Willard Fredrick Rasmussen - Missionary

Willard served in the Northern States Mission from 1916-1918.  I don't know the months but he was home in time to marry Inez Harrison on Oct 2, 1918.  The Northern States Mission was the 2nd permanent mission in the United States to be organized as a fully functioning mission, with missionaries functioning under a mission president.  It was organized in 1878 with its headquarters in Council Bluffs, Iowa.  The mission headquarters were moved to Chicago in 1896. 

Ada May Rasmussen Nash Cook

I have several pictures of Ada Rasmussen but I couldn't find her on any of my family group sheets.  I vaguely remember hearing mention of Aunt Ada but that was when I was younger and didn't care much about my ancestors.  So last night when I came upon this picture I wanted to know how Ada May fit in with the Richard George Harrison family.

Back- Almira, Arthur, & Richard George Harrison, Ada May Rasmussen, Mary, Garth & Inez Rasmussen Front-Heber, Hannah, & Marie Harrison circa 1921

My first thought was that Ada married one of Mads Peter Rasmussen's children but she didn't show up anywhere as a spouse to the Rasmussen children.  I did some searching online and found out her parents were Mads Peter Rasmussen and Mary Peterson (or Ahlgreen).  If that was the case why didn't she show up on that family group sheet I copied from Mary Collett?  She should be on there as Willard's sister and Inez's  sister-in-law.

To support the idea that she was Willard's sister I found this picture in the lot Brent Collett sent.  Here's Ada  with at least 4  of Mads Peter Rasmussen's children.  If she is Mads' daughter why isn't she on the family group sheet?

Emily R. Collett, Ada R. Cook, Willard Rasmussen, Alice R. Bascom, X, Mary Rasmussen in front.  Picture was taken before 1941 when Mary died.

I also have a picture I received from Brent Collett showing Ada Rasmussen and Mark Cook.  As I looked at that picture I recalled my mother telling me about my father's aunt who married a  Nash boy and then married a Cook boy.  I couldn't understand why she wasn't on the family group sheet. 

Using this picture for a springboard I tried a search for Ada Cook with Mark Nuttall Cook as her husband.  I found a death certificate verifying Mark as her husband but her parents were listed as Carl Helstren and Mary Allgreen.

I went back to the family group sheet where I discovered that Anna Marie Peterson (Willard's mother) went by Mary and was raised by a step-father with the last name Ahlgren (or Allgreen).  Also, after Mads Peter died in 1886 (3 years before Ada's birth) Mary married Carl Fredrick Hellstrom on Sep 1, 1888.  They later divorced.  When I read that, I again remembered something I'd heard years ago - The Hellstom guy didn't stay around so Ada went by the same name as her step-siblings: Rasmussen.  If I only had a brain!  That's one reason I'm writing this down so I don't have to go through this identical search in a few years.

One mystery cleared up, I next hoped to discover the truth about Ada's marriage to Edwin Junius Nash and Mark Nuttall Cook.  According to my remembrance of the story my mother told me - Ada was engaged to Edwin Nash but he died in an accident before they were married.  So a friend of both Ada and Edwin stood in as proxy for Edwin who was sealed to Ada in the SLC temple.  That friend, Mark Cook, was then married in a civil ceremony within the temple, on the same day, to Ada.  Astonishing!  And mind-boggling!

My searching didn't reveal as much as I'd hoped.  I did find evidence of Ada being married to both men but the date of her marriage to Nash varied from 1909 to 1919 on family search.com.  There is evidence that they were sealed in the SLC temple on 2 Oct 1919, which is the same day that Ada received her endowments.   And that is the same day she was married to Mark Cook.  But there are so many variations in dates and info that I don't know if we will ever know the truth.  Suffice it to say Ada is sealed to both Edwin Nash and Mark Cook.  Have any of you heard this story before?  

Willard & Inez were married in 1918, one year before Ada married her two husbands.  Inez and Ada were only 4 1/2 months difference in age and were school buddies long before Inez married into the Rasmussen family.  Ada was probably over to Inez's house many times while they were growing up, thus the tie in I was looking for at the beginning of this post to the Richard George Harrison family.

