A Call to Repentance

While I was a student at BYU, I remember visiting Grandma Blanche (Blanche Ruby Worthen) at her condominium in Salt Lake City, Carriage Lane.  It was a nice development with plenty of flowers, especially petunias which she loved and paid the gardeners extra to plant outside her unit.  Grandpa (Charles Cash Rampton, Jr.) was also there.  I wish I could remember more of the details, but I can't.  What I do remember was her scolding Grandpa for something.  I was shocked.  Later she explained to me, "Charlie, dear" (that's what she always called me) "I will always be your dad's mother and it will always be my job to correct him when needed."  How true.  You never stop being a parent with all the attending responsibilities.

The last few weeks I have written about George Adam Linnebach, Grandpa Joe Bush's father.  He, too, believed that principle of parental responsibility.  He was always concerned, and undoubtedly saddened, that his oldest and only son was not active in the church.  We can only speculate on the number of father/son conversations that took place over the years between the two.  But despite those heart-to-hearts and plenty of prayer, Grandpa Joe Bush (Arthur Phillip Linnebach) never was an active member of the church.  He supported his wife and children going (for which we should be thankful) but church was not for him.  He always had a Word of Wisdom problem and perhaps it was guilt from this that kept him from full fellowship.  In December 1939  George Adam Linnebach tried a different approach to motivate his son.  He wrote him a letter, a copy of which is still in existence, and gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon.  This letter provides some insight into the faith and testimony that George possessed.  Here is the letter.  Remember when reading it that George's English was never perfect:

=================================================

To my dear son Arthur,

I feel very sorry to have to write this letter, but I feel as your father, it is my duty to do so and I ask and pray that the Spirit of our Heavenly Father might lead my hand and inspire me to say a few words to you which will be a blessing to you and your family and a comfort to your old parents.

As the holy Xmas is here again, a Feast of Love and Giving, then so also loveth God the world that he giveth his only begotten Son, to be born and die for us that we might be saved.  Oh what I gift.  Yes, we are Christ's people and try to make others happy, children the parents, parents the children. Yes, that brings me back sixty years far away, where my old neighborhood stands and I sure think you, my son, got the same feelings as your birth was in this beautiful city Karlsruhe. Yes, this coming spring will be 40 years ago.  A great and sorrowful life is behind us and there, but I hope and pray that the Lord will bless us and thee my son ----and a blessed life may be ours in the coming year.

My dear son, may the Spirit of our Heavenly Father touch your heart that you may see the sweetness of life and enjoy your life in a better way in the future than you have done in the past.  Yes, when I think back almost 40 years ago, you had been born to us as our oldest child. Yes, oh this joy and happiness was in our humble home.  A little later our missionaries did come to our home and brought us these glad tidings.  The true church is again on the earth, the Lord has again spoken from heaven; yes, the Lord has blessed us that we could see the light that shines out of darkness.  A few years later we left our dear old fatherland, yes our loved ones, my dear old mother, your dear old father did come out here about 7000 miles just for the gospel's sake, to a new land, another language, all everything different, with four little children, probably you can remember the hard times we went through.  But in all these struggles, it was our humble desire to serve our God and to make our children a home.  Yes, we cannot say a swell home, but we have done the best, I hope, for the conditions we have been in.  But we kept our faith and the Lord has blessed us wonderfully by hard work sorrow and struggle.  Yes, you sure can remember when I worked for Buehner and took you with me to work.  The men who we worked with in the Depression did come to me and ask me to start up my own business.  It was then you left me as I need you so bad.  Oh, these had been very sad hours for your dad, but I struggled along, always faithfully and earnestly and the times did become better and better. 

Yes, you went to California and get your experience (bad habits) where you still suffer under today.  It is of no use to bring up past stuff, but it makes us think sometimes and we may think "not anymore". 

My son Art, it is never too late to repent, yes repent.  Take a good look at your dear wife and your dear little children, look around your home. If you do not think "I will be a better husband to my wife, a better father to my dear children, a better son to my old worrying parents, a better citizen to my country, I will serve my God with all my strength and power, I want to get the holy priesthood of God, I want to be married in the holy Temple of the Lord to my dear wife.  I want my dear children sealed to me because they are mine and I love them, yes, I will seek wisdom out of the best books, I will go to my meetings and take part of the holy Sacrament, I will pay my tithing and fast offerings which the Lord requires of me that I may enjoy his blessings.  Yes, to do these I will try good and hard to quit smoking, drinking and I will try to keep my body clean and sound, that the Holy Spirit can dwell in me."

