Quincy Illinois

Ann by marker in Clat Adams Park
marking the place Saints crossed river

One week ago on Saturday, November 23rd, we drove to Quincy on our preparation day. We've been there several times, mostly to do some shopping, get groceries or to go to SAM'S Club which is the nearest one to Nauvoo. While there we thought that we would take some time to see some of the places related to the history of Quincy. We didn't have too much time so we had to be some what selective, knowing that we may be able to spend more time on another occasion.

Our first stop was to find the park with the monument erected to mark the approximate place where the Saints were forced to cross the river from Missouri into Quincy. The residents of Quincy, Illinois took them in and found them shelter. At that time, there were about 1500 residents of Quincy and about 5000 saints who crossed the river. The marker reads, "In 1839 the latter-day saints crossed the Mississippi River at this approximate site and were befriended by the citizens of Quincy."

John Wood Mansion built in 1835

We then drove around the historic district for a few minutes. We decided to visit the John Wood Mansion. It is the home of the founder of Quincy who eventually became governor of the state of Illinois. It was lucky for us that we got there just before closing time and a kind gentleman said that he would be happy to stay late to take us "missionaries from Nauvoo" on a tour of the mansion.

John Wood

It is there at the mansion where the Quincy Historical Society is housed. This organization was the keeper of the Sunstone for over 50 years. The Sunstone is now in our Nauvoo Visitors Center. Also on display are original keys to the original Nauvoo Temple. The keys were given to Artois Hamilton of the Hamilton House in Carthage for his kindness in providing the wood coffins to transport the bodies of Joseph and Hyrum back to Nauvoo following the martyrdom.

Plaque reads, "Original keys from the Mormon Temple,
Nauvoo, Illinois. Commenced 1841- Completed 1846
Construction Cost $1,000,000.

While touring the mansion, I took some pictures of just a few of the many things that I thought would be of interest in the home. I wish I could remember more of the things we were told. The painting of John Wood show an interesting beard. It is said that he wore the beard as shown because he didn't like to wear ties.

Organ in John Wood Mansion

Wife of John Wood

Quilt that belonged to John Wood Family

There are several other sites and places in Quincy related to Mormon history which we would like to hopefully visit at some future date.

Plaque on Quincy Town Square

Family Visitor for Thanksgiving Week

Melanie & Phil with Ann & me

My sister Melanie and her new husband Phil Barker came to Nauvoo for the week. Ann and I were the only ones of the siblings and their spouses who were not able to attend their wedding in California. So, Melanie and Phil decided to come to Nauvoo for a belated honeymoon. They seem to be very happy together.

Phil has visited here years ago and Melanie never has been here. They arrived Monday night and left this morning. While here they were able to see most of the sites, Carthage and I took them on a tour of the Facilities Management shops. Mel and Phil were able to join us for the mission Thanksgiving dinner. I was so good to see them and spend some time with them.

Thanksgiving

Lf to Rt, Sisters McCann, Gillespie, Ann,      
Sister Hufstetler  and Fred

Table set up with serving area at far end

The past two days have been very busy with lots to do for today, Thanksgiving, as well as yesterday.  Yesterday, Facilities Management had a Thanksgiving Dinner for lunch for all employees, their families and the missionaries assigned to facilities and their spouses. Ann and I were drafted to help Sister Hufstetler prepare the food for the dinner for 180 people as well as clean up afterwards. The menu included ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, corn and rolls. Facilities employees and facilities missionaries had signed up to bring salads and desserts. Sisters Gillespie and McCann decorated the tables and we got Sister McCann to help stir the gravy.



The dinner was held in the grounds building which houses all mowers, tractors and equipment used to take care of all the church owned property in Nauvoo. We started preparations at 7:00 a.m. and the dinner was from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. We had a good turn out.

Serving tables on mower maintenance lift

We made a couple of tables in our shop to set on the lawn mower maintenance lift for the buffet style serving tables.


Today, we held the mission Thanksgiving dinner in the stake center which is near the Nauvoo Visitors Center. All the mission sites were open until 2:00 p.m. to accommodate the visitors including family members who came to Nauvoo for the day. There were lots of missionary family members here for the week or part of the week.

