By Carole Call King
It was almost midnight on Easter Sunday as I wearily put the vacuum in the closet at the close of a wonderful, busy day of church meetings, Easter egg hunts, and a big family dinner with all my children and grandchildren at home. I happened to look up on the closet shelf to see a box I hadn’t really looked at in a long time. On the side, many years ago, my mother had written, “Letters to Grandma Harris.” It was one of several boxes from my parents’ home after their deaths. This one had somehow become separated from the other boxes of family history,
genealogy, and pictures because of its awkward size. I really had never looked into it and it had been forgotten after I found a place to stash it.
This night I was irresistibly drawn to it. I pulled the box down from the shelf and opened it up. On the top were some dark chiffon dresses. Underneath the dresses were three long slender boxes on which Mother had written in red magic marker “Joseph F. Smith’s letters to Grandma Harris,” “Letters to Grandma, etc.” ‘ Also tucked into the big box was a bulky manila envelope on which was written, ‘Grandma & Grandpa Harris’ letters to each other–Aunt Mercy’s letters.’ I was astounded! My mother had never mentioned these letters to me!
I was absolutely ecstatic at the thought of learning more about those I had researched! I opened the boxes to see many, many letters of all sizes–ink faded, paper fragile. Some had envelopes, many did not. Some were just fragments of letters carefully saved by my great grandmother, Martha Ann; her youngest daughter, my dear grandmother, Sarah Harris Passey; and my own sweet mother, Verna Passey Call, all who have been gone for many years. With awe I carefully opened and read many letters until it was almost 4:00 a.m.
Since that night I have not been able to leave the letters alone. It has touched
my heart to read the words in the letters tell about their daily struggles with illness and accidents, births of babies, lack of food and fuel, poverty, constant hard work to survive, and so many deaths. But it has been inspiring in spite of all the problems to also read of their utmost devotion to the Savior, the gospel, and their undying dedication to our Heavenly Father. For me, the highlight of all the writing is the love and loyalty of family and extended family that each person had. LOVE is the real message that comes shining through these precious letters. The early Smith family was certainly bound by love and concern for each other.
As I read the letters written to my great grandmother–so many in return for letters from her—I ache to read the countless letters she wrote. Where are they??? I hope that somewhere in our scattered extended family, somebody knows about more letters or journals and will share them. I’m sure that many of my cousins, descendants of people whose letters I have, would love to read them. I am
working hard to make copies and transcriptions of these prized letters before I turn them over to the Church Archives so they may be preserved for posterity, and any interested Lucy Mack and Joseph Smith Sr. descendants desiring to read and be inspired by them, as I have been.
Please search through your closets, attics, and basements to see if you have any treasures of family history to share. Every little piece of information helps us
know our ancestors better and will bring all the Smith cousins closer together.