Walter Smith and the Bonham Family

This is some information sent to us from Donnette Smith
Gordon

Thought you might like to read this and save it with your family histories.
Donnette

Walter Smith and the Bonham Family
by Donnette Stringham Smith 2011

Thomas Smith had been born 4 Sept. 1837 in Bicester, Oxfordshire,
England, the oldest son of James and Ann Smith of Wretchwick Farm.

Thomas Smith married Matilda Heritage on 12 Apr 1864. They had six
children, Edith Annie, Emily Matilda, Herbert James, Beatrice Ellen,
Minnie and Florence Mary. In May of 1872, when Florence was only seven
months old, Matilda became very sick and died.

Thomas had a large group of family members to help with the six
children. Matilda’s older sister, Mary Ann Heritage Smith (wife of
George Smith who was no relation to our Smiths) had cared for Matilda
and her children through her last illness and promised to take the baby,
Florence, and raise her as her own. Mary Ann and George Smith moved to
Sheffield, Yorkshire and were good parents to little Florence. Two of
Thomas and Matilda’s girls, Edith Annie and Beatrice Ellen, were raised
at Wretchwick Farm by Thomas’s parents.

In 1874 Thomas Smith married Mary Ann Heritage Smith’s oldest daughter,
Mary Ellen Smith (often called Nellie). Thomas and Mary Ellen moved to
Pennsylvania to try to get better employment. They took three of
Thomas’s children, Emily, Herbert James and Minnie, to America with them.

In Pennsylvania, Mary Ellen had three children, Nellie, Lillie and
Walter. Mary Ellen died after Walter was born in 1877. There ws no close
family around to help with the children.

Mary Bonham Scott born in Pennsylvania in 1832, wife of James J. Sco tt,
a plasterer, seems to have cared for Thomas Smith’s children after the
death of his second wife, Mary Ellen.. When Thomas married Mary Bonham
Scott’s younger sister, Margaret Bonham in 1879, Mary didn’t want to
give up the baby, Walter, and was given permission to adopt and raise him.

In about 1884, Margaret and Thomas moved to Utah with his other
children. Somehow Margaret and Thomas lost touch with Margaret’s sister,
Mary Bonham Scott, and with Walter and didn’t know what happened to
Walter. Beatrice Annie Harrison Edwards (daughter of the Florence Mary
Smith who was raised by her aunt in Sheffield, Yorkshire) said that
Thomas Smith didn’t ever let them know about his children. Years later
someone in the family thought Walter might have moved to Texas.

Recently I became interested in Walter and Mary Bonham Scott and decided
to try to find what happened to them. The Bonham family were found in
many US Censuses which were taken every ten years and which have been
transcribed and indexed by Ancestry.com.

In 1850 Mary Bonham is shown as 17 years old living with her parents,
Matilda and Llewellyn Bonham in Ohio, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania -
just a few miles north of Pittsburgh on the Ohio River.. Mary was
probably married in 1859 and was not living with her parents in the 1860
census. The census in 1860 shows that her father had died and her little
seven year old sister, Margaret was at home.

The 1870 census shows Mary in Sewickley, Allegheny County married to
James J Scott, age 38, a plasterer and they had a nine year old
daughter, Anna M. Scott..

Ten years later, in 1880 in Leet Township, Allegheny County, Pa., J.J.
Scott, and his wife, Mary had two children at home. Anna M Scott who was
now 18, (all of them born in Pennsylvania and their parents all born in
Pennsylvania,) and Walter K. Scott, their two year old adopted son (who
was born in Pennsylvania, but whose parents were both born in England).
Just a short distance away, Thomas Smith and his third wife, Margaret
Bonham Smith, were living with three of Thomas’s children by his first
wife, Matilda Heritage, Emily age 14, Herbert age 12, and Minnie age 10,
and the two girls by his second wife, Mary Ellen Smith, Nellie age 5 and
Lillie age 4. Thomas Smith and his family soon moved to Utah so he could
work for the railroad.

The 1890 census was all destroyed by fire.

In the 1900 census Mary Bonham Scott was living in Sewickley with her
daughter, Margaret A. Scott McDonald, and Margaret’s family, (husband
John A McDonald, son Roydon Hunter and daughter Ethel M. Hunter). Walter
was living in the same house and was now going by the name of Walter Smith.

