Day 13 - Staycation Saga - A day with Aunt Ivy

Day 13 – Saturday June 6, 2009 – A day with Aunt Ivy

Today was a great day! I know, you’re probably tired of hearing that phrase by now, but it’s just so true! We were able to visit 4 cemeteries and two temples! (Yes, we were excited about visiting cemeteries) What a great family history day! We were able to see the grave site where most of the Burtenshaws are/will be buried at the Ririe Cemetery. Ammon’s brother, Andrew, who lived only a month is buried there and Ammon’s parents have a plot there as well. When Amber passes she will be buried at this cemetery, too. The strangest thing about this is that we actually passed the cemetery on the way in to Idaho Falls the day before and Ammon said, “I wonder if that’s where Andrew is buried.” I didn’t think so but told him we would find out tomorrow, which we did and it was! Anyway, so we took LOTS of pictures of headstones of our ancestors. The Ririe cemetery had lots of Burtenshaws. I called Grandma Lois and found out that my ancestors are all buried in the Ucon and Rexburg cemeteries. With Ivy there, she let us know where the Sessions were buried. So we found Woodlands in Ucon, which appears to still have plenty of room if any of you reading this are Woodlands and haven’t picked a plot for your resting spot yet.

We also went to the Rexburg Cemetery where my great, great, great, great, great grandfather Thomas E. Ricks, founder of Ricks College-now BYU-Idaho, is buried. Most of the Ricks line is buried in the Rexburg cemetery. I had not written down the directions my grandmother told me to find her mother and father, so it was quite the wild goose chase in such a large cemetery as the Rexburg Cemetery. But, I finally found them! I also found Sylvia Ricks Larsen’s parents who are buried just west of them. It was so great to connect with those who have gone before.

We also stopped at the Milo cemetery to see the Session line of ancestors. What a day!

We also stopped by the Rexburg temple for some pictures outside as well as the Idaho Falls temple.

This is the Rexburg Temple.

The Idaho falls temple.

Shari and Ivy in the gardens at the Idaho Falls Temple.

Families are important to us and knowing that those who have gone before are sealed to us as those who come after us will be, is an amazing thought. We are going to have one wall in our house dedicated to temple pictures. We are able to put the Oakland, Salt Lake, Rexburg and Idaho Falls temples up, with us in them. We will be taking more pictures with us in them and adding them to the wall!