Skip to main content

Topsfield, Mass

 On a recent visit to the Boston area, I took the opportunity to visit a new monument placed in the Pine Grove Cemetery in Topsfield, Massachusetts, by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a memorial for some of the ancestors of Joseph Smith, the founder of my church.

It was a foggy, wet morning, fortunately not rainy. Topsfield seems like a quiet bedroom community for people who work in Boston. The cemetery is very old. I would have loved to walk around but there was snow and the ground was very wet and I had no boots. Fortunately I was able to get close enough to the monument to take some pictures.


These faraway stones were in the background. This section looked like it was one of the oldest in the cemetery if not the very oldest. The monument was close to the main road. It is not known where the actual graves of Samuel Smith II and his wife Priscilla Gould are--the cemetery is just too old. But it seems likely the monument is in the general area.

I took my grandson with me and he had a wonderful time seeking out all the biggest puddles.

After the cemetery I drove to 22 Boardman Lane to to see a marker for the house, now torn down, where Samuel Smith lived. I believe it was where Asael Smith, the grandfather of Joseph Smith, was born and lived. He is also my 4th great-grandfather through my great-grandmother Lorana Smith. 

I enjoyed my visit! It was not too cold, just wet. Here is a link to an article that tells more about it, which is how I originally learned about it::

https://www.thechurchnews.com/history-revisited/2020-12-07/joseph-smith-ancestors-topsfield-massachusetts-monument-president-ballard-198778

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Our Cousin Drew

 This last week, my brother and his wife lost a very precious son, just 13 years old. He collapsed while running with a cross-country team and passed away before he could be revived. Everyone that knew Drew is broken-hearted at this loss. He was the happiest, most agreeable kid we knew. I remember him being at my house without anyone close to his age to hang out with, so he found our Duplo blocks and started building even though it is a toy that boys his age don't usually enjoy. He was so content. He didn't complain that I ever remember. His mother always called him the perfect child. He will leave a big hole in not only his immediate family but our extended family as well.  Here is a poem my aunt shared that seems fitting: Leave Taking How I would have liked to wave goodbye  and watch until you turned and smiled and disappeared on the horizon. You who taught me to dance  and let me teach you,  who laughed at my stories  and winked at me when I was sad. I can  just see you trav
Post a Comment
Read more

Remembering Drew

 This weekend we celebrated Drew's life. On Thursday night, we gathered as an extended family and had a dinner then sat in a big circle and talked about our memories of him. I took some notes and here is what people said. Grandpa (Gary Hansen):  The last time we saw Drew was last week on the 4th. I remember all the cousins on the trampoline, bouncing up and down and playing basketball. Grandma (Susan Hansen):  I asked Drew to come over last winter to teach my Activity Day boys how to make origami stars. He was very patient in working with them even though they were pretty clueless. Eventually they all went home happily with their stars. Paula: This last winter we invited Bruce and Michelle over for dinner and we didn't have anyone his age for him to hang out with. I remember that Drew found the Duplo blocks on his own and played with them all by himself, quite cheerfully entertaining himself. I asked him if he wanted to play with a different toy--maybe something more sophistica
Post a Comment
Read more

Drew's Funeral

Yesterday was the viewing for Drew and then today was the funeral. There were a LOT of people at the viewing. Bruce and Michelle greeted people for almost four hours yesterday and then again this morning before the funeral. Bruce said that if weren't for Drew's death, it would be the best week of his life with so much love being shown to them. Friday actually began with a family run in Drew's honor. We started at a church by the new Lindon temple and ran to Bruce and Michelle's house with breakfast following. Friday night was the viewing. There was a very nice display of all things Drew. This was one of the pictures displayed and I recognized someone I know: We stood in line and the paramedics who worked on Drew stood in line behind us so we got to talk to them. Here's a fun fact:  They cover both Orem and Vineyard but Vineyard gets a lot more 911 calls than Orem per capita. It's a younger population and they are quicker to call. They said it's hard when the
Post a Comment
Read more