My Handsome and Beautiful Smith Grandparents

My Grandma says she was only 16 years old in this photo.  What a lovely couple they are and lived honorable and interesting lives.  So thankful to be a part of their family.

Who Am I?

My mom found this photo when going through family history records and is unable to identify this couple. Is there anyone out there that recognizes them? I'm not sure which line they are connected to but possibilities are: Lindeman, Faerber, Clawson, Thomas, Smith, Clark, Thorup, Tschentscher and others.

Lynn Hollis Smith

My father passed away suddenly just before Christmas 2013.  It has been four months now.  It is still hard to believe and it has been so hard to accept that I haven't even wanted to record it or write about it.  Seeing it in print makes it real.  He was not ill and we had no warning.  The family, EMTs and hospital staff worked valiantly to save him but it was not to be.  It was his time, as they say.  I didn't like this New Year's holiday.  I felt I was leaving my dad behind.  I felt like I was being forced to move on and I wasn't ready.  I feel less protected, more vulnerable and alone with my dad gone.  I know he still lives, but we are morning the time we thought we were still going to have with him here.  Each of his children spoke at the funeral along with our mother.  It was a beautiful experience to have such an outpouring of support and love from the community and friends and those who loved my Dad.  All of his siblings came along with several of our cousins, none of which live nearby.  It really touched my heart.  I learned of so many times he had helped others that we never knew about.  My father touched many lives not just through his work and talents but through humble service of his fellow men.  He was greatly loved and it was beautiful to see that.   Here is what I shared at his funeral:

My father lived a life of Greatness:

Great Dreams

Great Strength

Great Energy

Great love of others

Great Intensity and Joy

and a Great servant of the Lord.

His life was an adventure and he took us all on that ride with him.

His energy and enthusiasm when he spoke about learning more, accomplishing more and being more would rub off on me.  He made life and possibilities seem limitless.  He is the reason I choose to go for it when I feel hesitant.  If you never try you have already failed.  Go for it and you will always come out ahead of where you were.

I have always seen him as 100% confident in himself.  If he didn't know how to do something, that didn't matter, he would simply learn how and then do it.  It always amazed me. 

My father was an entrepreneur.  Not to reach any specific goal but to have the freedom to follow his dreams.  His dreams were many, always evolving and always limitless.

He raised us to believe in ourselves, to honor our commitments, to love and serve others, to work hard and find the joy in it.  He taught us to live the Gospel and love the Lord, not only in his words but in how he lived his life.

My father had a great mind.  He loved to read and was always looking for more to learn.  He loved to share stories and discuss.  My favorite times with Dad were on our road trips.  I was able to have time with him and he loved to stop at museums and historical sites along the way.  He always made sure to read everything when we went and he would remember it all.  Then he would spend the next few hours teaching all of us about what we had just seen. 

My dad was a tease.  There were a lot of people who didn't get to see him this way but he loved it.  He would sometimes sneak up behind us and scare us and would tell outlandish stories as if they were true just to watch our reaction and then laugh.  Some of them I believed for years until I grew up and realized how impossible it was.  He loved to play and work with his family.

No matter how much he had, or didn't have, there was always enough to share with others. 

He was an artist, master carpenter and craftsman.  He was imaginative, always thinking and solving problems, designing and creating.  He loved the Lord, his family and his fellow man.

It is hard to let go of someone who is so much a part of you and of whom you have become, especially when you were expecting to have so much longer.  I know it is the Lord's will and everything is at it should be.  He is deeply loved.

Good bye, Daddy. 

His Obituary:

Lynn Hollis Smith, our beloved husband, son, father, grandfather, brother, family member and friend was suddenly called home on Thursday, December 19^th 2013 due to natural causes. He was born August 16, 1951 in Salt Lake City, Utah to Florence (Clark) and Hollis Done Smith.

Lynn was a missionary and servant of the Lord as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He loved his work as an entrepreneur, salesman, inventor, and craftsman. His greatest joys came from his family, serving his fellow man, and working in the Temples of the Lord.

Lynn is survived by his wife, Darlene Smith of Gunter, Texas; nine children, Darell (Brent) Hoskisson, Brigham (Aimee) Smith, Adam (Minnie) Smith, Jerusha (Mike) Renstrom, Faith (Cody) Sample, Ammon (Christala) Smith, Dallin (Holly) Smith, Tiaura (Tyler) Renstrom and Jarom Smith; thirty grandchildren; mother, Florence Smith; seven siblings, Ron (Nancy) Smith, Mark (Wendy) Smith, Loretta (Jon) Shupe, Kyle (Jennifer) Smith, Rachelle Byrnes, Alison (Dean) Mirsoltani and Marilyn Donohue; numerous nieces and nephews.