It is interesting that in 1870 and 1880 Mary has only one daughter
living with her, Anna M. But from 1900 to 1920 Mary was living with her
daughter, Margaret A. In 1900 Mary says she has had two children and
both are living. I thought for a while that Mary had two daughters, Anna
M and Margaret A. Now I wonder if she meant she had one daughter, Anna
Margaret and one son, Walter.

By 1910 Margaret A. Scott McDonald’s husband had died and her mother,
Mary Bonham Scott, was still living with her.

By 1920 Mary Bonham Scott and her daughter, Margaret Scott McDonald, are
living with Margaret’s daughter, Ethel Hunter Hotby, who during that
last ten years had married, had three children and had been widowed.

In 1910 Walter had been living nearby as a hired hand helping a farmer.
In 1920 Walter was living alone in Clearfield, Butler County,
Pennsylvania and working as a station agent for the railroad. .

During WWI the men had to register for the war. On Sept 12, 1918 Walter
registered as Walter Kennedy Smith with a birthdate of 15 Nov. 1877. He
was short in height, medium build, grey eyes and light colored hair. His
nearest relative was listed as Mrs. Mary Scott. This is the first time
we have known what Walter’s middle name was, and the earliest complete
birthdate given.

The 1930 Census, which is the last one open to the public, shows fifty
one year old Walter, still single and not married, owning a home and a
radio in Clearfield, Pennsylvania. He was still an agent for a railroad.
Living with him was his “sister”, seventy year old Margaret A. McDonald.
His adopted mother, Mary Bonham Scott, must have died. It is interesting
to note that the census says that Walter’s father was born in
Pennsylvania and his mother in England. I suspect Margaret was the one
who gave the information to the census taker and she didn’t realize that
Walter’s father, Thomas Smith, was also born in England.

Walter registered for the draft in 1942. He was six feet tall, 188
pounds, ruddy complextion, black hair and brown eyes. Walter was working
for the B & O Railroad as a telephone operator.
The person who will always know his address is Mrs. O.E. Johnston of
Rochester, PA who happenes to be Ethel Hunter Hotby Johnston, daughter
of Margaret Scott McDonald and granddaughter of Mary Bonham Scott.

The following entry was found in the Social Security Death Index which I
think must be our Walter’s entry. He had given his birthdate as Nov 1877
in the 1900 census, and the 15 Nov 1877 date jibes with the WWI and WWII
Registration forms, and he did work for a railroad..

From: Ancestry.com
Social Security Death Index - Is this our Walter? Probably
Walter SMITH
SSN: 705-10-1467
Last Residence: Pennsylvania
Born: 15 Nov 1877
Died: May 1964
State (year) SSN: Railroad Board (issued Through) (Before 1951)

So, it seems that Walter worked for the railroad, never married. but did
stay fairly close to his adopted family. He died at age 87 within a few
miles of where he was born and spent his whole life.

_____________
Sources:

1850 Census Ohio, Allegheny, Penn.
Roll: M432_744; page 390B; Image 785;FHL film 552,822
Luellen Bonham 48 m farmer -value of estate owned 900
Matilda Bonham 37 f
Caroline Bonham 18 f
Mary Bonham 17 f
Rachel Bonham 15 f
Anne Bonham 14 f
James W Bonham 12 m
Samuel Bonham 10 m
Madison Bonham 8 m
Elizabeth Bonham 4 f
Leah Bonham 2 f
[Mary was Walter Smith’s adopted mother.]

1860 Census Ohio, Alleghany, Penn.
Roll M653_1065; Page 519; FHL film 805,065
Matilda Bonham 47 f born in PA
Madison Bonham 18 m PA
Elizabeth Bonham 14 f PA
Leah Bonham 13 f PA
Cordelia Bonham 9 f PA
Margaret Bonham 7 f PA
Luellen Bonham 4 m PA [Llewellyn Bonham]
[Margaret married Thomas Smith]

1870 CENSUS -; Census Place: Sewickley, Allegheny, Pennsylvania;
Roll: M593_1299; Page: 387; Image: 293.
Scott, James J 38 Male White Plasterer born in Penna
Scott, Mary 34 F W keeps house Penna
Scott, Anna M 9 F W Penn.