Two of three serving tables being set up mission dinner

Some of the missionaries and guests on Thanksgiving

Following site (including facilities assignments) closures at 2:00, we had to go home get our assigned dinner items and our selves ready for dinner at 3:30. We had to be there at 3:15 because the mission chior was to sing a Thanksgiving song. Dress for the dinner was Sunday best. Because we had guests (my sister Melanie and her husband Phil) attending with us, we were assigned two items for the dinner. Because the missionaries had site assignments all day, the temple missionaries had the assignment to furnish the turkeys and ham. Ann made sweet potato and green bean casseroles. We had about 260 at dinner. That count include missionaries, temple missionaries and family guests.

After dinner, all missionaries had to gather at the visitor center to practice a Christmas Tree lighting song for the Nauvoo Christmas activities next Friday, December 6th. While there we got a picture of Ann and me with Melanie and Phil.

From there we rushed home to change into our Rendezvous costumes and hurried to the Cultural Hall for our cast's show. I played the part of the editor and Ann the Relief Society president. We had reserved tickets so my sister and her husband could see the show. We had a packed house for the show.

The Missionary Badge

The wearing of the missionary badge is more than just an emblem of identity as a Mormon missionary. It also opens doors for conversation about the Church.

Since there isn't anywhere in Nauvoo where you can get much in the way of groceries, we have to go to nearby communities such as Keokuk, Iowa (12 miles); Burlington, Iowa (33 miles); or Quincy, Illinois (45 miles) to find a large grocery chain store such as Walmart, HyVee or ALDI's.

Missionaries often have people talk to them or ask questions when they see the missionary badge. It gives us the opportunity to invite them to Nauvoo as well as answer questions.

We've had individuals who work in a restaurant say something about Nauvoo and we ask them if they have been there. We have given out cards with our special Nauvoo Christmas activities schedules for December 6th. One lady told us that her husband shoed horses and asked if we were near where the horses were. We give all of them cards about Nauvoo and/or the Christmas schedule.

The most interesting person we talked to recently was a fellow in Burlington, Iowa about a week ago. We had stopped at an ADLI food market to pick up some items. This guy approached us pushing his shopping cart and said, "Your are Mormons aren't you?" I said, "Yes, why do you ask?" 

We then spent the next 25 to 30 minutes talking to him. He told us that he spent eight years in the Marines and was a veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan. When we told him that or son and two son-in-laws where also Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and that Justin had received a Purple Heart, we had some things in common. By the way he received three Purple Heart awards. He had Mormons in his squads and a Major General with whom he worked closely who was a Mormon. He had biked all over the western United States.

Anyway, by the time we had finished talking we had given him one of our calling cards I had made up and a Christmas activities schedule for the Christmas in Old Nauvoo to celebrate a pioneer Christmas on December 6th. He said that he would come and look us up. His last name is Whistler.

You never know who you may engage in conversation because of the badges we wear..

Preparations for a Nauvoo Christmas

Council room of the Brigham Young Home

Site leaders have been decorating the various visitor sites here in Nauvoo as preparations are now under way for the Christmas Season. Since visitors have really thinned out lately, most of the sites now have their decorations up. 

I have include some pictures of Ann putting out Christmas decorations in the Brigham Young Home. One is in the Council room which Brigham Young used for meetings while he served as President of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles.

Kitchen of the Brigham Young Home

The visitors center decorating is still going on. The big twenty foot tree in the visitors center has been assembled but not yet decorated. That project is on going as of today. The visitors center has a nativity display which is also up and a giant Christmas card has been designed and is being built in facilities. There will be a tree lighting ceremony and other Christmas activities on Friday, December 6th.

New Nauvoo Temple President

Our new temple president has gotten somewhat settled now after the temple being open again for one week after a two week maintenance closure. As a mission, we've had a chance to get acquainted with the new temple president and his wife. Ann and I have had a chance to visit with them on a personal basis a few times.

