My Mother's Family Tree

My Grandpa is James William Redford, Jr. He will turn 80 in June this year. He is the oldest child of 12 kids my Redford Great Grandparents had. He has one brother older than him from Marie's previous marriage. All my mom remembers about her Grandpa Redford is that he smoked, wasn't very nice and they didn't like going there to visit. I think he died when my mom was 11 or 12.

This is my brother and me with my mom and Great-Grandma Redford. My mom's middle name is Marie, after this Grandma. She was a very sweet loving grandma. She crocheted all the time and was always so grateful what others did for her. Lane and I lived by her the 1st 3 years of our marriage. She lived with very little. My mom said there was an outhouse in her backyard for years and that it took awhile before she got indoor plumbing. They didn't like using the outhouse. :0)

Great-Grandma Redford at my wedding (Dec. 2000) She lived alone for several decades.
She died in the summer of 2004 at the age of 93. I can still remember her croaky voice as she talked.

Now that I've shared my Mother's Father's side, this is my Mother's Mother's side.

Andreas Schmidt married Nellie Mae Bangerter

I think this Grandpa died when my mom was 1-yr. old. My Great-Grandma Schmidt lived to be 95. She died when I was 12 years old. She is the 3rd out of 4 Great-Grandmother's I met. I never met any great-grandfather's.

Nellie lived by Liberty Park in Salt Lake City. My mom said they'd spend a week at a time with her in the summer with other cousins. They had a lot of fun. Nellie had 12 kids. My Grandma, Lillian Schmidt Redford is the 11th of those children. All of her siblings are almost all deceased now. My Grandma is going to be 80 in a few years.

This is my Great-Grandma Schmidt (Nellie) with my brother and me when we were younger. For the last 15 years of her life each child took one month out of the year to take care of her. Nellie would live in their house. I think she passed away in her sleep at her youngest child's (daughter) house.

Here is my handsome Grandpa Jim Redford, Jr.

He married my beautiful Grandma Lillian Schmidt (who is the one I get the love of journal writing and history from).

And would you guess that THEY had 11 children togther?

My mom is the 4th child, the 1st girl--here is her baby picture. March of 1956 is when she was born.

Karen Marie Redford

My mom a little older

Here are my mom's sibling's when they only had 5 out of 11 kids. My mom is the girl on the right.

This picture was probably taken around 20 years ago. It is all of my mom's siblings. The only one missing is Patty, who died when my mom was in high school at 10-months old of liver failure. So I have an aunt I get to meet someday on the other side!

Backing up a few years from the last picture, this is my grandparent's with their first grandchild, my brother. You can't tell in this picture, but my Grandma just had her last baby 6 weeks after my brother was born. In the picture above, it the girl in the pink dress on the front row. That is my aunt, she is 6 weeks younger than her nephew. Not an uncommon thing in mormonville I guess, but strange to me.

Here is the same year and what my parent's looked like.

Here is the "Redford Clan" in 1987. ALL of my aunts and uncles and spouses. Our family has changed quite a bit. There have been divorces, remarriages, babies, a death and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren added to this family.

Jan. 2000 I returned from my mission and this is a Redford Family picture of that event.

Jim and Lillian still look the same to me, just a little older and wiser :0)

This picture was taken in April 2001 at the funeral of my mom's 3rd brother. Grandkids are included and I'm amazed that every month we have a family party and this is who is invited. It's like a reunion every month. I know my cousin's all by name and can guess their ages and where they're living. We have a very close-knit family on both sides (Muir and Redford). My parents made sure we knew our cousins well and I'm glad for that. I have many fun memories growing up.

You can see Lane on the front row. I'm standing behind him. This is about 4 months after we were married.

Here's a funny picture I found. Back in the early 90's (that's weird to say) my aunt Sharlene made bonnets and we went to This is the Place Monument Park on July 24th with both of my grandma's.

Front row: Karen, Grandma Muir, Andrea (my sister)

Back row: Julie, Sharlene, Grandma Redford

Dec. 2000, Bountiful Temple, Grandpa Jim and Grandma Lillian Redford (on left), Lane and myself, Grandma Lillis Muir and Great-Grandma Marie Redford at our wedding.