1880 CENSUS for Alleghany, Leet Township, Penn. house 109 family 113
Scott, J.J. 48 m w plasterer M Pa Pa Pa
[born in PA, father and mother born in PA]
Scott, Mary 47 f w keeping house wife M Pa Pa Pa
Scott, Anna M. 18 f w at home daughter s Pa Pa Pa
Scott, Walker K. 2 m w adopted son s Pa Eng Eng
[Born in PA,, father and mother born in England]
[Mary Scott is sister to Margaret Bonham who married Thomas Smith. The
Scotts
took Walter Smith when his mother died and raised him.]

1900 CENSUS Alleghany Co. Penn., Sewickley, Borough 2nd Ward
T623-1371 Vol 26, E.D. 489, sheet 7, lines 68-73
[2 families in 1 house ] Beaver Street, Dwelling #133, family #139 & #140
68 Walter Smith head white Male birthdate Nov 1877 age 22 single Penn.
England England
clerk in steel works
69 John A. McDonald head w m birthdate Oct 1872 27 m Penn Penn Indiana
musician
70 Margaret McDonald wife w f birthdate Mar 1863 37 m Penn Penn Penn
married 3 years - mother of 2 children, 2 living
71 Rowdom? S. Hunter son in law w m birthdate Mar 1886 14 s Penn Penn Penn
[Roydon - step son to head of house]
72 Ethel M Hunter dau in law w f birthdate Nov 1887 12 s Penn Penn Penn
[step daughter]
73 Mary Scott mother in law w f birthdate Mar 1832 67 wid Penn Penn Penn
mother of 2 children 2 living
[Walter was known as Walter Scott in the 1880 Census but as Walter Smith
in all later records.]

[It is interesting that in 1870 and 1880 Mary has only one daughter
living with her, Anna M. But from 1900 to 1920 Mary was living with her
daughter, Margaret A. In 1900 Mary says she has had two children and
both are living. I thought for a while that Mary had two daughters, Anna
M and Margaret A. Now I wonder if she meant she had one daughter, Anna
Margaret and one son, Walter.]

1910 Census Moon, Alleghany, Pennsylvania
Roll T624_1296; page 4a; enumeration district 1065; Image 184
FHL film 1375309
Margaret A Mcdonald 49 head f w widow
married 13 years - 3 children and 3 alive Pa Pa Pa
Royden S.H. Mcdonald 8 son m single Pa Pa Pa [Alan?]
Royden S Hunter 24 son m s Pa Pa Pa
Ethel M Hunter 22 dau f s Pa Pa Pa
Mary Scott 77 mother f wid married 51 yrs (no children noted)
Pa Pa Pa
[I think this means Mary Scott was married 51 years ago in 1859 - but I
haven't found her in the 1860 census. This also means Margaret A
McDonald had been married 13 years before to John McDonald.]

1920 Census Rochester, Beaver, Pennsylvania 14 Jan 1920
Roll T625_1532; pg 12b; Enumeration Dist 64; image 815
Holby, Ethel head rent female white 32 widow Pa, Pa, Pa (Hotby in 1930)
boarding house - private home
Holby, Charles son M W 8 single PA, PA, PA (Hotby in 1930)
Holby, Margaret dau F W 6 single PA, PA, PA (Hotby in 1930)
Holby, Emmett son M W 4 -3/12 single PA, PA, PA (Hotby in 1930)
McDonald, Margaret mother F W 59 widow PA, Virginia, PA
McDonald, Alan half brother 18 single PA, PA, PA laborer in steel mill
Scott, Mary grandmother F W 87 widow PA Ohio Ohio

1910 Census, Oakland, Butler, PA - 27 Apr 1910
Roll T624-1322; pg 4b; enumeration district 0099; Image 181; FLS 1375335
William O Vandivoer 55 head farmer
Joseph R 16 son
Walter K Smith 32 hired man; single,
born in PA - father born in Eng, and mother born in Eng
[Oakland, Butler, PA is 20 -30 miles north of Pittsburg.]

