9-18-2011

A few weeks ago, I received a call from Ben Pykles. He works for the church history department. He informed me that he was coming to Nauvoo along with some professors from BYU to identify suitable sites for GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar) surveys. These surveys send electronic signals into the ground and depending upon the density of the ground, the signals received back generate data that is converted to electronic images. These images can then be viewed from a computer. Pykles and his team are using this technology to discover and document old home foundations of the early saints here in Nauvoo. Many times they have a rough idea through journals and other sources where the homes were originally located within a plat of land, but the exact location is unknown. With this technology the exact location and structure can be pinpointed. It is actually very fascinating.

Anyway, Ben called me and informed me that he was coming to identify potential sites. He asked if there were any sites that I knew of that would be interesting to document. Seizing the opportunity, I told him that I knew of the original homestead site of David Cluff (my third great grandfather). He told me that when he arrived, he would take a look. So last Thursday we walked the site.

When we arrived at the site, there was a sister missionary and her husband there. They were living in a house close by. When I told her what we were doing, she began to tear up and told me that she was a direct descendant of David Cluff as well, and that she descends through David's son Joseph. She could not believe that she was living so close to where the home of David was located. It was a touching moment. Of David's eleven sons and one daughter, so far I have come in contact with descendants of Lavina, Moses, William and Joseph here in Nauvoo. It seems that they, like me, are drawn to Father David Cluff and the life he lived here in this place.

As I walked north on what was once Wells St. in front of the David Cluff homestead, I felt strongly that he and his family did indeed live there and that they are all concerned with our lives and what we are doing. It was a unique experience that I will treasure. Further work is required to identify the exact foundation of the home, but the team is coming back in October to do further investigation.

Changing gears...

Yesterday we went to the Mule Festival in Kahoka, MO. I have never seen so many mules. They do all sorts of activity with the mules including music chairs, baseball bat-in-a-bucket, panty hose stretch and more. The girls had a good time.

The girls wanted me to mention that two of our oxen (Don and Duke) were just shipped back to Tennessee for the winter. Only Jesse and Owen are here for the winter activities

There were also three girls here over the weekend for a YSA conference from my bother Ty's ward. Here is a picture of two of them. Erin and Stephanie. Olivia was also here, but she left before we could take the picture.


Pics of bending the new ox yokes out of white oak after cooking them for three hours.



More pics with the cousins from two weeks ago..


Girls with the work horses in Nauvoo...

Angie's Post!

Hi everyone! This is Angie!

You didn't think I was gonna let my dad have all the fun on this blog did you? Haha dad just so you know the blog looks great! So I just wanted to say that it has been really fun out here in Nauvoo. The pizza is only $1 and its sunny everyday... Thats good enough for me! But when we come back to visit you guys up there in Washington I think im gonna be a redneck or somthing...thats what everyone else here is.....Haha thursday was the start of goose hunting season so everyone skipped school to go hunting for geese.... I thought that was really funny! And tomorrow we are going to a HOG ROAST! Haha. But I love it! Its so much fun! I cant wait for everyone to come visit us in beautiful nauvoo- It will be so much fun!!

9-5-2011

Hope everyone is enjoying Labor Day. I thought I would post a few photos for the blog today....


1. The girls with my brother Tyler's kids when they first arrived in St. Louis enjoying some ice cream. From L to R - Sam, David, Angie, Colton, Sadie, Sarah, Emily.


2. Angie admiring one of the Nauvoo Oxen.



3. The girls on the first day of school.



4. This photo was taken after dinner with Pres. and Sis. Ludwig at their home here in Nauvoo.



5. For a little diversion we took the girls to Springfield, IL last weekend to see the home of Abraham Lincoln. Here are the girls being themselves at the hotel pool on the Friday night we arrived in Springfield.



6. Shot taken with the wax (?) figures in the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum. This museum was incredible and worth the trip to Springfield. If you are ever in the area, you should stop by.



7. Pics of the girls with a replica of Abe Lincoln's boyhood home in Kentucky.



8. In front of Abraham Lincoln's original home in Springfield, IL



9. The girls trying to show silence and respect at the Abraham Lincoln tomb.



10. Abraham Lincoln Memorial and Tomb.



11. Our new home in Nauvoo, IL. This is an old farm house built in 1910. This will be our home for the foreseeable future. We love it. It has great character and charm.



12. In front of the temple.



13. Angie



14. Sarah



15. Emily



16. In front of the temple



17. Hillary Corbett Dolder came to visit us over the weekend. It was great to catch up with her and meet her husband's family. This picture is of all of them with us in the farmhouse.



18. Barb's sister Brenda and her family came to visit over the weekend. The girls had a blast with their cousins. They are all cute girls. Barb's parents are also here. In the picture from L to R are... backrow - Amy Garrett, Chris Garett, Brenda Garrett, Angie Cluff, Grandpa Hansen. Front row - Casey Cluff, Barb Cluff, Anna Garrett, Amber Garrett, Emily Cluff, Sarah Cluff, Grandma Hansen