MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MONUMENT FOUNDATION, INC.
| Volume 36 | June 2008 |
| Board Members | Committee Chairs |
||
| Federal Stewardship: Ron Wright | |||
| Bob Fancher, Secretary (417) 625-1014 | Membership: Scott Fancher | ||
| Pat Stroud, Treasurer (479) 738-2484 | Arkansas History: Diann Fancher |
||
| Harley Fancher (870) 743-2385 | Newsletter: Burr Fancher | ||
| Burr Fancher (541) 926-3125 | Carrollton Lodge: Scott Fancher | ||
| Ron Wright (541) 410-7898 | Interpretative plaques: Susan Fancher | ||
| Susan Fancher (760) 931-6251 | Cemetery Marking: Jim Fletcher |
||
| Library Collections: Burr Fancher | |||
| Proxy Baptism: Harley Fancher |
10th ANNUAL MEETING
MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MONUMENT FOUNDATION,
INC.
September 11, 12, 13
Thursday, September 11 (GET ACQUAINTTED TIME)
Friday, September 12 (GET DOWN TO BUSINESS DAY)
Saturday, September 13 (HAVE FUN TOGETHER DAY)
Lodging options in
117 Hwy 43 E,
(Tel: 1-800-465-4329 or 870-741-3636; www.harrisonexpress.com)
Comfort Inn
1210 Hwy 62-65-412 N, Harrison (Tel: 1-800-741-7676; www.harrisoncomfortinn.com)
Days Inn
1425 Hwy 62-65-412N,
More specifics on meeting locations and
tour options will be forthcoming in August newsletter.
By Bob Fancher
The
Mountain Meadow Monument Foundation met
March 28, 2008, at the Old Lodge
in Carrollton, Arkansas. Representatives of
the Foundation and the Mountain Meadows
Association and the Mountain Meadows
Descendants met with represenatives of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
Saints (LDS) from Salt Lake City,
Utah. A sign-up sheet is attached
to show attendance. Terry Fancher,
President of the Association had planned
on being at the meeting but, due
to airline problems, arrived later.
Barbara
Jones Brown acted as chair of the
meeting and introduced the participants
from LDS. Phil Bolinger and Patty
Norris introduced members present from
their organizations.
Elder
Marlin Jensen, Church Historian, discussed
the Mountain Meadows property ownership and
the parcels that the church has
purchased. The upper grave sites (Burgess
property) was a recent purchase. The
LDS church has the intent of
preserving the area from enchroachment.
Richard
Turley, Assistant Church Historian and
author of forthcoming book, discussed the
request of the three organizations for
National Historic Landmark status. The
request, activities at the 150th observance
last September, and the attendance of
Elder Eyring, who has sinced moved to
First Counsellor, helped support the
seeking of NHL status. The LDS church
WILL seek NHL status. The federal
committee which approves these requests
meets twice yearly. The application, hopefully,
will be ready for the committee’s
November meeting. If all goes well,
the approval may come within a
year.
Steve
Olsen, Anthropologist and planner for MMM
site, spoke about preliminary plans. Steve
said that we can’t change the past
but we can change the future. It
is rare for the LDS church to
seek NHL status but because of the
joint request application would be made.
The church desires to honor the
victims of this tragedy. Steve spoke
specifically on the upper gravesite
property as follows:
Development
Principles:
* Develop the site as a
memorial to those buried there.
* Support but don’t duplicate
the main memorial site.
Development Objectives:
* Document the site with
ground penetrating radar and surface
mapping.
* Place parking, fencing and
marking in areas that contain no
possibility of graves.
* Have a trained
archaeologist monitor the digging of post
holes and other intrusive
development.
* Allow for walking access
onto the site but avoid placing
pathways where burials occurred.
* Place a few interpretive
markers adjacent to the parking lot
that preserves the memory of the dead.
Steve presented a
preliminary map of the site and some
thoughts on possibilities there.
Concerns were expressed
by attendees:
* Make sure the pathways
are defined and limit walking access to
other areas.
* Will
there need to be handicapped access?
* There is a possibility
of erosion in the drainage area.
* If bones
are inadvertently discovered, have a
defined process to handle.
* Include
Dan Sill Hill, which is in National
Forest, in application.
To assist in the
application, the three descendant organizations
will provide a joint letter of
support detailing significance as a national
historic site. This letter will be
needed by mid-summer.
Lunch was provided and
the groups then held a news
conference.
