LFA Newsletter Volume 46, Issue 1 (Spring 2019)

From LFAwiki

Message From our Board Chair

Eric Epperson

By Eric Epperson

One of my Mother, Leslie Livingston Epperson’s, most favorite songs was the 1967 classic by Jim Nabors, “Sunrise, Sunset.” The lyrics address how quickly time goes by and we all realize the reflection of our lives.

During a recent vacation, I have seen many beautiful sunrises and many beautiful sunsets. While witnessing these unique, majestic paintings of nature, I have thought to myself, every sunrise represents a new beginning, and a new opportunity, and every sunset brings reflection for our past days accomplishments. Our most cherished memories will always be of time spent with our beloved family and extended family. These family memories can never be erased and bring joy and happiness into our lives! We have a new opportunity upon us this June, to create more family memories at the Livingston Family Reunion in Riverton, Utah!

I am so excited for another family reunion in just a few weeks, (Friday, June 14 & Saturday, June 15), and look forward to the realization of much planning, time, and effort of the Livingston Board to ensure our families have a wonderful experience together! Please, come, and invite your children! We have a Friday, June 14 temple session planned at the Timpanogos Temple, and Saturday an abundance of activities planned at what is a wonderful venue, the Wardle Fields Regional Park in Riverton, Utah!

We look forward to our largest reunion turnout ever, and have activities for everyone, including a very large splash pad, zip lines, tower slides, pickle ball courts, FOOD, and much more!

I hope this newsletter finds you all healthy and well, and we look forward to seeing you all very soon!

Help Needed For Family File Names

Help is needed to complete temple ordinances for family file names. Please contact Jaynann for names. She would love your help and assistance. Our sweet family members are waiting for our help.

2019 Reunion

This year’s Livingston Family Reunion will be Friday, June 14th at the Mount Timpanogos Temple and Saturday, June 15th at Wardle Fields Regional Park.

When: Friday & Saturday, June 14-15 2019
Where: Mount Timpanogos Temple & Wardle Fields Regional Park 14148 S 2700 W Bluffdale, Utah
Directions to the Park: Take the Bangerter Highway exit, head west to 2700 West, then head south on 2700 West until you arrive at the park.

RSVP: livingston-amy@yahoo.com

We will be located in the North Pavilion....look for the Livingston banner.

Registration starts at 9:30am. There will be a short business meeting, family history presentations, games and lunch. Come ready to learn a bit of the highland fling and visit with cousins. After lunch we’ll have a pickleball tournament for those interested: come show off those Livingston tennis genes. The park remains open until 10:00pm; feel free to stay as long as you like enjoying the facilities, including the pavilion. In addition to pickleball courts there are basketball courts, a playground, and a splash pad.

For lunch, the main dish will be provided. If your last name begins with A-M please bring a side dish to share. If your last name begins with N-Z please bring a dessert to share.

On June 14th, please join family members at the Mount Timpanogos Temple for the 6:30 pm Endowment Session. If you would like a family name, please let us know. The Mount Timpanogos Temple is located at 742 N 900 East, American Fork.

Reunion Chairs
Amy Metler – 801 450.6351
Christine Worthington
RSVP: livingston-amy@yahoo.com
Call us with questions, suggestions, or to volunteer.

Financial Report

Mickie Lewis

By Mickie Lewis

I want to thank all of you wonderful Livingston clan members for your generous donations that keep this organization functioning! We will be collecting donations once again at our upcoming reunion, or you can mail them to Livingston Family Association at 7731 Jefferson Rd, Magna, UT 84044. I also want to thank Dwight Epperson, who is helping to keep our tax-free status up to date.

Family History Update

Jaynann Lillywhite

By Jaynann Lillywhite

Have you seen the fun activities Family Search has recently added to their app? If you have the Family Tree App on your phone sign in and click on “more”. From that list click on “Family History Activities.” Three fun activities pop up but by going to any one of these activities and then clicking on the four little squares more activities pop up. The first of the three activities is “All About Me.” It will tell you what is unique about your birth year and about your name. Do you know who won the world series the year you were born? Or how many people shared your surname? The second activity “Compare-a-Face” tells you which of your ancestors you look most like. Do you look more like your mom’s side of the family or your dad’s? Third is “Picture My Heritage” which tells you where your ancestors came from and also lets you put your face into an old time picture. Some of the other activities that you can find after clicking on the 4 little squares tell you if some of your ancestors where part of the first Relief Society, where your ancestors served missions, and what occupations your ancestors had.

These activities help you to discover your ancestors which will hopefully turn your hearts to them. Their hearts are definitely turned to you hoping you will provide the saving ordinances that must be done on the earth in the holy temples. What is so amazing is that while we think we are saving them, they are actually saving us. Temple and family history work is a sanctifying work. The Lord has provided so many blessings for us if we join in this work. Nobody has to do it all but it would be great if everyone did something. To watch the video and learn of all the awesome blessings of doing temple and family history work google “The Promised Blessings of Family History.”

So what kind of family history work can you contribute? Do you know stories about your parents, grandparents or other ancestors that need to be written down or will be lost? Other family members can help put them into Family Search memories if needed. But please write down your memories and stories!

Do you have photos in an old shoe box or album? Please find someone to help you scan them into Family Search memories. Get them tagged to the correct people. It is so fun when relatives share their photos! An alternative to using a scanner is to use a camera on a phone. They can go directly into FS memories if you also use the Family Search app. There are people that can help you. Don’t put this off!

Last but not least, have you discovered “Ordinances Ready.” This feature on Family Search, within the Temple tab, will find names for you! Pick the ordinance and the computer does the work. The names it will offer will be related to you. Either print the cards at home or let the temple print them. You can always have a family name now.

