Uncle Donald.
New
Forever Family
Saturday included a full slate of activities
topped by the marriage of my niece Barbara in the Salt Lake Temple, followed by a reception at the Lion
House, also attended by Kathy, Delight, and Lana.
Descendant
of Howard and Florence Barbara Hall and new husband John Catron,
after vows sealing their eternal union, also in the Salt Lake LDS
Temple
Worth
Remembering
I guess late hours and all the fun made us
Internet cousins a little giddy. More than once we laughed ‘til
we could hardly breathe.
Sunday morning came, and what a glorious
day it was. I was born on Mother’s Day, but my birthday and that
celebration coincide only once every seven years or so—this was
the year! It could not have been a more glorious day to share with
these dear friends and cousins. Temple Square was resplendent, the Choir performance,
soul-stirring. Cousin Alan Hall’s wife Jeannie, a new alto in the
Choir, reserved seats for those attending our reunion—a treat, in
itself. With her usual thoughtfulness, she even brought gifts of
the Choir’s latest CD for our guests.
Blond
Jeannie Hall sends a smile our way, before the performance.
It made me glad when Delight said, after
the performance: “It was all I could do not to stand up and sing
along with them!” (Nods all around.)
President Gordon B. Hinckley attended the
broadcast and afterward expressed his heartfelt appreciation to
the Choir for singing at his Marjorie’s funeral a few days earlier.
I felt so blessed that my cousins got a chance to feel of his spirit.
 The Mother’s Day service we attended later
could not have been better. First, I could hardly believe my eyes
when President Hinckley came in and sat in the row ahead of where
Dan and I had settled.
Of course the Primary children sang, as part
of the service, or it could not have been Mother’s Day. The speakers
were inspired to speak with sensitivity to the feelings of all women—and
men, for that matter. In that service, we were all included in
a call to honor our mothers by better nurturing our brothers and
sisters, old and young, in this world.
It made me glad, again, when my dear cousins
felt that, as well. Delight summed it up, later writing: “Sunday
was a blessed day, all around.”
After her return home, Kathy had hardly unpacked
before she again sent more e-mails with new research information
she found than I’ve had time to input.
She also wrote: “You will never know how
much it meant to be included in the awesome experience of the Hall
Reunion and to meet all of you kind, warm hearted family!” Another
day she shared this:
While
I visited Grandpa the other day, he wanted to know all about Utah and was so happy I met such nice people. I told him
I’ve never been anywhere like Utah, ever--it holds such high energy! I told him the Halls
are such honest, beautiful, loving people—that I also went to church
and saw some awesome sites.
These dear friends likely saw lots of chaff,
too, but kindly blew it off—a contagious tendency I felt from all
who came to our family fest. Seeing their glowing faces and reviewing
their good lives, as demonstrated in our picture presentations,
brought me to almost burst with warm feeling for all there.
I
like to think that Grandma and Grandpa Howard Hall were ushered
through the veil to attend this reunion of of
their descendants. It must have warmed their hearts to hear
our expressions of sweet memory and appreciation for the rich gospel
legacy they left us. Did they see our precious photos and hear our
version of their and our life stories?
What
delight must have attended their watch, as their grandchildren and
great-grandchildren danced and sang! I still remember their
making time when I just ten years old to show me their ancestral
photos and the family histories Grandma so lovingly compiled.
How it must have thrilled them to see us also caring about family
records
It
was also a memorable day for my parents, who planned to leave the
reunion early, for health reasons. What a surprise it was
when they came that last day, enjoying every minute of what made
lasting memories for us all.
The more I think about it, this whole reunion
thing was my idea!
Submitted
to Meridianmagazine.com by Sherlene Hall Bartholomew, copyright
2004
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