31 July 2017

Congratulations to Matthew, Melissa, and Chantel for all the work  they have done to get this far in the purchase of our home in Lindon, Utah. Now the hard work begins for all of them for which we will be forever grateful in moving into a new home -- all set up and ready to go. We can't say enough how wonderful our children are. We are so blessed!!!  Signing occurred on Friday.

The week of July 17 - 21 was spent mostly involved in physical therapy.
Dan Brown worked with me three days a week.  We walked about 2 miles through Central Park, stairs, etc. each of these days.  He works the area around Lincoln Square.  On Wednesday, as we were walking, he pointed out Robert De Niro, the director and actor who lives on Central Park West near 72nd Street.  Later in the day he was seen in New York pedaling his daughter, Helen, on a bicycle.

We have talks about his family and occasionally about religion.  As he discharged me on Friday, I asked him what he knew about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  He had read a history that attributed John [Joseph] Smith to finding records in a cave, or some such story.  This gave me the opportunity to explain a bit about Joseph Smith and his translation of the golden plates that we now have as the Book of Mormon.

When asked if he would read a copy if I gave him one, he said, "I might." "But I would like a copy".  I had written in the book from promptings I had felt a couple of days before, and was more than happy to give Dan a copy.  I know that if he did not have a copy, there would not have been this book to read.  

As he left, he had me walk upstairs and downstairs, and had me walk without the cane from one end of the hall to the other.  He then told me to walk as much as possible without the cane, which I did. With one leg feeling longer than the other from the total hip surgery, there was a bit of a teeter, but from that point on, except early in the morning for a couple of days when first getting out of bed, I "lost the cane" and began walking on my own.

On Friday afternoon, Diane and I took the subway and bus to Laguardia Airport to attend my brother Lloyd's Celebration of  Life service.  We flew to Tampa, Florida where we were to meet brothers Doyle, coming from Las Vegas, and LeMoyne and Steve from Salt Lake.  After waiting in Tampa Airport for about five or six hours, the arrival board indicated that Doyle's flight had been cancelled in Denver, and we learned that Steve and LeMoyne had missed their connection in Atlanta.  Rather than getting a hotel at Tampa Airport Marriott, and already having a motel in Sarasota, even though it was after midnight, we took Uber from Tampa to Sarasota with Calvin, the driver.

Lloyd would have been 70 years old in October. He will be missed!

Since we got into Sarasota so late, Saturday was a low key day.  Diane, Lloyd's widow, her son Jeff, daughter Lori and their daughters Rowan and McKinley met us for breakfast and we later went to Diane's home in Sarasota where we spent most of the day.

Saturday evening extended family met at Mattison's Forty-One Restaurant in Sarasota for a meal.  We waited around for a couple of hours since brothers Doyle, Steve and LeMoyne were finally coming in on a flight after spending a couple of days trying to get to Sarasota.  Diane's family, her brothers and their spouses and her aunt and uncle were there and it turned out to be a very nice event.  Jeff also introduced us to his girlfriend Lisa who fit in as one of the family.

Celebration of Lloyd's Life Dinner Menu - 2

Celebration of Lloyd's Life Dinner Menu - 1

Nephew Jeff Adams-Sister Jan Coover

Bro-i-l Paul Coover & Sister Gloria Schneider

Auntie Marilyn and Sean Scully

Rowan Scully, Lori Adams Scully, Jan Coover

 On Sunday, July 23, we attended worship service at Bayside Community Church and spent the afternoon also at Bayside Community Church Youth Hall where Lloyds Celebration of Life service was held.  After remarks by Pastor Burnard, open mike time allowed Diane, Jeff, and Lori to share memories of their husband and father.  Each of us brothers and sisters also took a turn sharing some of our memories of Lloyd's life.  One of the favorite songs Lloyd remembered that we all sang together when growing up, "Two Little Boys" was also presented as part of the service.

On Monday, Most of the day was spent together sharing various memories and family stories with both tears and laughter.  That evening we gathered as extended family with the same people that attended Lloyd's Celebration of Life Dinner earlier.  We met at MacAlllisters Grill and Tavern.  This pub is the meeting place of the bicycle club where Jeff is president.  

Diane before we entered the pub

Background: Gloria Schneider, sister; Sean Scully, nephew-i-l; Jeff Adams; and his girlfriend, Lisa

Lori Scully, Doyle Adams, Diane D. Adams, Paul Coover, LeMoyne Adams

Tuesday we spent a lot of time together at the motel and later at Lloyd and Diane's home.  We reviewed some home video, Lloyd's Celebration of Life Service, and just "hung-out" together.  We got together for a few photos and, as a group, sang the familiar version of "Two Little Boys" and recorded it.  

Gloria, Jan and Paul went to Orlando on Monday evening as they flew back early the next morning: Jan and Paul to Washington State, Gloria to Salt Lake where she will attend Braydon and Eden Adams wedding (LeMoyne's son).  Diane and I flew back to New York City; Doyle went to St. George, Utah, and Steve and LeMoyne back to Salt Lake and then to their respective homes in Layton and East Garland.

Back in NYC, on Saturday we received a request from Aya Watanabe, lead Temple and Family History Consultant for Lincoln Square Young Single Adult Ward.  She had scheduled a demonstration of the Find, Take, Teach "Helping Others to Love Family History" for 5th Sunday combined meeting.  She indicated that Kellie, the member she had invited for her experience, had a very full family tree.  She just couldn't find who the focus person should be for Kellie's goal to find someone who needs temple ordinances.

We met, as she brought up Kellie's fan chart, I immediately noticed that Kellie was related to the Huntington family, just as Diane is.  With further checking, we clicked on a name in the fan chart and found that her brother's family all needed temple ordinances and they were within the time period where census records were available in New York-Vermont.

We also found that Aya's fan chart contained the same Huntington people.  So Diane, Aya, and Kellie are all cousins!  I introduced Aya to the new addition in the FamilySearch Tree App on our smartphones-"Relatives Around Me".  Immediately, all three of us listed the other two as relatives!  We knew the Huntington relationship, but I found that Aya and I are 4th cousins 1 generation removed.  Our common ancestor is William Henry Adams Sr., the immigrant ancestor who was the first presiding Elder in Dover, England in 1840.  

I come through his son, William Henry Adams Jr., and Aya comes through his sister, Alice.  She is related to the Whitley's.  I asked if these were the ones who lived in Burley, and she was blown away! She was going to use this in her presentation, or at least in Family Home Evening for the ward.

We completed training in Harlem on Sunday, as so few of the consultants make the effort to come to the training.  Line Berentsen, the TFHC-director lead will be able to follow up with both the Harlem 1st and Harlem YSA wards.

"Relatives Around Me" in FamilySearch-Tree App