Here is the Redford and Muir side at the Temple after our wedding ceremony.
Lane's parents are next to him on the front row, along with his sister and her husband (back then).

Families are the whole reason we have Temples! I love temples!! Temples bind our families to us for eternity, not "until death do you part". I have shared my entire family tree for now. When I print my book, I'm sure it will be big. I love preserving the memory of those I love so that I can share it with my children. Hearing neat stories of my grandparent's makes me wish I had them written down. I still need to ask my uncle's (while they are living) what they know and remember about my grandparent's of how they met, where they lived and what were their lives like when they were younger. I have given a book to each of my kids' grandparents (Callahan's and Muir's) when they fill it up I can copy the information so all the siblings can have it and in turn, all the grandkids so they KNOW who their grandparents are. I would LOVE to know about the personality my Great-Great Grandma Muir was and where did some traits come from and what hardships did they go through. I take everything for granted of the modern everyday ease I have. I know if my children can learn from their hardships then their lives won't seem so hard or if they are hard, they will know there was someone in their ancestry that can truly relate!

Then and Now

1974 The "picture in the box"

Way back then....
The house now...just a few years ago.

One Family Tree Branch

My Dad's Mother, Lillis, died about 3 years after I was married. (The Grandma holding my arm)

When my parents got married my dad gave my mom a box. Each box had a smaller box, then a smaller box. You can see my mom trying to guess what it is as she asks questions like, "Is it electrical?" etc. Eventually she opened the last box. It was a picture of a house. On the back was written a note saying that was the house he bought for them to move into and live in. It is the house they still live in to this day.

My mom, Karen Marie Redford Muir attended Layton High.

Down below is Grandpa Clifton Muir and Grandma Lillis Lane Widdison, my Dad and Mom, and next to my mom is Verna Hill. Mrs. Hill's husband had passed away and she needed a roommate for company and had a room for rent. My dad needed a place to stay when he moved from Rexburg, Idaho to Layton, Utah to work at the Layton Post Office. The ward he was in was the ward he met my mom at---and the rest is history.

Here is a picture of my aunts, uncles, and cousins. I think the year is around 1992. The shortest kids in the picture are now married. I am the 3rd from the right, my sister is in front of me (red hair).

My dad's family in 1985: My Grandparent's are on the front row. The other adults from left to right are (my mom and dad) Russ and Karen Muir; Sharon and Roger Muir; Sid and Karen Muir, Nolan and Joan (2nd wife) Muir.

FAMILY TREE

This is part of my family tree. This is the branch of my dad's side, with my dad's father on the top left.

Have you ever been to the Redwoods? What an inspiring experience. I've never felt so little until I stood in that place that made me not just hear, but feel silence. I don't know if there is any eternal symbolism involved with Trees and Family History but I know why families are like trees because their branches are by the dozens! They grow fast and far and the tree (further down below) tells a BIG story.

When I was young I learned a song in primary about the Prophet Elijah coming to restore the keys of the sealing power of families, which he restored to Joseph Smith. In the Bible, in Malachi 4:5-6 it talks about the hearts of the children will turn to their father's and the hearts of the father's will be turned to their children. In other words, there will be a "heart tugging" if you want to call it that, and the people on the earth will have a desire to learn about their ancestors, who they are, where they came from, what they did in their lives etc. If their memories are preserved (by us now-for those who come after us) and we read their stories, in the next life we will already know each other. I have a lot of work to do. Someday I will print this blog out as my journal along with the other journal that I have. This one can have pictures. It is my life story, along with what my children are doing at this stage of their lives. Each day builds them to who they are going to become, and someday I want to be built into who God wants me to become. This is why I share such personal stuff because this journal is for my children and me. I don't want them not knowing what I believe or why. I thank my mom and Grandmother's for being so open with their belief's. I realize it's something I take for granted. There are teaching moments all through the day with my children or people we meet. Chances to show honesty and integrity and morality and charity--even in the grocery store. We show what we are by how we live and what we think is portrayed by the way we live. So, we "tell on ourselves" in many ways....and I love my kids so much I want them to know what I know.