"Oh may the Lord bless me that I can do it"

My dear son what do you think of your loving father's suggestions?  They are only for you and yours welfare.  It is my humble desire and mind and your mother's wishes as an Xmas gift from their only son.  Then understand, through study and obedience, the glorious purpose why we are here on this earth, it is for a wise and glorious purpose as we are all the sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father in the spirit.  When we die our spirit goes to spirit world, there he waits until the resurrection, then our body, yes our sanctified glorified body, will take its spirit again to be united and live through all eternity.  Yes my son, I feel that you cannot understand these glorious things which our Father in Heaven has prepared for us if we are faithful.  Oh my son these things are true, just as true as I am in your father. Therefore my son I want you to enjoy these wonderful gifts and blessings. Oh, if you listen to these things, you will see how your body will change.  It is only the Devil that wants to keep us away from doing our duties and serving our Lord.  I know my son that you will have a hard battle to fight but if you want to be victorious, you have to do it and you will thank your Father in Heaven day and night. Your parents are praying for you.  May of the Lord bless you my son. I give you a little Xmas gift, it is the most glorious book besides the Bible that is on the earth, given to Joseph Smith. I pray thee read and study it and you will be blessed .

=====================================

That is quite a testimony......"a voice speaking from the dust," not only to his son in 1939 but to all future generations who have an opportunity to read it and feel its spirit.  In 1939 Grandpa Joe Bush would have been 39 years old.  Grandma (Lois Fae Linnebach) would have been 9.  I don't know that I will write any more about George Adam Linnebach.  But, through what I have written these past few weeks, I have come to have a greater esteem for the man that he was.  In some respects, he was like Father Lehi who listened to the promptings of the Lord, took his family from their homeland, into the wilderness, and finally to the promised land.  The journey was not easy.  Laman and Lemuel contributed much to that fact.  George Adam Linnebach was taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ by missionaries in his homeland of Karlsruhe, Germany.  He was moved upon by the Holy Ghost which bore witness to him of the truth.  He and his wife were baptized.  And then, perhaps most remarkable of all, sold all he had and moved his young family to Zion.  He did not speak English, had no place to stay and no job.  But, as I wrote before, he had faith.  And that faith resulted in a good life for he and his family.  Thanks be to God for George Adam Linnebach.



Arthur Phllip Linnebach and his children Glen, Diane, Lois and Carole - photo taken about the time of the Xmas Letter



Ellis Island Scare

The lesson in Priesthood meeting today was on the Gathering of Israel.  As I listened to the message, my mind was drawn to Henry Rampton, John Worthen, Mary Cowap Worthen, George and Anna Linnebach, as well as other ancestors who left behind their homes, possessions and families to come to Zion.  Many had been disowned by their families who had even inflicted persecutions upon them.  When I visited Ellis Island a few years ago and walked where hundreds of thousands of immigrants walked, I thought about George Adam Linnebach, his wife Anna and their four children, Arthur, Karoline (which was later Anglicized to Caroline), Frieda and Lena being part of this experience that the audio tour described.  How would I have felt ....  afraid, nervous, apprehensive.  I wonder if at that time the song "Come, Come Ye Saints had been translated into German?  If so, perhaps the words, "We'll find the place which God for us prepared, far away in the West, where none shall come to hurt or make afraid, where the Saints will be blessed" gave them comfort.  They certainly had the faith that all would be well.  As they went through the processing at Ellis Island they would need that faith.  In her book, The Linnebachs, Caroline Litke Linnebach (oldest daughter of George and Anna Linnebach) described a difficult experience.

"At Ellis Island, the family had a traumatic experience.  The examining officer detained them.....would not let Frieda pass, the two and a half year old child as she had a rash on her chin.  The rest of the family could enter but she would have to be returned to Germany.  What could they do?  Father and Mother asked God for guidance.  After their prayer, they were inspired to ask for an American doctor's opinion.  He pronounced it childhood eczema and she could enter because it wasn't contagious.  Joy and gratitude filled their hearts.....now all could continue their journey."

Do you think that was a fervent prayer they offered?  I can only imagine what must have been going through their hearts and minds.  "Panic" is the first word that comes to my mind.  But for George, perhaps it was "Faith" or "Trust."  In the end, they trusted in the Lord and all was well.

Here is the rest of George Adam Linnebach's autobiography.  It ends very abruptly and I have not been able to locate any more.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the year 1902, I was ordained a Teacher in the Aaronic Priesthood which I appreciated very much, and one year later on the l0th of May I was ordained, a Priest by Priest by Heber Q. Hale. Now I had the authority to administer the Sacrament and to preach the Gospel, and was a great help to the elders. Our branch in Karlsruhe was growing despite the opposition from the Government and the banishment of the elders* at times. (*missionaries)

During this time I got along very well on the job and was sent to a special school from which I graduated with a very good report after which I became a government locomotive fireman. Our third child, Frieda Johanna was born

September 22, 1904, making quite a little family to keep my wife busy. As I now had several "free" days each month from work, I made several articles of furniture for my wife, also a little two-seater wagon which we used for the children in our walks in the nearby forest. We enjoyed these walks in the forests very much and often gathered wild raspberries and sometimes the whole branch went on these excursions.

