Ella and Ensign Smith

[This was posted on the blog of my grand niece. ]

Happy Memorial Day. Just as a reminder that this holiday is more than the beginning of summer (when the pools open) or a great day off to have a picnic, here is what we did--for the first time ever.

We recently moved to a neighborhood in Salt Lake City where my great grandfather and grandmother built a house, and were laid to rest in a cemetery very close to us. When we were discussing our new place with my parents and uncle it came up that we would be close. So, decided to go on a field trip for our family home evening to prepare the boys and introduce them to Ella and Ensign before we went to the cemetery.

We used this as our lesson:



And then drove the five minutes to get to the house:
64 years old, and there it was. Built by the hands and sweat of my Great Grandfather and Grandmother. I was surprised at how engaged Reuben was in the whole idea and trip. His Great Great Grandfather Built that house? and they lived there? who lives there now? how come they don't live there anymore? We also visited the chapel they attended just down the street pictured below the house.



Here is Ensign working on the foundation of the house, the back of the house with Ensign and Grandchildren (my mother included), and Ensign with my mother, aunts and grandmother (and the church in the background).

We went to the Cemetery yesterday. It is just up the road from us. It was really easy to spot Ella and Ensign, their son George Ensign Jr who died from cancer when we has 11, and their daughter Leona (who I remember because she had really cool fake eye lashes and wore fancy clothes.)



It was a little harder to find the military marker for Ensign (pictured above) and My other great aunt Amy and her Husband. But we found all of them with some help.




There was a special spirit there. Reuben and Simeon were both able to be respectful, yet interested. We had to call grandma to find out why George Ensign Jr died when he was 11, because Reuben needed to know.

We talked about the sealing power. How because Ensign and Ella were sealed in the temple they were still together, with their children, even though they were not on the earth anymore. We talked about our great chain of eternal family, children sealed to parents, and how we could be with them after we die. What a great blessing eternal families are.

While Ensign did serve in World War I, and we are grateful for that service, it was lovely to talk about the service he did to his family, his faithfulness, and our link to him. I am glad the holiday morphed into a day to consider those acts of service, because it sure doesn't feel like the beginning of summer here and there was no way we could have gone to a pool or sprinkler park without turning blue. And, next time we'll think of getting some flowers, because while we did sweep off the headstones, they were looking a little bare compared to the neighboring graves.

If you are related to them you will be interested in links below:

George Ensign Smith
Amy Ella Hawkes