Jaynann Update

By Jaynann Lillywhite

Jaynann and Loyd Lillywhite with all their grandchildren. June 2018

What a pleasure it has been to team up with so many of you in getting the ordinances done for our Livingston line! Over the last few years we have performed thousands of ordinances for relatives of Granny Christina and her husband James Livingston. More recently we have done ordinances for Archibald Livingston’s (1808) first wife, Helen Muir Connor’s relatives. As a descendant from his second wife, Jean Bain, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Helen’s relatives were also mine! How so? Helen Muir Connor’s grandmother, Helen Muir, was a sister to her husband, Archibald’s, grandmother Grissel Muir. That makes Archibald and Helen second cousins. And Jean Bain’s children were not only half siblings to Helen’s children but third cousins! So a big thanks to all those who have labored long and hard in the temples for these ancestors. My research would not be worth much without your labor of love.

Last June my family gathered (on the beach) just two weeks before sending off our youngest son to serve a mission. And now my husband and I are anxiously awaiting a mission call! We hope to serve a temple mission in a Latin American country before summer officially gets here. I think I will have enough time even on my mission to continue researching the Livingston cousins on the Muir lines. I love researching in Scotland. I think Scotland has the best records of any country I’ve researched in. But they aren’t free. (They must be Scotch.) But they are worth every penny or rather dollar, since they ensure such a high level of accuracy. I will be happy to furnish names to take to the temple as long as there are cousins who will continue to get the temple work done. But I need someone in the family to take over the task of distributing the cards through email and the associated bookwork of marking off the completed work. And that’s not hard any more because Family Search now reports on each ordinance that has been completed. It sends a message to the one who’s name is on the card. So if there’s a cousin who has a deep love for the temple and feels comfortable with the computer and who would like to organize this important service for our ancestors, please contact the board.

PS: if any of you get into tinkering with those lines please do not get Helen’s Murray/Murrie line confused with the Muir line. They are definitely different surnames. I had some straightening out to do and I hope it doesn’t get mixed up again:)

William Sears Livingston

Evie Brewerton

By Evie Brewerton

William Sears Livingston was born on January 17th, 1919 to William Rasmus Livingston and Afton Sears Livingston. He was the eldest of five children, 4 boys and 1 girl. Dad was the consummate big brother, especially after his father died at age 48, leaving his young family, as they were still dealing with the effects of the depression. Will, as he was known then, stepped up and worked hard, not only contributing to the support of his mother and siblings, but also putting himself through law school. He was the youngest person t0 pass the bar at that time.

William Sears Livingston

Bill as he was called later, entered the war as a navigator on a B-17, and flew 57 missions over Germany landing in Russia, refueling and returning to Italy. Dad was so proud of that accomplishment as the average number of missions a crew would survive was about 25. While he was at war, he sent home to his mother a touching message, in which he was worried he could not send her a gift for Mother’s Day, but that his gift to her was that he had never done anything of which she needed to be ashamed.

It was during an R&R in Miami, that he met and married Marie Bethart, bringing her to Salt Lake, as he began his career in the county attorney’s office. There were three children born: Eva Marie Bethart Livingston (me), William Luis Bethart Livingston, and Roger Alan Bethart Livingston.

After their divorce, Dad met and married Ada Alder, and six children were born: Wade Scot Livingston, Cynthia Livingston, Ward Shane Livingston, Bryan Alder Livingston, Claudia Livingston, David Alder Livingston. Robin, Ada’s son, made the total ten.

Dad went to work for a small oil company in the Vernal area, that eventually was bought by Exxon Oil, and went on to become the head lawyer for Exxon. He remained with Exxon for the rest of his career and become a respected expert on mineral and gas rights, even penning legislation for the government.

Dad would have turned 100 this year, and his life was very much guided by the principles of hard work and education. He encouraged us all to study and work hard. So many of his stories reflected his coming of age during the depression and his service in the Army Air Corp. He talked of sidestepping up the mountain to go skiing, of roasting a single marshmallow 5 times before he ate it, and of the five loaves of bread his mother would bake each week. He was proud of his Scottish ancestry and his pioneer grit, and although he was financially comfortable later in life, he would still drive 10 miles to save money on toothpaste.

Dad loved his family, he loved the Lord, and he loved convertibles! Considering it a luxury, he loved to take us to eat out. He loved to buy us unique gifts that he spent hours pouring over catalogues, looking for. And he loved learning. During his time in Tulsa, he undertook an independent study project to compare the Navajo and Hebrew languages- for fun! Bill was an accomplished, faithful man and I am grateful I get to call him Dad. Happy 100th, Dad.

Board Member Information

Photo	Name, Phone	Assignment	Line	Term Expires
	Eric Epperson, 801-599-4327	Chairman	William Line	2021
	Dennis Davis, xxx-xxx-xxxx	Co-chair	James Line	2020
	Evie Brewerton, 801-580-7939	Secretary	William Line	2019
	Mickie Lewis, 801-250-9323	Treasurer	James Line	2021
	Jaynann Lillywhite, 505-632-2514	Family History Research	Isabella Line	2020
	Amy Metler, 801-450-6351	Reunion Chair	William Line	2019
	Christine Worthington, xxx-xxxx-xxxx	Reunion Co-chair	James Line	2021
	Karolyn Hall, 719-661-4014	Newsletter	James Line	2020
	Mike Livingston, 801-850-3616	Newsletter	James Line	2019

The PDF version of this newsletter can be viewed and downloaded by clicking Spring Newsletter (505 KB).