"In all of us there is a hunger, marrow deep, to know our heritage - to know who we are and where we came from. Without this enriching knowledge, there is a hollow yearning. No matter what our attainments in life, there is still a vacuum, an emptiness, and the most disquieting loneliness."
- Alex Haley (author of ROOTS)
- Alex Haley (author of ROOTS)
These pictures were taken in the St. George city cemetery. They are the headstone of one of my father's ancestors, David Rogers. David Rogers was a Mormon Pioneer who settled in the Salt Lake valley. Later on, Brigham Young called David, and his family to head south for the cotton mission in Dixie. He helped build many historic buildings and homes in Dixie. Some of these include the temple, the Tabernacle, the Opera House, the Woodward school house, and many homes. Knowing this makes me feel more connected to a town that I had only passed through until I was 19 years old. I moved here not knowing I had any roots or part of the strong heritage the town still holds on to. Every time I pass by one of these buildings, I feel a special connection to it. I love learning about my family, doing family history and genealogy work, and temple work for deceased family members. The spirit of Elijah is overpowering once you get into the work and the experiences I have had are unforgettable and spine tingling (in a wonderful-not creepy) way when I think about them. I know the spirits of my loving ancestors are near when I seek to learn more about them, and in doing so, I learn who I really am.
I don't have a very good picture editing program on my laptop (Microsoft Office Picture Manager), so I just adjusted the hue and saturation settings in order to make the picture appear in more of a sepia tone. I liked this because it appears more aged like it was taken early in the twentieth century, perhaps by one of his children or grandchildren.
A.Rogers Jan.2011
A.Rogers Jan.2011
What a great idea for a blog and post. The spirit of Elijah is EXACTLY why I live here, too! I heard stories my whole life of our ancestors who were called to settle here. I LOVED them. Only recently (last 5 years) did I realize that both of my parents families have resided in So. Utah since 1861. I feel a connection to this place. It is my home. It is why 13 1/2 years ago, Doug and I moved here.
ReplyDeleteThanks Melia! It is pretty cool how its like things coming full circle when you come back to the place of your roots and feel at home in a place you've never even visited. I love it!
ReplyDelete