Family History

More family history stuff. Here are reports I wrote on two of my family members, as well as a pedigree chart I made on FamilySearch.org. 

Aarus Warren—My Great Great Grandfather
Aarus Elmer Warren was born December 22, 1895 in Moreland, Utah to Amos Warren and Caroline Lucy Fullmer Warren. He was the tenth of thirteen children, and his family was among the first to settle the town of Mapleton, Utah. His father died when he was only seven years old, leaving him to help run the family and the farm. Twenty years later, his mother died and was buried next to her husband on May 29, 1924.
Aarus was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on June 5, 1904 in Mapleton and was ordained a Deacon on May 31, 1908. He was very active in the church even as a young teenager and fulfilled many of the duties required of him.
One of Aarus’ brothers moved to Groveland, Idaho and bought a farm; he encouraged his mother and siblings to sell the family farm in Utah and move to Idaho. The farm was finally sold and the family moved to Idaho on May 30, 1913. However, after buying a portion of land and building a home, Aarus’ brother died in October of that year from acute appendicitis, leaving Aarus in charge of things once again. The man who had purchased their farm in Utah could no longer keep it; so Aarus’ family had to give up their farm in Groveland. Their Utah farm was finally sold again and they bought another farm in Groveland from a man who happened to be the father of Aarus’ future wife.
Aarus was ordained a Priest on February 2, 1914 and then an Elder on December 19, 1915. He was a Sunday School teacher and a Scoutmaster in Groveland for five years. He was a fantastic baseball and basketball player. He and his brother even joined a professional baseball league in Blackfoot and then the Utah-Idaho League. In 1916, Aarus married his sweetheart Stella Fern Bergerson on the Salt Lake Temple. They had nine children and Aarus continued his role as Scoutmaster, even setting up one of the first troops in Blackfoot. Aarus died of pneumonia on November 21, 1936.

Amos Warren—My Great Grandfather
Amos Warren was the oldest son of Aarus Warren. He worked a lot with his father, learning many skills and caring for the dairy farm and cattle.  When his dad became Scoutmaster in Tyhee, Amos became Senior Patrol Leader and then Junior Assistant Scoutmaster. They organized the first Vanguard Scouts known as the Explorers. After his father died on 1936, he became Scoutmaster of a group that went to the very first World Jamboree in Washington D.C
Amos was called as a Seventy of the Church and was then called to the Fort Hall Mission Presidency to open up the mission there and teach the youth. He started a scout troop of young Indian boys. In 1955, he and his family moved to Moses Lake, Washington where he went into the missionary program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Seven years later they moved to Richland, Washington where most of the children attended school.
Amos spent a majority of his life devoted to Scouting and to the Church. He raised his sons well, leaving an inspiring example which helped his sons and his grandsons earn their Eagle Scout Awards and many other Scouting awards as well. But he also made sure the family had plenty of play time for sports and activities. Amos made a softball diamond and a swimming pool, which most of the kids in the neighborhood would enjoy as well. He also built tables and a large slab of cement for BBQ’s and other Branch activities held at their home. Amos loved to take his children fishing at many of the lakes near their home. Amos’ wife Verdant also participated heavily in Scouting and the Church, always supporting him in his callings, running the home and raising the children. Amos and Verdant were very family oriented, teaching their children that there was a time of planting, a time of growing, a time of harvest and a time of fun mixed throughout it all. They were big gardeners, growing vegetables, fruit trees and many different kinds of flowers. Amos died on July 2, 1989 in Richland, Washington leaving behind a wonderful legacy in Scouting and many generations who followed after him.

 

My Personal History

Here is another post for my Family History class. My personal history obviously isn't finished yet because there is SO much more I could write. But it's a good start and I hope you enjoy it!

