A Day at the Pioneer Cemetery and the Air show

Saturday was a delightful day—the weather was warm but not humid, the sun was shining, and we spent much of it outside enjoying it all.

Saturday at 7:45 we have our Training Meeting that includes all the senior couples as well as the Trail Center Sister Missionaries as shown above. It is the best part of the week mission-wise as it is always just an incredible meeting. We have three sisters, pictured with our Mission Mom Sister Kunz, Sisters Minert, Ray, and Lawlor, who are our Trainers who conduct and often run the meeting. We always have some testimonies from the sisters—we call them our “Trail Center Moments” that are experiences they had during the week on their tours where the Spirit has helped them teach or comfort, or help someone going through. These experiences may be a regular part of our Trail Center experience but they are one of the best parts.

This week we were given instructions regarding our big Quilt Show that is coming next month. Sisters in all our stakes display their hand made quilts and it is a big favorite in our community bringing in hundreds of guests. Our first quilt was sent by Sister Minert’s mom, and featured Nebraska corn, and pictures of our Mission President Kunz and his wife (ala American Gothic) with Nebraska Omaha Mission at the top.

Once a month we are fortunate enough to have our wonderful Mission President Kunz speak. I have learned so much doctrinally from him. It is always a treat to hear him teach us. Often the lessons we have from the sisters include a guest speaker and usually some kind of hands on activity. This week we were taught about our Pioneer Cemetery by Elder Naylor, one of our Senior Missionaries.

I think I have introduced him in previous blogs because he does the wonderful 20 foot long pedigree charts for each missionary (in picture he is giving a chart and the huge family history he does to President Kunz). He also has prepared special “markers” for the graves so when you show people where their ancestors are buried you can put a marker on a “gravestone” for a picture. Last blog I pictured the missionary, Elder Young, who developed our Cemetery Map to locate your ancestor, and who made the “gravestone” pictured below. Rather interesting that all five sisters are related to Elizabeth Richards, identified with one of Elder Naylor’s markers.

I am including pictures today of just a few of the scenes from yesterday with some of the missionaries and hopefully you will have a sense of that same feeling we have at this cemetery that is surrounded by angels.

Elder Davis cleans the cobwebs off our 75 year old Avard Fairbanks masterpiece. Spider webs here are the kind from Charlotte’s Web. Never seen such large and intricate ones.

President Kunz with five or our newest Sisters: Jones, Proctor, Belka, Coats, and Ford.

Below Elder Hales is visiting with Sisters Askren and Runyon. The temple is in the background. Such a lovely location.

Elder Watson and Sister Hales at a Kimball family grave in the cemetery, Helen Whitney, baby girl of Horace and Helen Mar Kimball Whitney, oldest daughter of Heber C. and Vilate. It is a tender story, because Helen had difficulty having children and when this little girl was born and was so ill, Helen’s mother Vilate prayed that the Lord would take her new baby, our great grandfather Solomon Farnham, and not her daughter’s baby. Helen’s baby did die and is buried here in the same grave with two other HCK babies of other wives who died that winter of 1847.

Because of the work of BYU's Brandon Plewe with ground seeking radar, he was able to identify each grave and with the sexton’s records we can identify exactly where each person is buried.

Sister Kunz, with more of our wonderful Sisters Myers, Proctor, Belka, Ray, Rhoades, and Shelley.

Elder Naylor teaching us about the cemetery in this lovely setting. The big trees in the back were planted at the same time as the dedication of the statue. The church the next year was sold the land for $1 since they were willing to clean up and take care of the old cemetery--a great favor to the town.

Elder Hales visiting with President Kunz in the area in front of the Fairbanks statue Tragedy at Winter Quarters. When Heber J. Grant dedicated this statue 75 years ago this year, he said this was no tragedy, but a victory.

The Air Show at Offutt Air Force Base.

We had a lovely day at the Air Show. Sister Sherman, one of our librarians in our Trail Center Library, got passes for us to attend. She had been the Protocol Director at Offutt for 40 years and knows everybody and they were delighted to see her from the Wing Commander down. Her VIP treatment of us was so appreciated.

This AWACS is a major intelligence plane that serves this base which may have been decommissioned as the Strategic Air Command, but it is still a major center for the Air Force.

This is the B-2 Stealth. We had one put on a show for us. It is able to fly to the Middle East and back and deliver its payload without radar recognition—it is so flat in the sky you can hardly see it, and so quiet you can’t hear it go by.

Here is the B-2 Stealth tipping its wing to the audience.

We had a precision team, the Lima Limas, who put on a great show including the Missing Man tribute—going from six planes to five in formation—very touching for the audience.

I was fascinated by the MIG that was no amazingly maneuverable and can put on afterburners to get more power. Some show!

This gentleman, Lyle Ward, retired USAF, was one of the hosts, and as we were leaving, Sister Sherman asked him where John could get a hat, and he took his off and gave it to John!! What a treat for John! Perfect ending to the perfect day.