| Notes |
- EXCERPTS FROM "VIRGINIA CONNECTIONS"
(Notes from her book sent to me by Judy B. Anderson)
Within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints it is believed that a family can become an eternal unit through the performance of religious ordinances done by the living for the dead. Those who are not familiar with the tenants of this faith sometimes become upset over these ordinances, thinking a religion is being foisted on their loved ones that they neither knew nor would be likely to embrace. But, just as man has the free agency to choose right and wrong here on this earth, it is believed that those who have passed on before have the right to accept or reject the work done in their behalf.
Because of this belief in the eternal family unit, Temples have been constructed in which this work in accomplished. It took 40 years to complete the Salt Lake Temple, and during this time these ordinances were done in a building known as the Endowment House.
There were several early Virginia relatives who joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Among them were William Elliott Higginbotham and his wife, Louisa Ward, daughter of William Ward and Nancy Thompson, an Aunt to George Peery Thompson. Nancy Thompson Ward was a daughter of William Thompson and his second wife, Lydia Graham.
Louisa and her husband lived in Nauvoo, Illinois for several years until persecutions drove the settlers from their homes. In the meantime, Louisa's parents died and they decided to return to Burke's Garden to claim their share of her parent's estate. They hoped for enough capital to join the rest of the Mormons in their trek west. After arriving home Louisa found there was nothing left of her parents estate, so they resettled in Virginia, where they remained until the death of William from typhoid. Louisa and the children determined to continue with plans and came west, settling in Weber County, Utah.
In 1871 Louisa and her son, Simon, did the sealing work in the Endowment House for their deceased ancestors, with Louisa acting as proxy for the females and Simon for the males. I checked microfilm # 1149520, page 56, showing the original entries for work done in the Endowment House on June 21, 1871. While dates are only given for the immediate parent, relationships for all individuals are shown. Louisa states she is a granddaughter of entry #2670, Lydia Graham Thompson, and a step granddaughter of entry #2669, Jane Buchanan Thompson. The relationship is close enough that Louisa should have been well aware of who her grandparents were.
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Abt 1799 - Aft 1840 (~ 42 years)
