We spent the weekend of July 4th in Jefferson OH in a Thousand Trails Preserve. Mostly we walked, read, dealt with little boys throwing golf balls on our roof and working on Family History. But, the high-lite took place on Sunday.
We rose early and drove to Kirtland OH where we went to church. This is one of the historical locations in the development of the Lord's restored gospel and it was very special to be there attending church meetings. After church, we changed clothes and took our picnic lunch to the park like setting surrounding the Kirtland Temple, the first temple built on this continent in this dispensation. What a wonderful place to meditate and masticate!
This was our view as we ate our sack lunch. Isn't it beautiful?! It was in this building that Jesus, Moses, Elija and other eternal beings restored the keys and authority necessary to build the Lord's kingdom again on this earth in preparation for Jesus return. It was amazing to be near where this took place.
Then we drove west to Cleveland to meet up with Tom Marek, Wayne's second cousin. Cleveland has had some of Wayne's family here from 1845 to present.
On these and many other trolly tracks Wayne's Grandfather drove trolly in the late 1800's.
Then came another highlight. We met up with Tom at the Highland Park Cemetery in Shaker Heights, a suburb of Cleveland, where our family lived and are now buried. Tom's grandfather was Wayne's grandfather's brother, so we have the same great-grandparents. And this is their headstone. Thomas Beecher Cowley, born on the Isle of Man and Annie Fursey born in Onterio, Canada.
Thomas B and Annie had three sons. Youngest - Claude; Middle - Leo. And this is the headstone of the oldest, William and his wife Elizabeth and their only child, Thomas Henry who died at age 10 of appendicitis.
In another section of the cemetery, we found the headstone for Tom's grandparents, Claude and Emma Cowley. Leo and his wife Lillian are buried in SoCal.
Then , the research Wayne did paid off and with Tom's expert knowledge of the city, we drove right to, not only the right cemetery,
but to the right cemetery plot, where we found Thomas Beecher Cowley's parents headstones and other family that we were not aware of that were buried in the same plot! Elizabeth Crow Cowley, a native of the Isle of Man....
and Thomas Cowley, a native of the Isle of Man brought their little family to the USA, arriving on May 1, 1845 and then settled in the farming community outside Cleveland. Thomas Beecher was the youngest of their five children and was 3 years old when they came across the ocean. There were two more children born after they arrived.
This was one of the several other family members buried in the Cowley Family plot. One of the Cowley children married a Shimmon.
Two cousins, who met for the first time today, in Cleveland OH, standing behind the headstones of their common Great-Great Grandparents. It was grand meeting Tom, finding these headstones together and developing a new friendship based on common traits from common linage.
Then Tom took us to the house our great grandparents built and a couple generations lived in after the farming days. Tom told us stories of family events that took place in this home and memories he had as a little boy being there. Amazing family history stories!
Amazing day! Thanks Tom!!
Then a wonderful Fourth of July Breakfast the next morning topped off a glorious weekend!!!
