Come Visit

I have arrived. Your father and I made it down by Saturday at about 10:00 and Uncle Stephen and Auntie Donna and their children came down to help. The Bishop came and another Tongan brother and they worked like slaves in the hot sun to unload everything. I have been having fun since unpacking boxes and finding places to nest it all. I have beds, rooms, and love for anyone who comes my way. I have begun work and will let you all have pictures in a few weeks when I get a little more settled. I give thanks for family every day, my own and the extrended family I have been blessed with. Get out your keyboards or writing material and e-mail me at dismylie@yahoo.com. so that I can give you all my address as I had all of your e-mails at UVMC and am not their anymore.....I love you all dearly and will see you all in December for Elijah's Baptism if not before......your mum...xoxoxoxoxox

The Saga Continues...

Did not leave on 11th as planned. Sharon Yingst my long-time friend who was planning to be travelling with me came down with a strange eye condition which had apparently been building up for several months, but only in hindsight did she realize what was happening. Anyway she lost the sight of her right eye and has peripheral vision only, so she could not drive with me. (I am totally bummed about all this....and not just because I lost the nonrefundable flight, but Sharon losing her sight is terrible). So I called on Kenneth to take me down as he has the ability to take those three days off. The irony is that we will come out of court on the morning of 18th having disolved our marriage of 32 odd years and then we will spend the next three days taking a trip together. (The Lord does have a sense of humor, I know!!!). I will email you all with my new address. The newer car ( a 2006 Chevy Malibu - silver with only 40,000 miles) came through too so we will be pulling that with us. I did break down and get a 26 foot truck since Ken was driving. I was too chicken to do that on my own. I have very mixed feelings about leaving everyone here, but I am excited about this new door that has opened and I hope it all works out to my advantage and to the family's too, since if mamma is happy then all will be happy! It may be some time before this is hooked up again but I will keep you all posted once I am settled. More later...love you all.....mum

Ken aged 5 Ken age 12
























Ken as a senior Grandparents Carl and Edna Ferguson



Your mother aged 4 and 7 months. (Your Granny Smylie probably knit the cardigan) Iam on holiday at the farm where Aunty Chris used to like to go for a walk and "smell the pigs".....love mum

Eleanor Ferguson and Kenneth Talmage Merrill

This is a picture of your Grandpa Kenneth Talmage Merrill when he married Edna Eleanor Ferguson at age 18 when they lived in Holyoke, Colorado. G'pa worked for G/G'pa Ferguson's farm on Wages Route, Holyoke, Colorado. G'ma went to the one room school house that is across the road from our property in Colorado where we lived until the house burnt to the ground in 1979, due to high winds and sparking electric lines. I can see Ariana's face and Danny's dark eyes in this photo.

Zella (Wakefield) Merrill

These pictures are of Zella Wakefield at 2 years of age, used in my header this month, at 11 years of age with the big bow in her hair, and at 16 with her first two boys, John and Douglas on the running board of an old Ford.

Zella Wakefield is the mother of your grandfather, Kenneth Talmage Merrill and the wife of Kenneth Amanuel Merrill. She married him at age 13 and had three children. One morning just short of her 17th birthday she was lighting the fire for breakfast and tried to encourage the fire with kerosene and it blew up on her, causing her night dress to catch fire. Unfortunately she ran and was overcome by fire and smoke and died from her wounds, leaving a 5 week old Kenneth T. and two brothers John and Douglas alone with their father, Kenneth A. Merrill. Kenneth A. later married Grandma Lavern who raised the boys and had Uncle Evert and Aunty Delores (Young) as well. I was given a scanner and am going to scan in a lot of old pictures from our family files for your enjoyment......