Who art thou? We have newly discovered century old photos.

From time to time, people go through old cedar chests and low and behold, they come across artifacts and photos of long ago, but dear to our hearts. Such is the case today, when a "Tolley Twig" recovered several photos dating back to 1890. Since the arrival of Wm. Fisher Tolley to Utah during Mormon Pioneer days of the 1850's, there are thousands of Tolley descendant's scattered more than the western wind carries Tumbleweeds! One of those Tolley twigs is out of Arizona, and she wanted to get names on the back of the photos and to the proper family members. We will make a concerted effort to do so. We believe that each of the people and places are somehow related to a Tolley family member. This writer and wannabe historian is trying to piece it together under a home made microscope. If you are a Tolley family member or hitched your horse to one, please pass this information on to them. Enormous rewards.......well...maybe a letter of thanks await your response.

How to Congregate with people without Congregating!

With the craziness going on in the world right now, it is difficult to figure out how to deal with mass hysteria. Country folks know better than believe the media, and you know how government officials are! My sister and I think we have mastered how to deal with it all. It is important to congregate with our loved ones, regardless! And if we can't go to Vegas, then we will bring Vegas to us. We picked up a bottle of Pine-Sol from under the sink; deck of cards; Vegas poker chips, then called a local eatery and ordered a herd of carry out breakfast boxes of great food. We then set up a temporary casino and invited hundreds of people. Yup, several family members laid (or is it layed) around us and joined our version of family fun festivities. Now if we could get that diesel truck to shut his idling engine off on the street next to us, then we wouldn't die from the exhaust fumes!

Becoming a Senior Citizen has positive and negative factors.

The good part of getting older, is we often retire, as has the five kids of the Nephi Jones Family. That gives us more time to be together, rather than forced to watch television news; raise kids, or thinking it is the end of the world. The bad part of age is we sometimes forget important things we should remember, such as birthdays and peoples names. Such may be the case of the three Jones siblings who went fishing. It was fun to get out together, although it is cold, we did find peace and quiet with family togetherness. My sister asked me if I had a fishing license and so I showed her, and did so without my reading glasses on. She laughed and said it had expired 55 years ago! So today I hopped and skipped my way down to the hardware store that was named after Dee, Dale, Don and Dave and purchased a new one. Needless to say, the prices have changed. It is no longer $6.00, but $145.00. Oh well, the good thing is the new one doesn't expire until I do- being 4 or is it 5 feet underground! And yes, we wiped the fish clean of anything that we weren't used to, but us kids grew up drinking good water from the ditch or was in the canal! Life is good in Nephi, Utah.

Al Capone was a Chicago thug during Prohibition, but who brewed the "Firewater" for Vegas!

As a kid growing up in Nephi, Utah, it is an Alma Jones family tradition to go deer hunting. As a small buck, I was too young to hunt, so we just hiked with Daddy Jones and carried his 1894 Winchester 25-35 "Nortonville Neutralizer" rifle. While trekking in an area of Juab County, I had a "feed the horses" gut pain, so strayed off to find an area behind a Cedar tree. Low and behold, I discovered a hidden cave as big as a living room, filled with gallon jug containers; stove; cot and other items, as if somebody camped there years prior. Upon finding my Dad, he knew exactly what it was and explained whose "Still" it was. It was operated by a local guy making illegal alcohol for booze runners to Nevada cities, and from 1920 to 1933, it was close enough where the "Spirit" maker could see if Elliot Ness was a comin. When "Cactus Juice" became legal again, the "Hooch" maker returned to farming, but the Cave contents remain. No, Alma wasn't Al Capone's "Yeast Meister" or "Hitman', but able to find similar photos of both from the same era of a 100 years ago. The rest of the story is that Alma Jones was a honorable man who didn't imbibe, but wasn't going to snitch on a local farmer either. Since today makes the 117th earth birthday of a great family man; hard worker with a lot of "Tolley" wit, it seemed a fun way to honor him. Happy Birthday Alma Coyn Jones and maybe, just maybe- I will "drink to that"!

Ruth Howard, a righteous person has been given a new heavenly assignment.

If you missed yesterdays worldly funeral of Ruth Howard, we will give you a brief of what I saw or felt, as well as a copy of the program. As I fear a direct hit by lightening, I frequently sit on the back row when attending a funeral held in a religious building of worship, as I did yesterday. It worked until another Jones sat next to me. He is a former Stake President, but still a Jones so not sure if that was a good or bad thing! It was difficult to hide at the celebration of the life of Ruth Howard, and not just because the Howard family is large, but she was born in the Belliston and Broadhead family, with all those names arriving in Nephi when Mormon pioneers set foot in the land held by Chief Juab; Ute Moccasins and the spirits of the Ancient Ones. I thought it was a clear sign of respect when the family started to enter the already filled chapel, and without a signal from the Undertaker to the Bishop(like a Bailiff) that normally stands at the podium and says "Please Rise". Reasoning was because Ruth's grandson was the Bishop walking in with the family. I attended the funeral, as I had personal feelings with Ruth's daughter-Linda, as we were both the "Class of 65", and like a family, we all knew and loved each other. Linda Howard, a friend to everybody, passed away just before our graduation. At the time I thought it was totally unfair that death had already consumed Bradley Brough, and now it was our Angel-Linda Howard. After the family departed the bone chilling wind at Vine Bluff, I remained and felt the warm comfort of Linda, and how great she felt that she, her mother and father are reunited again. To those left behind in this place we call earth-never fear, you now have another Guardian Angel to surround; protect and comfort you, and you will feel her at various times and places, and not just at Chuck-A-Rama, where she requested to have her last meal. The Ancient Ones feared death, so treasured items were buried with them, but Bill, Linda, Ruth and her brother Joe embraced it as a part of eternity. Worldly Death is but a gateway back Home.