Lynn is preceded in death by his father, Hollis Done Smith.

You are invited to join with us in honoring and celebrating his life: Funeral Services will be held at The Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints, 1900 W. Lamberth Rd, Sherman, Texas 75092, on Monday, December 23, 2013 at 10:30 AM with Bishop Marty Little officiating. Interment will follow at Hall Cemetery in Howe, Texas. A visitation will be held prior to the service beginning at 9:30 AM. Family and friends are invited to a evening Visitation on Sunday, December 22, 2013 at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home, 300 Pecan Street, Gunter, Texas 75058, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM.

     

Thorup Family Ties

I found a great website for those descended from Herman August Thorup and Marie Christine Christensen.  This may be old news to most of you.  I have become out of touch with what is available on line lately.
Here is the link http://www.thorupfamilyties.org/
It has stories, biographies, photos and other interesting information available such as family recipes!
Thanks to all for sharing this with us.

Hollis Done Smith 1922-2011

My Grandfather died January 30, 2011 at the age of 88 due to complications related to a fall in his home. His father died when he was only an infant and he and his brother and sister were raised by their mother and grandparents. He is one of the Smiths from Smithfield Utah and we spent a few family reunions camping in the woods up there. I remember my Grandpa walking us along the creek where he used to play, the fields where he used to work with his Grandfather and to an old barn falling over that belonged to him. They were very poor and worked terribly hard for many years, but because of this hard work they were eventually blessed with enough money for his mother to purchase a large home in Smithfield. She moved her parents in with them to thank them for all the help they had given her with her little family. The family was always very self reliant and she kept a large garden in their back yard and worked for many years at the local post office. There were times of plenty and times with very little but they made it through and she raised a fine family. My grandpa served in the Navy during WWII and after served as a missionary in the North Eastern parts of Texas, the same area where my parents later settled and I was raised. One of my brothers married the granddaughter of a man that had helped house Grandpa Hollis while he was serving there and they named their first son Hollis after him. After his mission he married my very beautiful and accomplished grandmother Florence. Together they had eight children which they raised in the Salt Lake valley. My Grandpa worked for Union Pacific Railroad most of his life and my own father for a little while. I still smile whenever I see the UP symbol. My grandpa was very tall and always spoke softly and with kindness. He had an easy smile and a quiet peace about him. He was a hard worker and always serving others. He loved spending time with his family and always enjoyed a family musical concert. Grandpa is very loved by all the family and will be greatly missed.

Double Descended

Here is a photo of the Herman August Thorup Family



Names from Left to Right and Back to Front:
Back: Christine Veronica Thorup (Rasmussen), Hyrum Emanuel Thorup, Nettie Neilsine Nielsen (Thorup), Joseph Thorup, Clara Romney (Thorup), John Theobald Charles Thorup, Johanna Caroline Ostermann (Thorup), Jensine Jensen (Thorup)
Front: Niels Rasmussen, Lara Augusta Marie Thorup (Rasmussen), Herman August Thorup, Mary or Marie Christine Christensen (Thorup), Herman Frederick Ferdinand Thorup, Anne Christine Anderson (Thorup)

This photo is a special one for my family because we are the descendants of two of Herman August Thorup's Children (Christine Veronica and Herman F. F.). In this family photo we see our ancestry come together.

This summer my sister married into my husband's side of the family and we just had our first huge group family photo with both of us in it. I am going to hold onto this photo for our posterity who will once again be double descendants and double related.

Pioneer Day from 1906

102 Years Ago, both sides of our family are celebrating
Utah's Pioneer Day.




HOMAGE IS PAID TO THE PIONEERS
The Salt Lake Herald, July 25th 1906

The Thorups are in Liberty Park in Salt Lake City where over 1500 people gathered and the living pioneers were honored including a lunch under the "famous" trees there planted by our ancestor Herman F. F. Thorup. John T. Thorup is mentioned in the article twice, he is the son of Herman August Thorup and brother to Herman F. F. and Christine Veronica Thorup Rasmussen. There are photos of events at the park on July 24th 1906 and some very cute articles about the celebration.