President James A. McArthur and his wife Denise are from St. George, Utah. In talking with him, I found out that he is a personal friend of my cousin Randy Peterson who was raised in St. George. President McArthur said that he was born and raised in St. George and lived in the 3rd Ward where uncle Ted Peterson served as bishop. As we talked about some of the places and things in St. George which are no longer there, he seemed both surprised and pleased that I knew about them.

Ann & I with President and Sister McArthur

In talking about St. George, we decided that I had probably met and participated in activities with President McArthur during those summers that my younger brother Scott I spent parts of the summer with uncle Ted and aunt Ann Peterson and family. I was Aaronic Priesthood age, the same as Randy. Those were fun times. Movies and swimming at the St George pool cost ten cents. The Petersons lived right up by the "sugar loaf." So, most days we would eat breakfast, pack a lunch and head out up on the red hills and return about supper time. It was great fun.

National Championship

Iowa Western Team, Kelsey back row in red socks

This evening we were able to watch our granddaughter, Kelsey East's, soccer game on our computer. It was the final game of the junior college Division 1 national championship play off. Kelsey is the starting freshman goal keeper for Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa. They played Navarro College out of Texas for the national title. The playoff games were played in Melbourne, Florida.

Kelsey Holding Team Trophy

The final score was 3 to1 for Iowa Western. It was an exciting game. 

It was fun to watch her team's technical skill in passing. The team is a very well coached team and they play very well together.

A surprise for us that we didn't get to see after the game was that Kelsey was presented a trophy for most valuable keeper of the tournament. We were happy for her and her team.









Kelsey is shown at the left holding her most valuable goal keeper trophy along with her mother Lori (center) and her sister (Kenlee) who both were able to go to Florida to watch the play off games.

New Rear Doors for Old Post Office

Removing old hardware & preparing new door for fitting

Another project this past summer was to make and install replacement doors which were rotting in the rear of the post office. Dave Herbolt made the doors. The one pictures is of Dave and me fitting the doors and the second one is the finished installed doors.



The process is somewhat involved. After a door opening is measured, the wood is then milled and then the door assembled. At that time, we take the door to where it will be installed. We remove the old door and its hardware. The hardware is installed on the new door and the new door is installed and fitted to be sure that everything is alright. If the door fits properly or is adjusted for fit, the new door is then removed along with the hardware and the old door is re-installed. At that time, the new door is taken to the paint shop where the painters prime and paint the new door according to the building's colors.

New Rear Post Office Doors Installed

After the door has been painted and the paint set, we take the door back to where it is installed using the old hardware. The removing and installing of old hardware may seem unnecessary, however, it is required that period hardware (meaning like was used at that time) be used and it is expensive to buy it new.

The process for making and installing window is the same except for the hardware issue.  

Cabinet Shop and Projects

The assignment to the Cabinet Shop in Facilities Management has been a very enjoyable and educational experience as well as one that allows for a great deal of service to the facilities and sites here in Nauvoo.

Windows for the Browning Gun Building

Dave has had an ongoing project of replacing doors and windows at the various sites here in Nauvoo. When the restoration project to locate building sites and to restore some of those buildings which now make up "Old" Nauvoo, the church history department and others who were involved in the project determined that the materials to be used should be the same as those used originally. Because of this, much of the sugar pine wood doors, windows and shutters are rotting, some are very bad. That type of wood does not last in this area of the country. As a result, these items as well as other wooden structures exposed to the the humidity here need to be replaced. The solid wood doors, windows and shutters which are being made as replacements are now being made of African Mahogany which should last for decades because it will not be affected as much by the high humidity and severe temperature changes. All of these items are made from rough cut lumber which we then mill into whatever is needed.

Glazing windows

The replacement of the above mentioned items is not the only thing we do in the cabinet shop. Those are on going projects as I have already mentioned that are done in between other required projects. We make repairs to anything that is made of wood as well as make new items that may be needed for other projects. We also make moldings, furniture, cabinets and most anything required. We also do projects for the temple.

