Report of Wife Line Reunions Held June 2007

Wife line reunions were held June 15, 2007 in conjunction with the Milo Andrus family reunion. Here is the report on each of the reunions held:

Abigail Jane Daley

The get-together was held in the cultural hall of the LDS Chapel 650 E. Stadium Ave. in Provo from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.   Our theme was to “Meet, Greet, Munch and Mingle”    A reminder was mailed about a week before to the 145 people on the mailing list identified as being from Abigail’s children. Since this was the first meeting for Abigail’s descendants in many years, we had no idea how many families to expect.  We planned refreshments for about 100 and about 35 people attended; so there was plenty of food.   We were pleased to get acquainted with these descendants/cousins during the evening.

A large banner welcomed all who came to the reunion. Display tables were set up for each of Abigail and Milo’s 5 adult children with a color-coded sign for each child.  The color on the descendant’s name badge, which they received when they arrived and signed in at the “Welcome” table, made it easy to see from which child they were descended and find others with the same color.  Pictures and written biographical stories were displayed at each of the 5 children’s tables.  Round tables had been set up to enjoy visiting and eating during the evening.  Families had come from the Denver, Colorado area, Vernal, Ogden, Cottonwood Heights, Ivins, Bluffdale, Riverton and Provo, Utah.  The person from the furthest distance was from Escondido, California.

Sarah Ann Miles

18th–28th Ward Meetinghouse, 2625 Milo Way (4910 S) in Holladay
Reported by Don L Jensen, Sarah Ann Miles wife line representative.

Preliminary Information:

• Displays of family photos and charts
• Attendee updating
• Potluck banquet (actually, it was BYO)
• Approximately eight dozen attended the reunion

Entertainment:

• James Arrington: Garage Key Magic Tricks
• Jenniann Nielson: Piano Medley (Joseph Smith’s First Prayer, Hail to the Man, A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief, Come Come Ye Saints, Bright as the Sun)
• Scott MacKintosh: Cowboy Poetry
• Allison Pack Webb: Violin Solo (Jesus Once Was a Little Child)

Research Progress:

• Jeniann Jensen: Sarah Ann Miles’ daughter Lavinia Sellew researched. Her work was not done. She had two children. “A” Sellew family book found, disclosing some work had been done. Jeniann and her brother Willis are working on it, with about 400 names found. Although they are not directly in “the family line,” they are to be considered “indirectly important.”
• Craig Jensen: Chauncy (also Charles) are apparently brothers, and now they are separated out. Research results are to be found under “Willis Jensen.” As yet, some of the information gathered has not been verified. Milo’s brothers and sisters (14 in all) — Willis and Jeniann have been working on the down-lines. Craig recounted that late one night a voice came to him (“Craig!”) and he took it as a sign that more research and compilation must be done — immediately if not sooner.
• Sarah Ann Miles was one of sixteen children, some of whom joined the Church. There are Miles in Cache Valley, Utah.
• Belinda married an Edwards.
• Verification in progress — Thomas Miles & Sally Seager (mother Mahitable Tripp)
• Some siblings not in Church, settled in Adams County, Illinois, and Cass County, Missouri.
• There are no known photos of Sarah Ann Miles.
• Aunt Ione has given all her gathered information to Jeniann Nielson
• The Miles family claims to have a photo of Sarah Ann Miles (according to Laverne Diehl).

Irene Witmer expressed thanks to all who had helped with the reunion and with the gathering of the family names. Noted contributions to research by Elena Jensen Goodworth (Ann Andrus and Hyrum Jensen); Garth Andrus (Willard & Gwen). Irene wife-line representative since. Noted also the Milo reunion for Saturday (16 June). Exhorted pride in MiloJun & Elizabeth Boyes and their heritage. Announced the discovery of a newly-found photo of Milo.

Milo Jun.’s mother died when he was only three. He became a successful businessman and was a patriarch for many years in the Holladay area. Milo commissioned him to keep the families together. The most recent reunion to be held was 22 years ago.