                                                           My Many Homes
I was born on October 21, 1993 in Kahuku, Oahu, Hawaii. But I am far from being Hawaiian, considering I have blonde hair and blue/green eyes. I am my parents’ first child as well as the first grandchild on both sides of my family. After living in Hawaii for about six months, my parents and I moved to Houston, Texas to live with family there. Six months later, another sister was born. Following her birth, we moved to Kennewick, Washington where we lived for a year or so. Shortly before the third daughter was born, we moved to Rexburg, Idaho and settled down for a good four years (although we did live in three different houses within the four years). Two more sisters were born during those years. After receiving a job in Richland, Washington in the year 2000, my dad moved the entire family to live in the Tri-Cities and we have been there ever since. But now I am back in Rexburg, living in the same house I grew up while I attend BYU-Idaho. It is amazing how everything comes back full circle!
                                                               My Siblings
While I am the first child in my family, it definitely did not stop there. Within twelve years, my incredible mother gave birth to seven children. But that is not it; my parents have the unique privilege of raising seven girls! The only males in my immediate family are my father and my dog, Pongo (and yes, we consider him a very important member of our family). As one can imagine, it is always a crazy party in my house, some days more crazy than party. But I would not trade my family situation for anything else in the world.

Exactly one year and two weeks after I was born, my second sister Helen Alexandria was born. And then a year and a half after her birth, my third sister Jenna Verlene was born. Because there are only two and a half years between the three of us, we have always been close. In fact, we even formed an exclusive club called “The Triplets.” We would use our spare guest basement bedroom as the clubhouse and read scriptures together, make crafts, play with stuffed animals, take naps, laugh and share lengthy conversations. We shared a room upstairs and literally did everything together. We even got dressed at the same time, putting on our pants and shirts in the same way. That might sound crazy, but those memories will last through the eternities and strengthen our relationships. Although we have grown up and gone in different directions, we are still extremely close and I know we always will be.

Two years after Jenna was born, Samantha Irene joined our family. Following close behind was Veronica Colleen and then two years later, Shonna Ranae was born. With each new sister, our family got better, louder and more exciting. And then, somewhat as a surprise, my mother announced that she was expecting another baby! My sisters and I thought it would be cool to finally have a little brother, but secretly we hoped we would get another sister for several reasons: one, if we had a brother he would be spoiled and get his own room. And that just was not fair since we all had to share rooms. Two, how many families out there can say that they have seven biological, individually born girls? We wanted to be unique, and to our great excitement, mom was having another girl. With the birth of Lydia Marie, we knew our family was complete. Watching Lydia grow up, I am constantly surprised at how similar we are. She is literally my mini-me, exhibiting both physical and personality similarities. It is almost as if I get a glimpse into what I was like as a child. But I love all of my sisters completely and equally.

We have had so many adventures together and made so many memories. Because we sometimes act like drama queens, we decided to put that acting to use and put on our own plays. The first one, our version of the “Cinderella” story, debuted in 2005. And in the last eight years, we have completed eight more plays including: “The Nutcracker,” “Aladdin,” “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” “A Christmas Carol” and several others. Those are memories that will last forever and will bring many more laughs during our lifetimes. I love my sisters. They are my best friends, my partners in crime and my favorite people in the world.
                                                              My Education
Since as long as I can remember, school has always been important to me. I just love learning. I have never been one to take the easy road when it comes to school; I push myself to take challenging courses and maintain high grades in each one. So with that in mind, it probably isn’t very surprising to know that I have had straight A’s since sixth grade. I have taken advanced English, math and science classes since elementary school, and classmates would (and still do) look to me for help or partnership in our studies. Call me a teacher’s pet, but my studious work ethic, cooperative personality and high caliber of learning would often gain favor in my teachers’ eyes. One of my biggest educational goals was to graduate from high school as Valedictorian of my class. Through a large amount of blood, sweat and tears, I successfully achieved my goal and recited a clever poem/speech in front of thousands at my high school graduation. It was one of the best nights so far in my short life. I even graduated with twenty-one college credits. Many people look back and say they would redo high school if they could, but not me. I can honestly say that I took advantage of the best educational opportunities offered and worked my hardest to learn all I could. I am genuinely pleased with my elementary, junior and high school experiences.