Elder Marlin Jensen brought message to wagon train relatives at
Carrollton
National Landmark
Designation for
I was recently informed that the
Remembering
By Lisa Lewis
The world may not know the story here, But we know it well and we want to share. The tales of our past and our history too, The folklore that's not myth but fact for sure. I give you the story to pass down to yours, The truth of our family and those that came before. The ones that suffered loss and a sad, terrible fate, Let's not let the story die. Let's continue the tale. Let's blaze new trails make new memories that last, Let's love each other with a love that will forever stand. The test of enduring time and all that comes ahead, Let us share the story with all and never forget. |
Oregon-California Trails
Library Dedication
A small group of MMMF members and about 70
locals attended the dedication of a major library collection at the
Oregon-California Trails Library in
MMMF members Phil Bolinger, Bob Fancher, Elmer Faddis, Burr &
Ada Fancher, James Bolinger and Bill Basham at the book display at the OCTA Mattes
Library
Library Dedication in
A major library collection is being pulled
together for the Sharlot Library in
Smaller collections of Mountain Meadows
information is being placed in counties where the story is most important to
local readers because of family and historical ties to the wagon train. Benton,
Calhoun, Crawford, Johnson,
The new library in
Marking Survivor
While in
Touch of History
LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF
JESSE DUNLAP, SR.
Johnson and State of Arkanasas, now being in ill
health but sound and disposing mind and memory make and publish this my last
will and testament hereby revoking all former wills by me at any time
heretofore made.
FIRST. I hereby constitute and appoint my son Jesse
Dunlap Jun. to be sole executor of this last will directing my said executor to
pay all my just debts and funeral expenses and the legacies hereinafter given
out of my estate.
SECOND. after the payment of my said debts and funeral
expenses I gave to my wife Rebecca one bay mare and two cows and ten head of
sheep and one bed for her sole use and the place and all the property
pertaining thereunto that isnot otherwise appropriated to be use while she
remains single or till her son
Marion becomes of age and then the place is his except (her) son Samuel shall stay and help to raise the children until he is married then he is to have a nag and the lower end of this claim up to the cain paster and all over the other side of the creek for his own and also for my two youngest sons Marion and Franklin two hundred fifty dollars for each of them to be paid out for their use and benefit in education and other expenses that may occur and the remainder paid to them when they become of age, and the proceeds of my flat rock place to my son Franklin also and also one bed for each of them and bed cloths and the amount of money due
to the foregoing heirs which is fivehundred dollars the executor is to have the use without any percent he takes the percent of the same for his attention to the same which is his services and trouble attending to the
raising and welfare and also his two
youngest daughters is to have the same attention without any further charge
than the use of this money to the youngest daughters Martha and Rutha is to
have a common education so as to spell and read tollerable well and one horse a
pieceand cow and calf and one bed a piece out of what is left pertaining to the
place when they come of age, and for my other children, six sons and one daughter
is to have all my claim for land or demands for money that I have or
is any ways due me by any claim whatever and I do appoint
my executor and empower him fully to collect all such claims or demands as may
be due me and then the proceeds of the same after paying all charges shall be
equally divided between my six children to wit: James D. Dunlap, A. P. Dunlap
and Nancy I., and L.D. Dunlap and Jesse Dunlap Jun. and George Washington
Dunlap and fourteen head of sheep to be divided between A.P. Dunlap and L.D.
Dunlap and Jesse Dunlap equally between those three and his saddle nag is to be
sold and nine dollars out of the price to be paid to Washington instead of a
cow
and he also is to have one bed and bed cloths as
common and the balance of the price of the saddle nag is to be laid out for the
use of the family according to the necesities and two dollars to James D.
Dunlap and I do bequeath to my four eldest sons James D. Dunlap and A.P. Dunlap
and L.D. Dunlap and Jesse Dunlap Jun. forty four bushels of wheat and 1 clock
and one saddle all to be sold and the net proceeds to be equally divided
between the above forenamed heirs.
And to more fully express the intent of my wife's
legacy I go futher to express it so far as I say for sole use I meant what I
say but for the balance that pertains to the place and place I intend also and
children I intend for my executor to take charge of all the property and place
and children when ever he sees any waste going on or bad government such as is
not commendable in the sight of prudent people and all the property that
remains undisposed of shall be sold and the net proceeds equally divided between
all the heirs and
this the 6th of December,A.D.1847.
his
JESSE X DUNLAP (SEAL)
mark
SINGED SEALED AND PUBLISHED and declared by the said
Jesse Dunlap Senr. as andfor his last will and testament in the presence of us
who in his presence and in the presence of each other have suscribed our names
as witnesses hereunto
JESSE DUNLAP Junr.
ADAM P. DUNLAP
STATE OF
Sct
Be it remembered that on this day personally appeared
defore me, Augustus M. Wark,Clerk of the Circuit Court and Ex-Officio Clerk of
the Probate Court, Jesse Dunlap Junior and Adam P. Dunlap, the attesting
witnessesto the annexed last will and testament of Jesse Dunlap Sr. deceased
late of the County of
Johnson and State of Arkansas who after being duly
sworn deposes and says that the testator subscribed the annexed last will and
testament at the end of the said will, in the presence of these attesting
witnesses, by making his mark thereunto and at the time of making said mark or
superscription, the testator declared the said instrument so subscribed to be
his last will and testament, and each of these deponents signed their names in
the presence of the testator and in presence of each other as witnesses at the
end of the said will at the request of the testator the said Jesse Dunlap
Senior deceased.
SWORN to and subscribed before me this
JESSE DUNLAP junr.
ADAM P. DUNLAP
A. M. WARK. clk