Honor Aunt Ione Pack for formulating and handwriting over 400 names on the Milo Jun. descendant chart. A goal was enunciated to update the chart. In 2004 a movement was begun to reestablish the organization and update all descendants, to devise a system to maintain it up-to-date. As of 2004, there were a calculated 1254 descendants of Milo Jun.; and in 2006, a calculated 1669 descendants. Even though various family representatives have been contacted to accomplish the task, there are still some families which have not responded. Required are lists of names, essential dates and places, and addresses (contact info) of all individuals.

Milo was honored at Mormon Grove in 2006, for, among other things, laying out of Saints from Louisiana and for fulfilling the calling of St Louis Conference president for many years.

Expressed was the sentiment that it would be a great disservice if we do not teach our children about their heritage. The Milo family is reputedly the third largest descendancy in the Church, with about 40,000 descendants. Irene was lauded for her great service. It was noted that a new wife-line representative was needed to serve on the Milo Board of Directors.

Don Leroy Jensen (>Jacob Andrus Jensen>Ann Eliza B Andrus>MilioJun>Sarah Ann Miles) of LaGrande, Oregon, was nominated (uncontested) and elected as the Sarah Ann Miles family-line representative.

Lucy Loomis Tuttle

The reunion was held in Spanish Fork on Friday June 15 at 6:00 pm. at the Spanish Fork North Stake Building.  The building reservation was arranged by Elden G. Andrus who lives close to the Stake center. The night sky and temperature were very favorable, but a problem occurred because at the last few days before the meeting, the floor of the Recreation room was being repainted and we were directed to meet in the Relief Society Room adjacent to the kitchen. Actually, this was good because there was a direct entry door to the room and the kitchen.

In addition to the announcement on the Milo Andrus web-site and letters of invitation  telephone calls were made by  Eldon Clair McKell, a great-grandson of Milo and Lucy.  There were 18 people in attendance and more would have come to the reunion but for other things scheduled.

The Relief Society room  was excellent for our  group and we started with a prayer and a song, "Come, Come Ye Saints".  After that, food was available in the kitchen for each to take what they wanted, inasmuch as it was there on a "pot luck" basis and there was plenty for all.  After eating, each family member was invited to tell something about their home, family, occupation-or former, and memories of life.  Pictures of Lucy and Milo, old home, farms and other memorabilia were placed on a large table for family to view after eating.  It was interesting to hear of family members living in so many far off places and who were there to visit with close cousins.

Adeline Alexander

The Adeline Alexander Wife-Line Reunion was held on Friday, June 15, 2007 at the Bountiful 12th Ward Building, 1460 N. 300 West, Bountiful, Utah.  Pictures and Booklets from the collection of Dolph Andrus, grandson of Milo through Randolph Andrus, were available for review, as well as genealogical information from Jeff Lensman on the descendants through Henrietta Andrus Jones.

The only attendees were Berwyn Andrus and Jeffrey Lensman. 

Milo and Adeline had five children: Laron, Henrietta, Louis, Lionia, and Randolph. Lionia died in childbirth along with her first born so there are no descendants for her.  The other children are currently represented as follows:
Laron: Bonnie Nielsen
Henrietta: Jeffrey Lensman
Louis: JoAnn Smith
Randolph: Berwyn Andrus

Mary Ann Webster
(no reunion held)

Ann Brooks
Update from Ann Brooks wife line reunion which was held on June 15, 2007 at 10:00 a.m.  We had the reunion at the Holladay 18th Wardhouse.  Eight people came and we had lunch, shared stories, pictures, and information on our line.  We plan on having a reunion in two years which will be held at night so more of our line can attend. 

Jane Lancaster Munday
The reunion for my great grandmother, Jane Munday Andrus, was held on the Friday evening, June 15, 2007 at the Benson Gristmill which is a county park facility north of Tooele and near Stansbury Park, Utah.  The festivities began at 5 o’clock in the evening with a potluck dinner.  Laura and Craig Anderson arranged for the facilities (which were wonderful) and provided a large barbecue to cook whatever meat dish members of the family brought.  We had a tasty meal and an opportunity to visit with people we had not seen in years. 