Thanks to the inspiring examples of several family members, especially my amazing father, I have always wanted to be a nurse. That desire has fueled most of my educational decisions. But my parents’ stories of attending college in Hawaii also inspired me to attend school there as well. My plan was to complete some nursing prerequisites at BYU-Hawaii and then attend the nursing program at BYU-Idaho. I applied and was accepted to all three church schools, even receiving some small scholarships. I put down a security deposit for an apartment in Hawaii and started making preparations. But then everything changed. About a month before school was about to start, my parents and I had a very long and hard financial discussion. I am not one who adjusts or accepts change very easily. But after considering all aspects both logically and emotionally, I knew it was the right decision to make. I would no longer be attending BYU-Hawaii; instead, I would jump right into prerequisites at BYU-Idaho and save significant amounts of money. It was hard to accept right away and I couldn’t understand why Heavenly Father didn’t want me to go to BYU-Hawaii. And looking back now I know that is not the case. I am sure Heavenly Father would have been pleased with any of the schools. But He knew that BYU-Idaho was the best choice for me. Attending college here in Rexburg has allowed me to travel home more often for family reasons and travel to Utah for a romantic relationship I would have never seen coming. And that is the point. God knows and sees all and so that is why I am trusting Him with my educational decisions especially.

During my off-track semester at BYU-Idaho, I applied for the nursing program and was accepted within a few short months. I was so excited that a lifelong childhood dream was coming true; all my hard work during the previous twelve years of school was finally paying off. Of course I was extremely nervous but ready to begin the journey God needed me to participate in. For the last eight weeks I have fully enjoyed all I have learned in the program, even with all the stress and work required. I know it will pay off in the end. I know this is what I am supposed to be doing. And I have made a promise to myself that I will continue to learn for as long as I possibly can, because I know that education is one of the most important possessions we can gain on earth.
                                                                My Talents
As the oldest of seven children, I would have to say that babysitting is definitely one of my talents. It isn’t necessarily one I always like to claim, but nevertheless it is still a huge part of me. I have been babysitting since I was at least ten years old, and I know I can attribute many of my esteemable qualities to that aspect of my personal history. Another significant part of me is music, and I would like to think that some of my talents include singing and playing the piano. This is such a great blessing to me because my family is extremely musically talented and it allows us to sing together on many different occasions. Sure, singing might not be a very unique talent. But one skill I have recognized within myself is the ability to harmonize spontaneously and accurately, trying to create beautiful music wherever I go. That talent has come in handy many times and I hope to be able to share my gift with whoever is willing to listen. Another skill that some might not consider a talent is the ability to learn quickly and efficiently. I was able to learn Spanish fairly quickly and I still remember what I learned during my three years of classes. And with each job I have had, I’ve been able to learn the necessary skills quickly and effectively. I also have really admirable people skills and I am able to communicate well with others and build immediate friendships with people I encounter. And I consider that an important talent.

So that's it for now. The greatest part is that my personal history is being written everyday, and so far I am very happy and grateful for the many adventures I've had. I can't wait to see what else is in store.

Mi Vida

For my Family History class, I am supposed to post pictures of myself and my family. And that really isn't a hard thing for me to do because I love bragging about my family haha. So here ya go! Enjoy!


Pictures of me as a baby. Don't judge. We all have ridiculous baby pictures.

Yes, I was a diva who came up with crazy outfits. And that's me as Betsy Ross in our 2nd grade play.

First day of Kindergarten (bottom) and a day in 2nd grade (top)

Pictures of Alex, Jenna and me

Picture published in the school newspaper when we went to state for a singing competition (top) and playing in a dirt mound at our home in Rexburg (bottom)

Holding Shonna as a baby, and holding Shonna a few years later haha

Sleepovers with some cousins!

More cousin pictures

My JV volleyball team in high school! How I miss playing. Stupid knees

Just some family pictures :)

Pictures with Cottonwood Ward Young Women (top) and a picture from my friend's 11th birthday party (bottom)

More friend pictures!

Some high school dance pictures 

 Jason mowing our lawn in the rain haha

 Tanning (or camping?) in the backyard

 Even Pongo joined!

 Dad as a senior in high school

 Me as a senior in high school

 My beautiful knee after surgery

 2012

 2006

Well, there are a million more I could post but who knows if my computer could handle that. Plus most of the older pictures at home. But I hope these pictures gave you a glimpse into my crazy and amazing life. And it's so true. A picture really is worth a thousand words.