WW I registration card. for 12 Sept 1918.
Name: Walter Kennedy Smith
Birthdate: 15 Nov 1877
His nearest relative: Mrs. Mary Scott. of Vanport, Beaver, PA
Height: Short; Build: Medium; Eyes grey, Color of Hair: light
(There are a couple of lines I need to look at again. I think one says
that he worked at that time as a telephone rutstor? for some Independent
Telephone Co. in Fenelton, Butler, PA)
[It is interesting that Walter seems to have a middle name starting with
K in the 1880, 1910 and the 1930 census and this record finally gives us
that name.]


1920 Census Clearfield, Butler, PA [living alone]
[ 25 to 30 mi NNE of Pitsburgh by Oakland, PA]
Roll T625_1544; pg 8b; Enumeration Dist. 36; Image 363
Walter Smith self 42 single renting station agent for rail road - on wages
born PA - Father born Eng. -Mother born Eng.


1930 Census Clearfield, Butler, PA - April 9, 1930
Roll 209 pg 4a; Enuneration district 25; image 7720
Smith Walter K Head owns home, has a radio, doesn't live on a farm, male
white 51 single, didn't attend school last year, reads & writes PA PA Eng
Agent for Railroad
McDonald, Margaret A. sister Female white 70 Widow (age at 1st marriage
23) PA, PA PA
[ Margaret probably gave the information as to Walter’s father being
born in PA and not Eng.]





Source Citation: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA);
Washington, D.C.; State Headquarters: Pennsylvania; Microfilm Series:
M1951; Microfilm Roll: 296.
Ancestry.com
Source Citation: Year: 1930; Census Place: Rochester, Beaver,
Pennsylvania; Roll: 1997; Page: 11B; Enumeration District: 90; Image: 809.0.
Ollie E. Johnston head m w 38 mar (mar at age 30 for 1st time) Rent PA
PA PA
blower of glass
Ethel M Johnston wife f w 42 Married (mar at age 23 for 1st time) PA PA PA
Charles A. Hotby step son m w 18 single yes yes PA PA PA
Margaret R. Hotby step dau f w 16 s yes yes PA PA PA
Harry E. Hotby step son m w 14 s yes yes PA PA PA

Ancestry.com.
U.S. World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 [database on-line].
Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Original data:
United States, Selective Service System. Selective Service Registration
Cards, World War II: Fourth Registration. National Archives and Records
Administration Branch locations: National Archives and Records
Administration Region Branches.
Serial number U 470
Apr 27, 1942
Walter Kennedy Smith,
Fenelton, PA, Clearfield Twp., Butler, PA
Mailling Address - same
Telephone: none,
Age in years 64,
Place of birth: Allegheny PA
Date of birth: Nov 15, 1877
White, Height 6, 188 lb, Ruddy complexton, hair black, eyes brown
Name & Address of Person who will always know your address
Mrs. O.E. Johnston, 399 Penna. Ave, Rochester, PA
Employer’s name & address
B & O R.R., Fenelton, PA (telephone operator)

From Ancestry.com
Social Security Death Index -
From: Ancestry.com
[Is this our Walter? Probably]
Name: Walter SMITH
SSN: 705-10-1467
Last Residence: Pennsylvania
Born: 15 Nov 1877
Died: May 1964
State (year) SSN: Railroad Board (issued Through) (Before 1951)

I told Stuart about finding the WWII registration. He sent this:

For a second I thought it was interesting that he tried to enlist at age
64. But after reading about that database on a.com, I see that all men
ages 18-65 were required to register. Here's the info:

About U.S. World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942
The U.S. officially entered World War II on 8 December 1941 following an
attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Just about a year before that, in
October 1940, President Roosevelt had signed into law the first
peacetime selective service draft in U.S. history, due to rising world
conflicts. After the U.S. entered WWII a new selective service act
required that all men between ages 18 and 65 register for the draft.
Between November 1940 and October 1946, over 10 million American men
were registered. This database is an indexed collection of the draft
cards from the Fourth Registration, the only registration currently
available to the public (the other registrations are not available due
to privacy laws). The Fourth Registration, often referred to as the "old
man's registration", was conducted on 27 April 1942 and registered men
who born on or between 28 April 1877 and 16 February 1897 - men who were
between 45 and 64 years old - and who were not already in the military.
Information available on the draft cards includes:
Name of registrant
Age
Birth date
Birthplace
Residence
Employer information
Name and address of person who would always know the registrant's
whereabouts
Physical description of registrant (race, height, weight, eye and hair
colors, complexion)