It was now almost six years since we had joined the church and the desire to go to Zion was in our hearts. We did not want our children to be persecuted and opposed as we were and we wanted to be obedient to the commandment and get out of Babylon. The birth of our 4th child, Lena Anna on November 30, 1906, made our desire even stronger. I had to notify the government four months ahead of my intention of quitting my job and it was also necessary to notify our landlord four months in advance so that he could sell our apartment.  It was a good thing that our baby was born on the 30th so that I could take care of these things on the first of December.

The next four months were very exciting but also very hard. We had to sell our furniture which we had bought with my wife's savings at the time of our marriage, give up a good job, a lovely home, leave our loved ones. We shed many tears but the Lord strengthened us and gave us the courage to face the task of taking four little children across the ocean into strange land, a strange tongue, strange customs.

We left Karlsuhe, Baden, Germany on the 5th of April, 1907 and sailed from Bremen, Germany on the 7th. Yes, it was a hard test for my wife and me but we had an abiding trust in our God that it was His will that we do this. We arrived in New York City on the 23rd of April in good health after a good trip. Three days later we arrived in Salt Lake City. Utah -Zion-- and our new home. Sis. Katherine Keller, mother of our conference president John Schoenhals, took us into her home for two days after which we rented a little house, bought a little furniture and started to make a new home. I found a job with Silver Bros. Machinery Company on the second day. Six weeks after our arrival in this land, I was ordained an Elder which gave me great joy.

About six months later we bought a little home at 913 Washington St. using the money which my dear mother had given to us shortly before we left Germany.  She gave us 2000 marks and would have given us more as she knew that my brother would never send me my share of my inheritance at her death but she feared the wrath of her children who thought I was insane at joining the  Mormons.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is all for now.  Next week I will write about Christmas Eve and the Linnebach parties, which, as I mentioned before, is the reason we open presents on Christmas Eve.



George Adam Linnebach Family about 1905 (2 years befor emmigration)
Karoline, Anna, Frieda (who had the rash at Ellis Island), George and Arthur



The Dog Named Jack

I like the poem about crows that Elder Packer quoted in his General Conference talk yesterday.  It is called "About Crows" by John Ciardi:

The old crow is getting slow;
the young crow is not.
Of what the young crow does not know,
the old crow knows a lot.

At knowing things, the old crow is still
the young crow’s master.
What does the old crow not know?
How to go faster.

The young crow flies above, below, and rings
around the slow old crow.
What does the fast young crow not know?
WHERE TO GO.

To me, this poem is about the value of experience, the value of history, and the value of things that have gone on before us.  In part, that is why I am writing this blog.....so that you will be able to learn about the past.  And in doing so, hopefully your future will be brighter.  When you get the chance, read Elder Bednar's talk from yesterday's conference session and then ask yourself "How does his message affect me?"

I thought I would write some more about Grandpa Joe Bush (Arthur Phillip Linnebach.)  Did you know that in the older neighborhoods of Salt Lake City, probably 75% of all the curbs and gutters were constructed by his company, A.P. Linnebach Construction.  I'll have to ask Uncle Glen since I do not know if he started that company on his own or if he took over his father's (George Adam Linnebach) company when he retired.  Nevertheless, it was a good business and he was finally able to provide a comfortable living for his family....Grandma (Lois Fae Linnebach) no longer had to pluck the feathers off the chickens that Glen had decapitated.

I mentioned last week that Grandpa Joe Bush was not active in the church, but he supported his family going to church.  Also,  Grandma told me a story of how one winter when there was no cement work because of the cold that he and his men built a new church building for their ward.  All the ward had to provide was the materials.  He paid his men for their time.  That was back in a time when ward members had to pay for their own buildings.  I still have fond and vivid memories of Grandma Ethel's and Grandpa Joe Bush's house on 27th South in Salt Lake City.  In the back yard was a huge (or at least it seemed huge then) shed/garage where he kept all his construction equipment.  It was great fun to go in there and climb all over the tractors and back-hoes.   Next to the shed was his aviary where he kept his parakeets, dozens of them.  I'll never forget the time he was walking inside the cage (it was as big as my living room) and one of the birds pooped on his head and he didn't even know it.  It was great fun telling him and seeing his reaction.....which was in German.

