Roots Anchor Us

I want to avoid wherever possible the could haves and should haves of writing a family history blog. In fact I have come up on the chasm between data and knowledge. Once again. I do not want this page to sit awfully long without input so I am adjusting my method of keeping the story going. Those who have GPS may be familiar with the term: I am reconfiguring.

Mary Ann Garff is the next child of Peter and Antomina; she was born while the family lived in Riverton, on 28 Dec 1871. She married in February 1896 to Benjamin Franklin Fitzgerald, born 2 February 1859 in Draper. They were parents of six children, of whom five survived them. They are buried in the Draper City Cemetery, where also rests Roylance Fitzgerald, 1902-1923, the one child predeceasing them. Mary Ann lived until 1949, while Benjamin passed away in 1931.

Their remaining children: Mary Genevieve F. McMullin 1897-1995, McKinley Garff Fitzgerald 1898-1960, Antomina G. F. Perkins, 1900-1988, Joel Garff Fitzgerald 1905-1955, and Afton G. F. Randolph 1909-1999.  Mary Ann Garff Fitzgerald had thirteen grandchildren.

Hulda Garff was also born at Riverton, on 23 January 1873, growing to adulthood in the Draper. She would marry first Frederick Christian Mickelsen, a Danish immigrant who worked at fruit growing and lumbering both in Utah and Idaho. He died in 1928; in 1942 Hulda married Joshua E. Salisbury who was in the grocery business. Hulda lived until 20 Nov 1967 and is buried at Wasatch Memorial Park with Fred. Hulda had no surviving children.

Serendipitous Learning

I have used much time that I have had off work the past few months catching up on this and other similar projects (I try to stick to two or less, sometimes successfully).

I entered a search on FamilySearch Wiki, one of the LDS databases and found a short biography of Peter N Garff in Utah Pioneer Biographies, vol 34, page 62-63. The pages were stamped as the book was compiled so some are weak and others misplaced, but the biographies follow the alphabet fairly well within the volume.

A story I had not read before retells the event during Peter Garff's mission to Norway. Son Orson had attended a funeral in Preston, Idaho when he was approached by one Soren Jensen, who having heard his name asked his relationship to Peter, stating "I was a missionary companion to your father."

He then went on to tell how they were sent to visit a member family that lived in a valley some miles away and over a mountain range, "like going from Logan to Bear Lake". It began to snow and the trail became difficult to travel. The two missionaries became troubled and Elder Garff turned to his companion and asked how his faith was, which Elder Jensen admitted was very weak at that moment.

"He turned, then moved away from me some twenty steps and then in the name of the Almighty, rebuked the storm and commanded it to cease lest we perish. Immediately the storm was over." After several hours of plodding over the mountain they reached their destination, "completely give out." Mr Jensen, even those years later, still held the belief that if it had not been for Elder Garff's strong faith they would not have made it through.

The biographer notes that she later discovered in Peter Garff's Patriarchal Blessing was the promise of such faith as could control the elements. This biography was presented by Hazel Puehn in October 1951.