On my side of the family, we have over 50 ancestors on our direct line who lived in Nauvoo! That is amazing because the Pioneer Saints built Nauvoo in 1839 and were driven out in 1846. That only covers 7 years.
Each family member was given the name of an ancestor that lived in Nauvoo to research. If they had the information prepared before the celebration, they could enter their name in a drawing for prizes such as fast food gift cards and books about pioneers. Some dressed up in pioneer clothes. Everyone got a name tag with their assigned ancestor's name on it.
We are in a drought in the middle of July, so the lawn was dry and it was 100 degrees! But it helped us appreciate even more the blessings of modern conveniences that we enjoy every day.
The Nauvoo Community Project lists the names of those Saints who lived in Nauvoo. http://nauvoo.byu.edu/
Click below and find the list of ancestors in Nauvoo on the Brimhall, Perry, Chadwick, and Mathews lines.
My brother-in-law, Ben, has been collecting pens since he was in high school
There was lots of interest in what Ben knew about different pens and inks.
All text and images ©Michelle Zaugg Spackman unless otherwise noted.