George on his 49th birthday...

The Crooks brought out another treat the last time we visited.  This was the end sheet for the Doctrine and Covenants Commentary by Hyrum M. Smith.    The inscription gives us a glimpse of what group of kids were growing up when George was  Bishop prior to moving to the brick house.

-->

Encyclopedic History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints:

AFTON SOUTH WARD was organized June 22, 1919, and consists of the south half of Afton. Gilbert Tayson was the first Bishop; he was succeeded in 1921 by Christian J. Call, who in 1926 was succeeded by George S. Kennington who presided on December 31, 1930. On that date the Afton South Ward had a membership of 575, including 145 children. 

If my math is right, George was born 29 Sept 1879 - so this book was presented to him in 1928. 

Because of artifacts like these, we can flesh out the history which may seem sort of dry with just dates and facts.  
It's a delight to see how many artifacts still exist  - just out of sight.  They cause me to pause and think about the debt we owe to our families who paved the way for the next generation. 

July 7th, 1913

Signature found inside the book, Character by Samuel Smiles

Before they were married, George sent Martha to a sewing school of some sort according to family traditions.
 In the letter from Myra (a Weber Cousin) to Gwen Kennington Ray Los Angeles, Ca. 7 October 1989,
"Then I heard at school one day that 'George Kennington was sending Martha Weber to Salt Lake to a fancy dressmaking school (Bessmer, or some name) to take a sewing course.'  She was gone a long time (1 1/2  -3 months).  I don't remember if he went down to meet her and get married at the end of the course or if she came home for a while first.  They never returned to Freedom to live.  He was now working in Burton's store in Afton and they went to Afton to live."

Gary and Karlene brought out a red book, Character, by Samuel Smiles which had been in Esther's collection.  On the inside page was the inscription.  There is our evidence that Martha was attending some sort of classes in Logan (rather than Salt Lake) in July of 1913.  She and George were married October 23, 1913.

By the way, I think that's a pretty smart strategy.  George was marrying a girl much younger that himself who had never been away to school.  Giving her an opportunity to have some experiences on her own could only have a positive outcome on their marriage.