It all started with Grandpa Sam

Yesterday, May 27th, I posted this on Facebook:

So, I've decided on a summer project for myself.
First I'm going to read my ancestors stories, then I'm going to visit as many of their graves as I can.
A good majority are in Cache Valley. Several scattered along the Wasatch Front, a lot in northern Bear Lake area and some in Idaho. But through each line I should be able to go at least 4 generations back from myself, some as far as 6, before it goes out of reasonable driving distance, or over seas.
Interested to see where this adventure takes me!

A good friend commented and said that I should create a group and include pictures and stories of my adventures. I had been thinking of documenting it, but didn't really think far enough that others might be interested in my adventure to find the graves as well. So, Here is my grave hunting story...

So others know what lead up to deciding to do this, let me back up a little. On June 19th, Sammy will be going on trek with the Lew 2 ward. She was needing someone to walk in honor of and wants to do Grandpa Sam. Sammy is actually named after him. I do not remember Grandpa Sam, I was only 15 months old when he passed away unfortunately. I just remember Grandma Webb (his daughter) telling me that he used to say he didn’t think Sammy was a good name for a man. He always thought it would be better for a girl. My mom told me she had never heard this, do any of my other relatives remember Grandma Webb saying this, or even Grandpa Sam? Maybe she only told me so Sammy would be Sammy!

5/26/17 Sammy at grave site of
Samuel Leo and Ireta Hymas
Smithfield City Cemetery

When I was pregnant with Sammy, I really liked the name Sage. Considering that sage is the only thing I am allergic to, I figured it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to name my daughter that haha. As I looked though names, Sammy was one that I kept going back to. No matter what others I thought of, nothing fit. So, Samantha it was! And we would call her Sammy. Grandma Webb once told me, shortly after Sammy was born, that she knew there was someone in heaven that was absolutely thrilled and so very proud.

Samuel Leo Hymas (1899-1979)

Growing up, my great grandfather, Samuel Leo Hymas was always referred to as Grandpa Hymas. Once Sammy was old enough to understand, he started to be called Grandpa Sam. I know some believe it is disrespectful to refer to grandparents by their first name, but I assure you it is in absolute love. And even though Sammy does not know him, I know he holds a very special place in her heart.

So now that back story has been explained, back to what I was saying. Sammy wants to walk trek in honor of Grandpa Sam. Last week we asked my mom for some info on him. She gave me some Hymas family history. There is not much personal info on Grandpa Sam, just mostly the basics like birthday and baptism and that kind of thing. So she also gave me written history by his wife, Ireta Richards, and his mother-in-law, Emily Randall Richards. Emily’s history is pretty detailed. For the most part, I enjoyed reading it. I knew that part of my tree had some pretty prominent people in it, but reading the account given by Emily made me realize just how many. So, I started looking closer.

After looking closer, I got kind of excited. With Nathan on a mission, missionary work seems to be on my brain. In a Facebook post on 5/23, I surmised the Richards’ family history.

I have a fun missionary story to share, because, well, I can. It demonstrates how one single missionary, sharing the gospel, can influence the church as a whole. My mothers, maternal grandmother was a Richards (Grandma Webb's, mother). The Richards family immigrated to America from England in 1633, only 13 years after the original pilgrims. They settled in Massachusetts.Many years later,Joseph Richards married Rhoda Howe in 1781 and had 11 children. Rhoda's sister was Abigail Howe Young, President Brigham Young’s mother. As an early church convert, Brigham Young taught the Richards family about the LDS church. Brigham Young himself joined the church in 1832. 200 years after coming to America in search of religious and political freedom, the Richard's family converted one by one stating in about 1836. Rhoda passed away in 1838, and Joseph in 1840.
Willard Richards was Joseph and Rhoda’s 11th child. Soon after arriving in Navoo in 1841, Willard Richards became the private secretary to Prophet Joseph Smith. Richards was also with the Prophet when he was martyred in Carthage jail (D&C 135). Willard Richards later served as the second counselor for his cousin, President Brigham Young.
Another brother, Phineas Richards, the 4th brother had a son named Franklin Dewey Richards. Franklin was my great grandmothers, grandfather. He was ordained an apostle 2/12/1849 at the age of 27. He was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve for over 50 years. The longest tenure of any person who did not become the church's president. He served 9 missions, 4 of them in Europe. During one mission to Germany, he baptized Dr. Karl G. Maeser. Not only was Dr Maeser the first baptism in Saxony, but also he later became the founding principal of Brigham Young Academy (later to be named BYU). After the death of President Wilford Woodruff, Franklin D. Richards served 15 months as President of the Quorum of the Twelve before passing away in Dec 1899. He was also the founder and first president of the Genealogical Society of Utah.
One of Franklin’s sons, George Franklin Richards and a grandson, LeGrand Richards also served as church apostles. 1906 to 1950 and 1976 to 1983, respectively. This makes the Richards family only the 3rd LDS family in history with three consecutive generations in the Quorum of the Twelve.
There are many more stories associated with the Richards family and the LDS church. These are just the most notable. Many of the women served in prominent positions in the Primary and Relief Society as well.All this, because a new convert, Brigham Young, shared what he believed to his aunt, uncle and cousins!

I've always been interested in family history. I’ve looked at things and read things and knew things, but for some reason it really sucked me in this time. Over the last week, I’ve read numerous things on both the Glover (Glover, Boman, Maughan and Nielson) and Webb (Webb, Buxton, Hymas and Richards) side and I just keep reading and looking and digging.

When people would ask, I would tell them my ancestry is mostly Scottish and English. Well, there is Scottish and English, but there is also Welsh and Italian and Dane and Scandinavian and French and German even a little Russian tucked in there!

So, the more I look and read, the more I want to know them. Who were these people, that got together to create the world I now know? In looking through the Hymas side, now that the names are more familiar, I really wanted to go back to the cemetery that I visited with my mom a couple years ago. The Liberty Cemetery in Bear Lake, Idaho. This is where a majority of the Hymas' are buried.

The more I thought about it going to Liberty Cemetery, the more graves I wanted to see. So, the other night it occurred to me that it would be a fun adventure to visit as many of the graves that I can! I have already seen many. For example ALL of the Webb's, directly back to Simon Webb, who was the first to come from England, are in the Richmond City Cemetery. I've been there more times than I can count! I remember when I was a child, playing on the Eli and Helena Ashment Webb tomb. I am sure that each Webb grandchild that has visited that site has done the same thing. I remember going the week before Memorial Day with Grandma Webb to scrub the head stones in the cemetery. I remember when Grandpa Willy was one of the only head stones in the west area of the Richmond Cemetery!

Anyway, this is the background that has lead me to want to visit as many as I can. Like I said in the Facebook post above, I can go back at least 4 generations from myself. That being my great-great grandparents. Most though, I can go 5 or more.

I'm excited to get to know these individuals that all came together to create the family that I now know. Hope you'll enjoy my adventures with me!