Uncle Bob Pitts

He has his cholesterol checked several times a year and has had since his triple bypass about 13 years ago. It has never been high probably due to good eating habits and Lipitor.
But he has really dreaded and put off this surgery. I cant say that I blame him, especially since the last surgery was so brutal. But I am sure he would love to see you and he is supposed to spend a minimum of two days at Utah Valley. But we all understand. How busy you are, so my dad does understand if you cant visit. He was upset at me for telling u about his surgery, as he didnt want to worry or upset you. He loves you dearly....we all do! 
Thank you for responding to my letter...I am replying on my cell phone. The screen is very tiny and has my eyes seeing very blurry screen. i appogize in advance for typos...lol
I just cant see, so I will end for now. My cell # is. 435) 820-0949 and dads is (435)820-0873.
We love you, sweetie!


Kim Pitts

Michael's Grad Party

Michael Trauntvein's GRAD PARTAYYY!!! Tomorrow, April 19 at 2:00pmLocation: My Place Michael Trauntvein6:46pm Apr 18th Subject: Oops. Sorry, everyone. I hit the "create message" button before changing the date on the calendar. the date of the party is May 28th. Thanks!

Not Forwarded

Kirsten wrote: You saw that Auntie Eva already forwarded the article that you sent from her to all of us?  Just FYI

Kirsten

Myrna wrote: NOPE! I didn't pay any attention. :)


Kirsten wrote: Everything she sends, she copies all of us on.

Kirsten

Myrna wrote: Hehehe! And I shouldn't send forwarded email to the Trauntvein siblings (Helen, Eva, Don) and their children because? 

However, she doesn't. Shawn, Melanie, Eric, AnnMarie and David are not included. Actually, just you and Todd receive the email forwards.

Kirsten wrote: Hmmmm.  Now that's interesting.


Melanie wrote: I actually didn't receive it from Aunt Eva.

Melanie

Easter

Myrna wrote: You might want to open your packages before you color eggs. There is a package of egg coloring dye inside. It is not extraordinary--just regular stuff but we thought it was fun. We will pretend we are coloring eggs with you. We haven't decided, Gramps and i, if we should go ahead and color a few just for the fun of it or not.


Melanie wrote: Your package came on a day when it was most needed: Mikaela was home sick with a fever, sore throat and sinus infection. She was so happy to open it. Thank you!

Melanie



Myrna wrote: I am glad that Mikaela enjoyed the package. I hope she is well by now. It is easy to be grandparents--all you have to do is send love. If the packages were empty, the kids would be happy. As for you all, you just know that it is great to have kids that grow up to be your friends and marry people that can be your friends. We are glad you enjoyed the package. WE LOVE YOU!!!!!

Kirsten wrote: We colored eggs last night!  Thanks for the package!  The kids loved it!  You are the best parents in the world!!!! :)

Love, 
Kirsten


Myrna wrote: Well it is easy to be grandparents--all you have to do is send love. If the packages were empty, the kids would be happy. As for you all, you just know that it is great to have kids that grow up to be your friends and marry people that can be your friends. We are glad you enjoyed the package. WE LOVE YOU!!!!!

What Can We Do? We love you!

We want to help with your crisis. We just don't know what to do. Do you need us to come there and help?  

Erin, hang in there. You are a lovely girl and we love you dearly. I miss talking to you on the phone. I would like you to call me and talk to me. I am sorry that sometimes I am not home when you call but I always try to call you back. So does Gramps. We like hearing about all that is happening in your life. Remember that we all love you. Sometimes it is hard to be the oldest and to try to help when you don't quite know how.

Donovin, we hope that you are doing OK. It is hard to have a mother who is sick but, if she gets the help she needs, she will be fine again. She is getting that help and the doctors are working to help her get well. 

Caydin, let your family help you. It is wonderful that you have a sister, a brother and a father who can take care of you.