HUNTSVILLE TO HAVE A TIME
The Ogden Standard, July 21st 1906

In Huntsville the General Committee is busy carrying out a large celebration of their own for the Utah Pioneers. Among those on the committee are Moselle Renstrom, Carrie Renstrom and Adam L. Petersen. Carrie Renstrom is Caroline Petersen Renstrom, her brother is Adam Lind Petersen and her daughter is Moselle Renstrom. There are other Petersons listed in this article but I do not know if they are related. There were a few Petersen(son) founders in Huntsville, ours being Soren Lind Petersen who is the father of both Carrie and Adam.


This photo was taken almost 80 years after the above celebrations in June of 1986. These are the trees at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City. I am the one in the middle.

Deaths of Father and Mother Thorup

Our Immigant Thorup Ancestors
Herman August Thorup and Marie Christine Christensen Thorup:

Herman August Thorup

What we can learn from this article:
-Died Aug 21, 1907
-Born Aug 11, 1826 in Copenhagen, Denmark
-Baptised into LDS church April of 1853 (26yrs)
-Clerk of the Copenhagen conference for many years
-Emigrated to America in May of 1868 (41yrs)
*note: look for naturalization papers
-Lived in Chicago until Aug of 1869
-Lived in Provo until Sep of 1873 (47yrs)
-moved into Salt Lake First Ward LDS church
-Active member in the ward
-Cause: his body failed him


What we can learn from the Death Certificate of
Herman August Thorup


-His address: 731 So 9th East in Salt Lake City
-His middle name: A. is for August
-He resided at this address for 34 years -White Male
-Born: Aug 11 1826
-Age: 81 yrs 9 days
-Widow (wife died prior to 1907)

-Father: Lars C. Thorup born in Denmark
*note: Family records have his father as Christian Larsen Thorup
-Mother: Johannah Holm born in Denmark
-Occupation: None
*note: He used to be a carpenter, I don't know what else yet
-Informant: John T. Thorup who lives at 729 So. 9th East
-Buried in City Cemetery (Salt Lake City Cemetery) on Aug 25, 1907
-Died: Aug 20, 1907 at 2:20 PM
-Was attended by physician William L. Carmon from 503 Brigham St. for one day prior to death
-Cause: Uremia - loosely used to describe the illness accompanying kidney failure or renal failure. It is blood poisioning where waste products normally excreted from the body are retained in the blood. Symptoms are anorexia, lethargy, muscle cramps, confusion and coma.

Marie Christine Christensen Thorup

What can we learn from this article:
-She sometimes goes by Mary
-Wife of Herman A. Thorup
-Has at least 45 grandchildren
-President Joseph F. Smith spoke at the funeral among others named
-Respected woman
-Born Sept 19, 1824 in Myrup, Rjolland, Denmark
-Baptised into LDS church April 9, 1853 (28yrs)
-Left Denmark May 8, 1868 with husband and family
-Lived 15 months in Chicago
-Arrived in Utah August 12, 1869 and settled in Provo
-Has one grandchild on a mission to Norway in 1905
-Came in the first railway train from Omaha to Ogden
-Moved to SLC in 1873 to the First Ward and stayed.
-A good humanitarian
-An active member of LDS church
-Husband is living
-Has four living sons and one living daughter in 1905
-Has 16 grandchildren, three children and nine grandchildren have died by 1905
*note: Is this an error? 45 grandchildren to 16 grandchildren- It is hard to read the first number. Let me know what you think.
-Has one grandchild on a mission to Norway in 1905


What we can learn from the Death Certificate of
Marie Christine Christensen Thorup
-Has her name as Mary Christina C. Thorup
-Address: 731 South 9th East Salt Lake
-White Female
-Born: September 19, 1824
-Age: 80 years 9 months 14 days
-Married, name of spouse not given
-Father: Christen Hansen born in Norway, Denmark

-Mother: Elsie K Hansen born in Denmark (check the K, family records say her middle name is Kirsten)
-Informant: John T. Thorup from 731 South 9th East
-Buried: City Cemetery (Salt Lake City Cemetery) on July 20, 1905
-Died: July 13, 1905 at 8AM
-Cause: Senile Debility - Alzheimer or dementia or organic brain syndrome and the body begins to deteriorate as a result
Dr: Samuel H. Allen of Salt Lake City

Smith to Adam