Below are links to historical features of our family past:
Where the Name Edwin Ruthven Came From — We cannot verify this exactly — but we’re pretty certain of the theory on this one. A fun topic.
Brothers — The mystery of John Westover is solved with the telling of the loving story of Jonathan Westover, the brother of Jonas, Jr. who stepped up to raise the orphaned Westover children. He would be the first of many influential brothers over many generations of the family.
Take an Indian to Lunch — A discussion of modern perceptions of Puritans as we introduce the father-and-son video story of men who shared the name Jonas Westover.
Who Raised John Westover? — The dates revealed an epic family tragedy: both parents died within a month of each other, leaving five kids under the age of 12 orphaned. And yet the youngest of these children — John Westover, who was only 3 when his parents died — went on to live an epic life of consequence in another place. What happened?
Adventures in Finding Colonial Westovers — A runaway Google search for information about Revolution-era family members leads to unexpected new information.
The Small World of the 1800s — On paper some of our ancestors lived far apart and appear not to have known each other. But some amazing coincidences sure put them in contact with people of mutual acquaintance.
Electa’s Letter — We share a brief letter written from Electa Beal Westover to William R. Westover.
Was it one of the Three Nephites? — A brief look at the life of Ann Findley Westover and her experience of a mysterious priesthood blessing.
Mother Electa — A look at the life of mother Electa Beal Westover, the first Westover to join the church. This 19th century pioneer ancestor is one of many strong Westover women of faith.
The Epic Life of Jonas Westover — Details of the life of the first Westover in America, a follow-up to our introductory video.
Westovers in America — Our first video production explaining who the first Westover in America was and the circumstances that led to his journey.
A Story of Trek — The brother of our Ann Findley Westover, William Findley, came to Zion in 1848. This is the story of his trek and the family heirloom that survives and is passed down to this day to a select member of the family named Lindsay, after the mother of William and Ann.
Family Witnesses of the Transfiguration of Brigham Young — One of the most controversial episode of early Mormon history is the debated “transfiguration” of Brigham Young. Speaking before the gathered congregation of Latter-day Saints in Nauvoo, Illinois it appeared to many that Brigham Young took on the image and sound of the Prophet Joseph. Several family members recorded their memories of the event and add their witness.
Finding Grandpa in Topaz — A discovery of a new picture of Leon A. Westover during his time as a school teacher in a Japanese Relocation Center in Topaz, Utah during World War II leads to a showcase of family pictures taken while living there.
The Testimony of Joseph Homer Snow — From the book Valiant in the Faith, which details the family history of Gardner Snow’s family, including many descendants, comes this testimony of Joseph Homer Snow, father of Muriel Snow Riggs, my grandmother’s mother.