David, you know that we will always love you. I think that Bree would need you to take the same training that she is getting. That really helped Amy and Eric.

We will try to figure out a way for you all to come here and visit. Texas, after all, is not THAT far away. I know it is hard to watch your vacation eaten up with illness but, when Bree starts to be better, like Eric is now, it will be worth your work.

All of you, including you, David, remember that mom/Bree will be well and everything will be fine.

We are back in Nephi

We came home to 10 phone messages and 801 pieces of email on the msn site. 

We had lots of fun with AnnMarie, Brandon and kids at Disneyland. 

Sorry Todd, but AnnMarie and I thought it was really, really cold at night. I should have worn my winter woolies. 

Thank you AnnMarie and Brandon for paying the way for the two old people who tagged along. It was a lot of fun. Rupenzel was very happy to see the picture Rachel had painted for her and put it on the mantel. I think it is great that the famous princesses of Disney take time for their fans and make them feel special. 

I wish the rest of the world would realize how important children are. What an awful place this world would be if we were all born adults.

How many of you have your Easter packages?

Emily Jessie wrote: I DO! THANKS!:)

Myrna wrote: Thank you, Sweetheart! I love you!

Emily Jessie wrote: love you too!

Amy G. wrote: We got ours. Thank you! 

Sorry it was cold in the evenings for you guys.  Two of the three night we were there, we didn't even put our jackets on it was so warm.  We must have hit a "great weather" week!  Beach was nice too, not warm enough for swimming, but definitely nice to spend a couple hours and get our legs wet.  Hope you all had a great time.  I love Disney.  I get to be a kid all over again.  :)

Amy

Myrna wrote: I like Disneyland. That is because all is within walking distance. Guess what my favorite ride is? Yep, the one from my early adulthood--Small World. I remember my Uncle Frank Pritchett taking us, Grandmother and me, to see the place under construction. He was involved as one of those early contributors. I was 18 before it opened. 

Amy wrote: I like Disneyland for that same reason!  Ah, Small World!  Love it!  Kids were so embarrassed by me because I sang loud and clear right along with all the dolls, the whole ride, lol!  I think the other people in the boat were annoyed too, but I really didn't care.   That ride is the best, besides (my #1 fave) Haunted Mansion, of course.   Very cool you got to see the place when it was being constructed.  Awesome memory for you!

Todd wrote: We got ours. Welcome back. Sorry it chilled for you. We were fine. 

Kimberly wrote: We do.

Erin wrote: We have ours grandma. Wow thats a lot of msg(s) on both. love erin.

Myrna wrote: Thanks for letting me know that you got your package. I love you!!!!!!!

Myrna wrote: I remember taking our kids to Disneyland when they were small. I think it was back in 1976 during Spring Break. It was really inexpensive back then. We camped in a great place where the kids could pick oranges for breakfast. Later, when Disneyland became landlocked, Walt's vision for the place had to be moved to a larger location and that was Disney World. One of the things I do like in Disney World  is the way you can walk from country to country and have food from each of the countries in the one area.

The Diamonds in two performances 47 years apart‏

Saundra wrote: S'wonderful!   Be sure and watch both videos.  The lead singer sounds just as good now as he did back then and he is better looking.  You can also watch the performance on PBS from time to time in a program called "Magic Moments!"  It's wonderful with a lot of great songs from the 50's.  They also do a series called "Do Woop"  (I think) where they feature more of our music.

The lead singer also sang with the "Four Preps" (26 Miles, A Big Man etc.) and my have been their lead singer.

Enjoy!

If you were alive in 1957, and old enough to enjoy Rock and Roll, you will probably remember the group, "The Diamonds" who had just launched their super hit "Little Darlin' ".  This should bring back a few memories.   Ahhh yes, the good old days.  I remember it well.  Nice to see some things getting better with age!

In 1957, The Diamonds had a hit with "Little Darlin".  47 years later, they were requested to perform at Atlantic City ...  This link leads to both performances.

Watch the first one then scroll down for the new one 47 years later.

Be sure to scroll to second performance.

http://www.flixxy.com/the-diamonds-little-darlin-1957-2004..htm


Myrna wrote: Thank you so very much! What fun. Do you remember dancing to this music? I do. That was before my hip hurt. Ah, youth!

