Grandma Rose is the only Wells ancestor whom I had the privilege of knowing personally. Since she was my husband's only living grandparent, she was an important part of their family.
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| Hannah |
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
Happy 144th Birthday, Gutzon Borglum (1867-1941)!
Gawain's first cousin twice-removed
Gutzon is the nephew of our Maren Borglum Hegsted; the son of Danish pioneers who left the Church after coming to America. He is famous for sculpting Mount Rushmore, and you can read more about his life here. 
We visited Mount Rushmore a couple years ago and were duly impressed (although fair warning, there is not a lake behind as shown in National Treasure). It is a ten hour drive east from our home in Utah, with a half-way stop at Martin's Cove to remember the handcart pioneers. If you go between Memorial Day and Labor Day, there is a neat sound and light ceremony honoring American veterans in the evening.
I would give Gutzon a Mt. Rushmore t-shirt to enjoy the impact his creation has had on our American landscape, both geographically and culturally.
I would give Gutzon a Mt. Rushmore t-shirt to enjoy the impact his creation has had on our American landscape, both geographically and culturally.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Happy 188th Birthday, Hannah Tupper Grover (1823-1893)!
Gawain's great-great-grandmother
Hannah Grover's mother, both grandmothers (as well as ancestor Hannah Eastman, Indian captive), daughter, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter were all named Hannah! She is one of our more mysterious women: why did she leave Thomas and marry Daniel Wells? Why was she so educated, but her sister Loduska was illiterate? Why, being so educated, did she not leave any writings to explain these things? Why did so many of her children die at birth--was it Rh factor or something we could explain today? The sadness in her face is poignant.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Happy 204th Birthday, Malena Sorensen (1807-1887)!
John Welch's great-grandmother
Malena was the fourth of ten children born to prosperous Lutheran farmers in Denmark. She went by several names: Magdalena, Malena, Lena, Lene, Lina are variants of her first name, and Olsen is her Danish patronymic maiden name, meaning “child of Ole,” although her last name is also given sometimes as Pedersen or Pedersdatter from her father’s last name Pedersen. Her biography can be found online here.
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| Malena & Nicolai |
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