Another of my most cherished memories of Grandpa Joe Bush was his cabin east of Salt Lake City up in the mountains.  It always seemed like such a long drive to get there, but when you are ten, anything over a half hour seems like a long time.  It was a great place, big enough for all the aunts, uncles and cousins to visit at the same time.  No radio, no TV, no computer.  The nightly entertainment was always provided by Grandpa Joe Bush on his accordion.  This is where all the Linnebach grandchildren learned the song about the dog named Jack.  Nearby the cabin was a lake with a beaver pond.  It was great fun to hike up the trail and catch frogs, big ones.  This was also the place I learned to fish which was a favorite activity of the family.  Grandpa Joe Bush had his special rod and reel, but he always brought extras for the grandkids.  One day he rigged me up a special line, special in that the end the line forked into two separate lines, each with its own hook.  Grandpa Joe Bush put worms on both hooks and cast the line out near the logs the beavers had cut down.  The rainbow trout liked to hang out in the shade under the logs.  Then he gave the rod and reel to me.  I don't know how long it was but when I felt the little tug on the line I jerked the pole back....I had one on the hook.  It felt like a big one.  I reeled and reeled til finally the fish was near the shore.  But to my and everyone else's surprise, I didn't have one big fish; I had two fish, one on each line.  No fish story!!!   The only bad thing about catching a fish was having to clean it.  Yuck.

When I was in the 4th or 5th grade Grandma Ethel and Grandpa Joe Bush built a new house way out in the country (at least in the 1960's it was in the country) on 80th South in Sandy, Utah.  They had a huge lot,  big front yard, bigger back yard, 2000 square foot aviary, and even a horse pasture all the way in the back.  The aviary was world famous.  People from all over the world would come to see his pheasants and peacocks and study his breeding techniques.

Let me close with part of the eulogy that my Uncle Cece delivered at Grandpa Joe Bush's funeral in 1969.

"We should all be aware of what the Lord taught and expressed about the Eternal Plan for man and his family. The importance of the family and the unity, therein, is expressed by President McKay when he stated “No success in Life compensates for failure in the home”… Of all the beautiful and wonderful tributes given about Art today, the most outstanding would be his ability and desire to unify his family and keep them close to him. He loved to go fishing and hunting and wherever Art went, Ethel, the Girls and Boys, and many of their friends would go with them. I remember many of those special trips with the family and I know that many of you have gone with them also.

"For almost half of my live I have known Art, and during that time I had never met a man who gained Respect and Love without demanding it, as Art did. He loved life and only took out of it what he was able to put back, and that was a great deal of joy and satisfaction that he shared with others. He had a sense of accomplishment and succeeded in doing many satisfying things. He loved a challenge and met each one with a determination to succeed.

"Art loved to build, and he built and constructed many things...Homes to sell, Apartments to rent, and Boats. He built a lovely, large cabin in the mountains so he and his family and friends could go too and enjoy the beauties of nature & of God.  Art wasn’t a steady church going person but be made sure his children attended their meetings. A more Christian person, I will probably never have the privilege of knowing.

"His love for boats enabled him to construct and race boats. He entered many races and won several with ones he had constructed himself, and at these races would be his family cheering him on.

"Art was a good provider and made sure there was always food on the table. He was a stern father and each one of the family knew he was the master of his house. He didn’t say too much to me when I was courting his daughter, but I knew there were certain rules of the house also, and since I came from a small family I had to learn some of the rules of a large one and one of these rules was that at the dinner table you had better take what you wanted the first time because there wasn’t a second chance.

"Art loved family get-togethers and if they weren’t moving fast enough or weren’t joyful enough, out would come the good old squeezebox and toe taping, music, and songs would soon follow. This usually led Art into teaching the grandchildren new songs to sing. One of the good old favorites was the old Sow Song which the grandchildren loved to hear Art sing and act out. There was another one which we won’t mention, but it was a family joke song, that usually brought a reprimand from one of the daughters.

Art loved music and had a keen ear for pitch and tone, he enjoyed harmonizing with his girls and boys and with his son-in-laws and anyone else who wanted to sing. He loved to listen to barber shop music and Quartets. One of his favorite songs was Nearer My God to Thee.” (end of eulogy)

One last thought.  On December 24, 1969 Grandpa Joe Bush lay in a hospital bed, the only time in his life he was ever sick.  Lung cancer had ravaged his body and the end was near.  The pain medication caused him to come in and out of consciousness.  Late in the afternoon he awoke for one last time, raised his head and focused on an upper corner in the room.  His last words were, "Daddy."  He then closed his eyes and his immortal soul left his cancer-ravaged body to be with loved ones who had come to bring him home.  And probably a short time later the family all sang:

There was an old dog and his name was Jack

And he pooped all over the railroad track.

Then the train came by and the poop flew high

And it hit the conductor square in the eye.



The Hunter




Grandma Ethel, Grandpa Joe Bush, Lori Gritton, Jimmy Rampton