Ann Elizabeth Cowley and Rachel Dunford Lingard Stories

One of the reasons I started writing this blog was to record the small stories that my parents and John's mother have told us about their lives and their parents' lives. Most of these stories have been told over and over again, but when I ask if anyone has written them down, the answer is "Probably not." These stories are not heroic or earth shattering, but just give me a glimpse into the past.

I had Sunday dinner yesterday with Mom and Dad at Shelley and Ann's home.  Mom told a story about her grandmother Ann Elizabeth Cowley Willey. Ann Elizabeth's brother was Matthias Cowley, the apostle who had his priesthood suspended and resigned from the Quorum of the Twelve because he continued to perform polygamous marriages after the Manifesto. (His priesthood was restored 4 years before he died.) He was also the father of the apostle Matthew Cowley.  Mom's mother, Eva Willey Hill Trump (Grandma Trump), referred to Mattias as Uncle Matt.

Ann Elizabeth had an infection (maybe staff) in her knee that resulted in her using crutches.  She asked Matthias to give her a blessing. He did so.  Later he asked Ann Elizabeth to get him a drink of water.  She turned to get her crutches so she could stand up and get the water.  Matthias said, "No, you don't need your crutches."  And she didn't, she got up and got the water unaided.  Again, a small story, but kind of neat.

John's grandmother, Rachel Dunford Lingard, died of a heart attack when she was 58 years old, I think while Dad Lingard was on his mission. Her family put a quaking aspen etched on her headstone because, like the leaves on an quaking aspen tree, Grandmother Rachel was never still.  She was always doing something. Dad Lingard was that way and so is John. He told me the other day that he finally understood the significance of the aspen tree on his grandmother's headstone. He is happiest when he is doing something. I could have told him that.