***Added note - Last night when I was searching Ada Rasmussen Cook, Myke asked if she was Morris Cook's mother.  In an all-knowing voice I said no.  But earlier today I found a 1930 census that listed Mark and Ada Cook as the husband and wife with Morris and Lea (I believe) as children in the home.  After writing the post earlier today I decided to find out if Ada was Morris' mother.  I found a record showing Morris' father as Mark Nuttall Cook and his mother as Amy Amanda Remington.  Amy died in 1918, the same year as Ada's fiance, Edwin Nash.  That somewhat explains why Mark Cook was willing to stand in proxy for Nash to be sealed to Ada, because Mark was already sealed to Amy Amanda.  This way Ada had a husband, someone to take care of her, and Mark had a mother for his children.  Very pragmatic people.

Histories of Almira Duke Harrison, Richard George Harrison, & Hannah Adams Harrison

The other day I searched Richard George Harrison on google and came across a blog sponsored by Dorothy and Ray Jones.  Dorothy is Heber Harrison's daughter.  They have posted a picture of each of the 3 people mentioned in the title along with a short history.

Their blog is At Home Now and Forever.  Well worth checking out.

Three Pictures of Inez Harrison Rasmussen

This first one is when Inez was about 3 years old.  She was born Oct 22, 1888 so that picture was taken either in 1891 or 1892.  Isn't she just the cutest.  Several of her grandchildren looked much like her when they were younger.  Edna Rasmussen Call Gardner remembers her mother (Inez) telling her that the camera man told her to hold her hands like that so she would be ready to hold the birdie that would come out of the camera.





The second picture is Inez either on her wedding day, Oct 2, 1918, or a wedding announcement picture perhaps for the newspaper.  This is a picture I asked Edna about in 2010.  She told me it was her mother's wedding picture.

The 3rd picture doesn't have a date but I assume it was before they moved into their new home, so that would make it prior to 1952.  You can just make out the outline of a young person standing inside the front screen door.  If we knew if that was one of her children or a grandchild it could help narrow the date.

Four Rasmussen Children

I sent this picture to Aunt Edna last summer for a date and names.  I laughed when she told me, "The one standing at attention is your dad."  The date is 1927 c and the kids are Paul, Mary, Earl, and Garth.  I remember seeing that same look on Paul's face when he was much older.

Long Legs

Granddad sure has long legs.  I had heard that he had a really long stride and could walk fast and far. After seeing these pictures, I can believe it.

I need help with a date on this first picture.  If I had a family group sheet for Mary's family I could estimate the year, but I don't know birth dates.  It's such a good picture - so much crisper and clearer than most.  In the picture are Scott, Inez, Brent, Arlene, Willard, Don, and Mary Collett is in the back.

**Added note 8-13-2011  I had this picture mislabeled in my original post but I have fixed it - the baby is Scott.  Thanks Brent for sending me a fgs.  The date is 1953, probably on a warm October day because Scott was born Sep 28, 1953. 

The second picture is in 1957 and shows Willard and Inez with Scott, Don, and Arlene Collett.

Please correct me on dates or names if I am wrong.

Who is in This Picture

I dated this picture 'summer 1953' based on the outfit I am wearing.  I have other pictures from that summer in Utah wearing that criss-cross short set. So I'm 99% sure that darling little girl on grandpa Willard's lap is me but I'm not sure who everyone else is.  That's where I need your help.

I'm including a picture with numbers and one without.  Remember to click on the picture to enlarge it.

More from Reunion at Edna's House

These pictures are great - taken back in the day when we believed people had to be facing the sun.  They can still be appreciated, though.

Can you believe how tiny Aunt Laura is?  The next two are of some of the grandkids.  I am wondering where Susan was for this reunion because she isn't in any of the pictures.  Wayne and Joan weren't there and were probably married (don't know for sure).  Steve was on his mission.

Jonathan Oldham Duke (1807-1868)

Inez's maternal grandfather

Reunion at Edna's House

Do I have this picture labeled correctly?  Does anyone know the correct year?  Did the Calls live in Bountiful when this picture was taken?

I am adding a copy that isn't labeled if you'd prefer to copy it.

Welcome

This blog was started by Cheya Rasmussen Weber as a hub for genealogical research.

Let's keep each other abreast of what we are working on, questions we encounter, pictures that need names and dates, etc.  I have found that it's quite easy to find information on the internet about those of our relatives who have died but I want to know more about my relatives who are still living, such as birth dates & places, marriage dates & places, new members who are being born into the family, etc.

This blog can host many contributors, so any of you who would like to write a post, let me know and I will add you in the contributors.  That way you can write your own posts with pictures, questions, or whatever you would like to share.

Make a note of the site address:
willardandinez.blogspot.com

Comments for improvement are most welcome and needed.