Grandma Ware was a Pioneeer
Pioneer Story About Anna Louise Strömberg Ware By Emma Jane Ware Kemp
Our family did not hear of the Church and migrate to Utah with the Mormon pioneers. This is a story of my mother who was the first to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in my family. My parents were born and raised in Missouri. I was my mother 8th child. I was born in 1915, when Mother was 45 years old. I was the only child of my mother’s who lived passed 3 years of age. Not one of us was alive with another sibling. Each was born live, then lived from weeks to 3 years old then died of different illnesses current at the time, which we could probably prevent now. My mother didn’t carry her sorrow around on her shoulders like a garland, but she grieved deeply. Although she was raised as a Lutheran, she didn’t receive any comfort from that area. She tried many religions, including spiritualism, to get some knowledge that she would see her babies again. She did not hear of the Church until I was about 3 years old. We were then living in an isolated area of Ripley County, Missouri, where Mother met a German couple who were LDS and had recently moved in down the road. My mother rand her new friend, Ella Gerber, shared a close friendship for several months, my mother sharing her sorrow over losing her babies so young. Ella gave my mother a Book of Mormon, which she read, not being able to put it down. She knew that it was true, but of course, in this isolated area there were no Mormon Missionaries to bring her the message. My mother had to wait until we moved to Springfield around 2 years later. In Springfield, 2 sister Missionaries came to our door. My mother welcomed them with open arms and accepted everything they taught to her. She was so touched by the Spirit and she wanted to join the Church. However, there was no Priesthood in the area who could baptize her, so Mother had to wait again. Finally 2 Elders replaced the Sister Missionaries, and in February of 1920 they went to the Lake, broke the ice and took her into the icy water and baptized her. For the rest of her life she stayed close to the Church and was forever grateful for the Gospel and the knowledge that she would see her babies again. She never let little things such as member inadequacies or rumors bother her testimony. Again, Mother had to wait to receive her Endowments until my father either joined the Church or died. That was the policy then. He never joined the Church. Mother received her endowments in 1941, at the Mesa Temple after Father died. By Emma Jane Ware Kemp
Notes by Anitra Louise Byler Whittle, granddaughter to Anna Louise Strömberg Ware: Grandma was baptized in the icy river 5 December 1920. 13 May 1922 St. George Temple; Grandma Ware had the work done for her parents. 13 June 1922 St. George Temple; Grandma Ware had the work done for her brother John Axel Strömberg who was born and died in Sweden 2 October 1870, and for a second brother, August Arthur Strömberg who was born and died in the United States. Grandma went to the Mesa Temple on 10 may 1941 and completed her own temple work and was sealed to her parents. But not sealed to either of her spouses or to the deceased children. Grandma remained a faithful member of the Church the rest of her life, waiting on the ordinances of the temple to unite her with her children. 23 October 2010 at the Mesa Temple, I had Grandma sealed to her second husband, my mother’s father, Walter Scott Ware. And I had Mother’s brother, Walter Scott Ware Junior, sealed to his parents. Mother was sealed to her parents, Anna Louise Strömberg and Walter Scott Ware 18 June 1991 at the Mesa Temple. Also on 23 October 2010 I had Anna Louise Strömberg sealed to Andrew Parsons, father to 6 of Grandmother’s children. And I also had all of the six children sealed to Grandma and Andrew Parson, Grandma’s first husband. So now Grandma is in Heaven with her babies and Mother, waiting on the Savior to make it all what it should be. And we await as well, we her family left here. Anitra Whittle, anitraw2003@yahoo.com
Source: Family Search Memories
