Missionary Moments #42--June 21, 2015

The week sped by as we got back to work and looked forward to Friday when we would see Andy and Angela and the grandkids one more time before they headed back home.  It seemed to me this week that I noticed many different things as I worked on the documents.  Sometimes we can go a long time without noticing anything that stands out and then we have a period of time that we are both catching glimpses of a life that is both interesting and insightful.  A few times since we have been doing our work we have come across envelopes that state that they can't be opened without a court order and so we just take a picture of the envelope, and the information inside remains hidden away.  Scott and I both recently came upon envelopes addressed to one of the legatees that apparently never got to them and were never opened. The first time Scott found one like that he asked the head of the archives if he should open it so we could take pictures of the contents and he said no but wanted us to take a picture of the envelope.  This week I had another envelope like that and it sent me into an imagination adventure wondering what was inside.  This particular envelope was thicker than usual and it seemed to have something hard inside.  I wondered what happened to the person who didn't receive the letter or the inheritance that had been intended for them.  When we started working on the documents around 1890 we noticed a new form was inside that is entitled "Inheritances and Legacies" and on these forms they always list all of the people that were to receive something from the deceased.  This information included their name, their relationship to the deceased, rather they were living or dead, and where they were living at the time the information was being gathered.  Most people still lived relatively close but I have seen others who were in China, Ireland, Florida, Ohio, Texas, Washington, California and Utah, just to name a few.  The records we are capturing are truly a link to generations.  Scott was sick earlier in the week but he wouldn't stop working and just toughed it out.  Once we got him some Day-quil and Ny-quil he steadily improved and now just has a cough.  We have had lots of rain this month and everything is so green and lush and it is cool.  I don't think we have been out of the 70's yet.   Sorry to all of you desert dwellers who I understand have experienced heat in the 110 degree range!  Happy Fathers Day to all the great men out there who have been privileged to be called dad.