There were probably 70 people that were able to make it to the reunion.  We had tables and displays set up with a representative of the families of each child of Jane Munday Andrus, preparing displays for their respective families.  The picture, artifact and historical material displays were excellent and brought back many memories of yesteryear.  Following the meal held in a very nice pavilion at the gristmill, there was a short business meeting in which those present voted in favor of adopting articles of organization for an unincorporated association for the Jane Munday Andrus family.   We opted not to get involved in the formalities and expense of forming a formal non-profit corporation.  The organization consists of a representative from each of the family lines of the five children of Jane Munday Andrus who had descendants: Millard, Josephine, Heber, Newton and Robert (Jane had seven children, one of whom died as an infant [Sarah] and another died as a young man before marriage [Sherman]). 

In addition to the representatives from the children’s family lines, there is a president who is also the representative from the Jane Munday Andrus family to the Milo Andrus organization (I currently serve in that role).  There is a secretary and there is authority to assign various individuals from the various children’s lines to work on genealogical matters for Jane Munday Andrus.  The president, secretary and the five representatives from the lines of the five children who left descendants constitute the board of directors for the family.  Currently, Janet Orchard and Nyle Andrew serve as representatives for Heber Andrus, Marlana Hillary serves as representative for Josephine Andrus Thompson, Newton Andrus serves as family representative for Newton Andrus, and Sharon Long serves as representative for Robert Andrus.  Caroline Simmons and Annette Olson are genealogical representatives.  We are in the process of searching for a representative for Millard’s family and assigning people to serve as genealogical assistants from the various families.  It anyone is interested in serving, please contact me.  The contact information is below.

Following the business meeting, two of my brothers, Robert Andrus and Kendall Andrus, and I sang a medley of songs accompanied by guitar and harmonicas, composed especially to honor our great grandmother Jane Munday Andrus, which we had sung in slightly altered form to honor Milo Andrus at the Mormon Grove commemoration ceremony held at Atchison, Kansas in the summer of 2005.  Following that, Laura Anderson had arranged to take pictures of the group in front of one of the historic buildings at the gristmill.  We then had plenty of time to visit with cousins, second cousins, etc., that we had not seen in years, while the children hit the piñata and played some other games.  Overall, it was an edifying, nostalgic and a good time, when the mind was able to hold the transient world at bay and return again to youth’s sweet time and the halcyon years of yesterday.  Thanks to everyone who made it a successful reunion.

Rich Andrus
Rexburg, Idaho
andrusr@srv.net

Margaret Ann Boyce
The Margaret Ann Boyce wife line met at the Olympus Stake Center in the Holladay area. Thanks to Dr. Colin Kelly for making the arrangements.  The Kelly family along with his aunt Helen Furniss and family provided a light refreshment at the conclusion of the evening. 
Margaret Boyce was the mother of 9 children: eight survived to bear posterity for that line.  The following children were represented:(including spouses)  Isadore/John Martin Larson (9); Isadore/Lars James Larson (2);  Hyrum (4); Mansfield(10); Horace (2); Margaret (1); Ben (2); Joe(0); Charlotte (0); Total in attendance 30.

Time was spent in visiting and getting acquainted with cousins never before seen. 

As wife line rep I gave a little history of the compilation of the decendancy of Milo and Margaret Ann.  To date there are nearly 4000 names in my down-line file.  CD’s were available of this work.  I had made a picture chart of all the children/spouses for display, as well as a framed portrait of Margaret Ann Boyce.

Ashley Kitchen, granddaughter of Afton Buchanan played "Maple Leaf Rag" on the piano.

Gary Ball grandson of Horace gave a presentation on DNA and its value in the research of the family. 

Discussion on the Holliday cemetery burial plot and marker (lack of one) took place and I said I would bring it before the board on Saturday.  The matter was resolved with the family organization to take care of the problem.

The members voted unanimously to retain me as wife line rep.  Further discussion indicated that a reunion was to be held in St. George, Utah in two years.

Afton Buchanan

Emma Covert

(no reunion report)

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