Heavenly Father teaches me what my work should be. By reading the scriptures and praying and attending church I learn what my priorities should be. God's whole purpose and "Joy" in His existence is told in Moses 1:39, "For this is My work and My glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." His whole JOY is ME and his other children (everyone who has been or ever will be on earth) and He wants me to be with Him forever. So that is where my whole life centers (as much as I can try, anyway--because I am far from perfect). So it doesn't matter what I look like, where I live, what house or car I have, it matters what I do with my responsibility as a Wife and Mother, and keeping the commandments and having Faith. Nothing else matters. If I teach my children the gospel and I get to be with my family forever, then my joy will be full. So I will help God "bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of" His children by doing my part.

I want to be as strong as that tree. (Picture taken by my mom)

A primary song I learned goes like this:

"Family history--I am doing it, My family history.

And the love I feel when I'm doing it is very sweet to me.

I learn stories of my progenitors; I write their history.

I keep records of my loved ones on my own fam'ly tree.

Fam'ly living now & the ones who've died can all be sealed to me,

And someday I'll meet every one of them, I'm sure as I can be.

Oh what joy we'll have when they say to me, 'We're all a family'.

I am yours and you are mine now, through all eternity.

I've decided to spotlight my dad's family. I made this pillowcase way back when I was in Young Women's. I've never used it, as you can see why. I want it to last awhile.

My Grandma Lillis and Grandpa Clifton Muir had a stillborn baby first (Clifton Jr.), he died. Then they had Nolan -1st son on the right, Russ (my dad) 3rd to the left, Roger -2nd to left, then Sidney-very left side. Four boys to work on the farm. My dad was allergic to everything, so he mainly stayed inside to help his mom.
When my Grandma was pregnant with my dad my grandpa began building this house. They finished it and my dad was born and they moved in. So the house is as old as my dad--born in March 1950. My dad just turned 59. It is now a rental house owned by my uncle Sid in Rexburg, Idaho.

This is my Dad on his mission to Argentina

This is a picture of my Dad's Mothers' parents--Abner and Mary Widdison. I do not have a picture of my MUIR Great-Grandparents.
Grandma Widdison taught my dad how to cook, love flowers, and play the piano. He later took organ lessons at Rick's College (now BYU-Idaho)

Here is a family picture of my Dad's brother's and parents. I think this was taken back in 1985. My dad's oldest brother and parents are no longer living.

This is my mom and dad's engagement picture. They were married June 6, 1974. My dad was 24, my mom was 18. YES, he robbed the cradle.

J. Russell Muir and Karen Marie Redford Muir

They were married in the Ogden, Utah Temple

Talking Like Donald Duck

This is a video of my niece. Her laugh is very cute. I am talking to her like Donald Duck-- :0)

SPRING has sprung!

Two Friday's ago Lane called in the afternoon and said he wanted to get a slide at Lowe's and wanted my permission to buy it and start putting it up tomorrow. He came home with a shorter one than we were originally planning, but it is great and the kids love love love their daddy for it! Not to mention mommy will love that the kids love it so I can get some stuff done because Spring is here and it'll be time to do laundry on the line and other fun summer chores.

The slide is 10 feet long and the angle is fast and steep and soooo much fun! Even for me! I married the most wonderful, handsome/cute, talented and hard working man in the world. It's neat to see him do things for the kids and queen he loves more than anything.

Jacob has mastered the technique --literally, quickly.

Their new toy for a day.

Kimmie is so good at art. She painted this of her "friend, Olivia" and her.

Lane gave me these last Monday for no reason. I love them!

I don't think I've ever seen more beautiful colors together. I smell them every time I pass them.

Our yard isn't quite as pretty, but I can't wait until our flowers come up!

As you can see they're on their way. Yay!

What an exhausting day! (This is a very rare occasion in our house)