Some of my first projects were those of windows and shutters. Since these projects are on going, they will not be completed before we finish our mission here in Nauvoo. My part in window making has been to cut and mount the glass, glaze the glass and after they are painted I install them.

Routing grooves using jig for hand made slats 

In making shutters, I cut and mill all the pieces including the slats from rough cut African Mahogany, route the grooves for the slats, assemble them and finish sanding them so that the paint shop can then paint them. After they are painted, I install them.

Assembling and gluing shutter

Finished shutter for one of the smaller windows

We have several homes in Nauvoo that have shutters. The Coolidge Home for which I have been making shutters has 23 windows. I have also made shutters for some of the windows on the Carthage Visitors Center.

The photo to the right is a view of the Coolidge Home looking at the west and south sides. You can see the number of shutters on the home. The five windows on the upstairs, west side still have to be made and installed.









The picture on the left is a rear view of the Coolidge Home looking at the east and north sides. This home is not a home for tours but is a residence for two missionary couples, one upstairs and one on the main floor.

Fall Colors Have Passed

Although we are now enjoying some mild temperature days of high to low sixties for this time of year, we have had a few days of mid twenties. The leaves have been very colorful but the winds have blown most of them from the trees now.










All the plants from the flower beds have been removed and Spring bulbs planted. Planters which were placed along the streets along with the benches have been removed, cleaned and stored away until next Spring.











The number of visitors has greatly thinned. However, of those who do come, there are more nonmembers this time of year and the Spirit of Nauvoo is just as great and those visitors  are being touched by the Spirit.

These are some of the colors of Fall that we have enjoyed this year.













The colors are even more brilliant than what the photos were able to capture.












This is how the trees look now that all the leaves have fallen.












Now that the leaves are gone from this tree, you can see a giant wasp nest that had been hidden in the leaves of this tree located just outside of the visitors center.

Fred's Assignment to Cabinet Shop in Facilities Management

Fred with Dave Herbolt

It has been a while since I've mentioned much about what I've been doing in my assignment in Facilities Management. Last July after having built the concrete facilities management sign, Jordan Bodily who is the supervisor for all the maintenance and construction personnel asked me if I would be willing to work with Dave Herbolt in the cabinet shop.

Dave was a general contractor and a cabinet maker in the Seattle, Washington area for years . He and his wife served as missionaries here in Nauvoo. He had sold his very successful business and home before their mission. After returning home, Facilities Management asked him to return as an employee. He agreed to do so for two years while they found someone to fill that position. He is very particular and good at what he does.

Cabinet Shop

This new assignment for me came about because I had asked Jordan if I could get some tools. Every project I had done to that point required that I barrow tools from someone in order to complete the task. He asked me to give him a list of what I needed. I told him that a list would depend on what he was going to have me doing. Would I continue to work with the carpenters or the electrical shop or what? He said he would give it some thought and get back with me. Anyway, a few days later he said that they needed someone in the cabinet shop to make shutters and windows and install doors made in the shop to replace doors, windows and shutters that were rotting.

Cabinet Shop

After working with Dave a few days and getting to know him, I asked Jordan if it was his idea for me to work with Dave or did Dave request to have me. He told me that Dave had asked that I be assigned there. Apparently, he had observed the way I went about setting up the sign board for the inlaid work for the concrete sign and liked the way I worked. Any that is how I got there.

Router Table

My very first project was to build a new router table for the cabinet shop. This was probably to see what I could do as well as to use for various projects.

Router table

I will be making more entries about some of the projects I have done while working in the cabinet shop.

Our First Grandchild Wedding

On Thursday the 26th of September, our first grandchild was married. The wedding was in Roy, Utah. Addie Hansen, daughter of our second oldest (Tad), was married to Tyrel Gailey. Both have been attending Weber State University on Cheerleader scholarships and plan to graduate from Weber State.  We wish we could have been there for their wedding. However, being here in Nauvoo on a mission is providing blessings to our family.

Although Addie and Tyrel were not married in the temple, we are hoping that they will be happy and ready in a year to have their marriage solemnized in a temple ceremony.

Addie with her family

Those who were able to attended the wedding from the bride's family