My sister, Valerie, and I have been talking for the past while about getting together to scan my mother's journals, personal and family histories. Her daughter-in-law Starla had offered the use of a Cannon scanner which can do different sizes of pages, double sided copies, and can be fed several pages at a time. That sounded like the answer to our concerns about even starting this big project. In August, we spoke on the phone to determine when in September would work for both of our schedules. We chose one week and then Valerie said, "Ok, would this be a good time to tell you that Sheri Dew is coming to speak on the Sunday of that week to the young adults in our area?" Now Sheri Dew is the only person I have on my "famous people I would like to eat lunch with". I loved her books and loved listening to her speak. She started BYU two years before me and I wondered if we ever sat in the same class there sometime. I am not star-struck by many people since I pretty much think we are all about the same and we all would like each other fine if we had a chance to get to know each other. However I would say I am a bit star-struck by Sheri Dew. So, of course, my answer was yes. I adjusted my plan to come in on Sunday afternoon to attend her fireside. (And actually a bit later just before I booked my tickets, her date was changed so we changed our entire week to get together so I could attend the fireside.)
A fireside with a 1000 other people, mostly young adults (and leaders and guests) is not a lunch but it was a sweet experience as she spoke about our heritage and then about the connection between the priesthood and women--amazing discussion actually. You had to be there to feel and hear the things that she shared to understand the great power of them. However, I have started reading the new book called " The Beginning of Better Days:Divine Instruction to Women from the Prophet Joseph Smith" complied by Sheri Dew and Virgina Pearce and some of the concepts are written there. As my sister, Valerie, is currently serving as the Stake Relief Socity President of the stake who sponsored the fireside, we got to meet her and shake her hand afterwards. It was great (and Valerie says that I should put it on my bucket list--"To meet Sheri Dew" and then mark it off with her name in parenthesis since she made it happen.).
This post is not just about that, but what we learned as a result of doing our family history. Sheri Dew's remarks had actually touched upon learning and understanding our heritage so it was a nice lead in to spend three days with my mom's writings about herself and us as a family. As we scanned pages we read bits and pieces and shared more as we tried to decide how best to share these things with our children, grandchildren and all those who would come afterwards. We are still working all those details out but it brought us close to our mom and to the family history that we share. As I left on Wednesday, I took half of the journals and the "Richland Years" (the first 16 years of my life) and left Valerie with the other half of the journals and the "Amarillo Years through 1981".
On Friday, I received a text from Valerie indicating an amazing connection between our family and Sheri Dew's family. That was followed by other texts messages and a phone call as Valerie continued to learn more. The following was written by Valerie for our extended family blog and is reprinted here with her permission (so if you have already read this you can skip to the last paragraph):
"On Friday I chose a journal to read of the ones Judy left behind...
Mom recorded in January 1989 that Dad was in the hospital and his roommate
was Charles Dew from Ulysses, Kansas. Mom and Dad became acquainted with him and
his wife Joann and learned of their family--the oldest daughter was Sheri who
had recently authored President Benson's biography. Dad was released from the
hospital, but the next day or so they returned to visit Brother Dew. Sister Dew
gave them a copy of President Benson's biography--signed by Sheri Dew and the
Prophet. I went to my bookshelf and took out our copy of the biography and
opened it to find that it was the very book given from the Dews to our parents.
It has their book stamp in it. After mom's death and dad's remarriage, he gave
away many things that were duplicates or wouldn't fit into Karla's house, so
that is how I received the book. It was a tender moment to find that tangible
connection between Mom and Dad and the Dews.
In reading further into 1990 I found that Sheri Dew was the guest speaker
at their women's conference and spoke at Lubbock's women's conference as well.
She attended church in their ward in Amarillo that Sunday. Mom was in the Stake
Relief Society presidency at the time and was behind the request for Sheri to
come. It was so sweet to have just met Sister Dew after the Mesa fireside the
Sunday prior and then find this connection with our parents, and particularly
Mom."
I am not sure how finely tuned the eternities are on simple little matters like this but how else could my sister Valerie (serving as a Stake RS President) be involved in inviting the same person to speak as my mom (also serving in a Stake RS Presidency at the time) had invited to speak 22 years ago to the sisters in Amarillo and Lubbock, TX, AND it happen at the same time we were planning to do family history AND Valerie would happen to choose (out of eight or nine journals) to read the one journal which touched upon that connection. In the words of a commercial tagline: "Priceless!"
And there is the story of "Journals, Family History, and Sheri Dew". I would imagine more stories will follow as Valerie and I work with these special things our mother has left behind for us and our children. (I doubt more will deal with Sheri Dew but we will see...............)
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