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:

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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 .

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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.

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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.

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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



Germany to Salt Lake City via Ellis Island

Today was Fast and Testimony Meeting in my ward and near the end of the meeting it was all I could do to keep from laughing out loud.  A little 8 year old girl walked up to the pulpit and said with an air of sincerity in her voice, "I want to bury my testimony...."

I thought I would share some information about George Adam Linnebach, father of my Grandpa Joe Bush (Arthur Phillip Linnebach) and Grandma's (Lois Fae Linnebach) grandpa.  What a great man!!!  He was born in 1873 in Heidelberg, Germany.  His father was a farmer and part-time employee for the railroad.  In his teens he went to school to become a machinist.  Several years later he went into the army for two years, something that was required of all young men.  While serving he became friends with Heinrich Kirschenlohr.  When they both got out of the service, George went to visit Heinrich who was not home.  Instead, he met Heinrich's sister, Anna.  It was love at first sight.  They were married in 1899.  They began a family which totaled four children by 1907.  A year after their wedding, George and Anna met missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and were soon baptised.  They became active members of the Karlsruh Branch.  At that time in church history, new converts were encouraged to join the Saints in Salt Lake City.  George and his family heeded to call, sold all they had and left for America in 1907, arriving at Ellis Island on 23 April 1907.  Grandpa Joe Bush was 7 years old at the time.  Three days later they arrived in Salt Lake City.  None of them spoke English.  No job.  No place to live.  But the one thing that George did have was faith.  He knew he was heeding the admonition of the Lord's prophet and that the Lord would take care of him.  To make a long story short, the Lord provided. 

Below is part of George Adam Linnebach's autobiography:

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MY LIFE'S RECORD

(written, typed and edited by George Adam

Linnebach) ..... (Copied from his typed record)

l, George Adam Linnebach, was born on the 30th day of August 1873 in Muckenloch, (Heidelberg), Baden Germany. My parents were George Heinrich Linnebach and Johann Marie Vorholser Linnebach, of the same place. I was reared, in this small village and went to the Public school for seven years.

As my parents made their living through farming, I helped them after school and during the summer. My father also worked for the railroad.

When I was 13 years old, my parents moved to Neckargemund and it was here that t graduated from the Public School. For the next three years from April 1888 to April 1891 , I went to Heidelberg to learn a trade as machinist. During this time I also went to business school. After that I worked and traveled all over Germany until 1895 when I had to go into the German army for two years. I would like to mention that during this period from .1891 to 1895, l was kind of wild- - loved to drink, smoke, have a good time, etc. The two years in the army did. me a lot of good and I became a fine young man.

After my release from the army, I worked again at the same job where I worked, before army duty in Meckerheim. One Sunday afternoon I decided to visit a friend of mine, Heinrich Kirschenlohr, who was with me in the army. He lived in Hoffenheim, about a forty minute walk from where I worked. After I arrived in this little town I noticed three good looking girls standing in front of the second house so I asked them if they knew where my friend lived. lt happened that two of these girls a were the sisters of my friend. They told me that their brother was in another town, so we talked for a while and we talked for a while and then I left to my home.

 I liked the Sisters of my friend very much so I decided to visit him again. This time he was home and so were his sisters who invited me to stay for dinner and we had a good time. They accompanied me a little ways on my homeward walk which we all enjoyed. I held Anna's hand and pressed it hard at parting and looked into her eyes. Yes, this was the girl who later became my beloved wife.

During my second year in the army, I made an application for a job with the railroad. ln the spring of 1898 I received word from them that employment was available for me at Karlaruhe and I was glad for this opportunity, but I didn't want to be so far away (fifty miles) from my girl who was now my sweetheart. Hovever, her father was glad as he hoped that this separation would keep Anna from marrying me. Her mother died at childbirth September 9, 1897, leaving an infant brother Adolph, and Anna being the oldest girl, took care of her father's household and the baby. Of course we wrote letters and I visited her occasionally, and we were married in the Lutheran Church May 30, 1899. We loved each other, and worked together to establish a home. I had a steady job with the railroad as a locomotive fireman, which I liked. lt was our desire to fulfill the Lord's commandment to be fruitful and to multiply the earth so we were very happy when on the 3rd of April 1900, our first child, a son, Arthur, was born.

The year 1900 was a blessed one for us as a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ came to our door my wife was at home and when these two missionaries told her that they were from Salt Luke City, her mind immediately went back to her school days and a geography lesson about Utah and the Great Salt Lake. Her school teacher told her that a God-- fearing people lived, near this great lake, that they had built a beautiful city in the desert. She invited them in and they talked about the restoration of the Gospel, and when I returned home from work she told me about them and the wonderful news of our Heavenly Father speaking to the Prophet Joseph Smith.

We invited the missionaries often to our home for dinner, followed by Gospel discussions and we had a blessed time together. As the Lord says that His sheep will hear His voice, we hearkened and were baptized on the 1sth day of October 1900 by Elder Fred Pfost. lt was a hard test for me to live the Word of wisdom as I liked, tobacco and beer and, wine. With the help of the Lord I was able to quit tobacco entirely but I did drink a glass of beer or wine once in awhile. I lost 15 pounds after I quit drinking but was blessed with greater strength and health and could do my work better.  Of course persecution came after we joined the church and our friends turned into enemies but, the Lord blessed us with wisdom so that we could defend ourselves and bear our testimony and we never regretted that we had joined the true church. On the 12th of June 1901 , our second child was born and we gave her the name of Karoline Elise.

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Will include the second half of his autobiograph next week.  Also, it is because of George and Anna Linnebach that we open presents on Christmas Eve.

George Adam Linnebach



George Adam Linnebach Military Unit




Ellis Island Record (a similar certificate exists for the whole family)




The Chemitz, the ship that brought them to America