Another Week in the life of Elder B

I cannot believe how fast the weeks seem to fly by! I am absolutely amazed. I am approaching my 11 month mark (like 2 weeks away) and it seems like it was yesterday I went into the MTC! Where have the past 11 months gone? Truly interesting how time seems to fly by when one is truly focused on the eternal scheme of life and progress. There's my profound thought for the day, I'm done.

I have been so tired lately. I realized that it has a LOT to do with the amount of water I drink. The heat here is getting WORSE. I don't know how that it possible, nor why it happens, but it does. Semana Santa, the Holy Week, is coming, and supposedly that is the hottest week here in Nicaragua. We'll see how I handle it all.

Okay, now to get going...

Funny Experience:

SO this week my companion and I were walking to visit one of the families that we are teaching. We were walking to their house rather quickly to inform them that we would be arriving a little bit later that night with a member to talk to them and help teach them. We were on the road walking when we saw a bucket full of tar with rocks and stuff all over it. I thought nothing of it, as we see trash all over the place in the city, and so we kept walking. Soon enough, we walk up to a drunk man, also a very common occurrence here, but this one was different. This man looked crazed, there was something really wrong about his whole person. He got close to me, touched my shirt and name tag and told me that i had to give him 20 cordobas, i.e. 1 dollar. I told him no, and hit his hand off of me (mind you, he looked like Satan incarnate). He pestered my companion, so we decided to keep walking. We took about 5 steps and the man started to STONE my companion! I was absolutely amazed. He literally threw rocks at us and hit my companion. Well, our investigators came outside and started yelling, throwing rocks and sticks and saying mean things to this Satan man in Miskitu. He fled and we remained completely surprised.

We also witnessed the biggest guilt trip from the Aunt of one of our investigators when we asked her if he could get baptized. She went off on how he knew who he was, when and where he was baptized, but that he could make his own decision. Then, we went to go take him to church and he had "left with the pastor" of the Evangelical church. Apparently the Aunt didn't notice anything, she was too busy working inside the house that she didn't notice that anybody had come or gone. Lie #1. She then said that she didn't know why the pastor had come by to visit her nephew (question: how did she know that the pastor came to visit her nephew if she never saw either one?) and that maybe it was because he hadn't been to church in a while. Lie #2. She drove me nuts. So, actually being polite, I said thanks and left with my companion.

Quote of the Week:

"I told you that I was teaching a family in your area and that they were going to get baptized." Favorite line of the week.

"Do any of you have questions about the Priesthood?" -My companion asking a question to Melchizedek Priesthood holders. Silence. Then the response: "What's the Priesthood?" Classic.

Lesson Learned:

This week was full of lessons. Mainly I learned the following: never trust a missionary. They will do anything to baptize, they will do anything to be right, and they will not hesitate to be brutal about pretending to be honest. My companion and I have had some funny experiences with the missionaries in our zone this week. I find them funny and slightly frustrating at the same time, but this is a time of growth and learning, so I'll enjoy it while it lasts.

I also learned that the reasons why I have dreams that I am at home. #1: I am afraid, deep down inside, of going home and being out of the expereinces here in the mission and having to deal with my own personal problems instead of the problems of others. #2: It's so that I can secretly escape my mission and do things i used to do like read books, watch movies with my family, go to church in a well-established area, being protected by the law, you name it. So keep comin dreams!

I love this place, the culture, the languages and the many opportunities that I have to become a better person and to work really hard. I love you all so very much and hope that you might find happiness and success this week in your lives.

Sincerely,

Elder B

From Alan Pitts

Dear Cuz:
How are you, I think of you so often and do trust that you are doing well.
Do you remember the UTOCO service station across from the Ford Dealer in Price?
I worked there and the price of gas was 32.9 cents/gallon.
I long for the old times with my current rate of pay of course.
I'm headed for SLC to visit my mother, this coming weekend. It's the weekend that my sisters all (3) have decided to go to Hawaii for  short vacation.
I've never been and would like to go there as well as Israel and other places.
Hope you are well.

Love you
alan

Al Pitts
Manufacturing Engineering