Philadelphia Temple Groundbreaking

This past Saturday, I had the privilege of being a part of the most amazing event for the city of Philadelphia and it's surrounding areas. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be building a Temple near Logan Square and Saturday was the Groundbreaking Ceremonies. President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency for the church, presided over the meeting and gave the dedicatory prayer. Mayor Nutter as well as other local leaders were in attendance as we celebrated the blessing of having a temple close by.

It is hard for me to put into words the feelings I have for the temple. For within it's walls, families can be sealed for eternity and feel of the peace and love that our Father in Heaven has for us. It truly is a House of God.

I find that this blog, which is dedicated to my family history research, was the perfect place to share with you a short video about the event. For the work I do in searching out my ancestors, is not only to help me link the past to the present and understand those whose footsteps I am now following, but to bind my ancestors to me so that I can have a family forever. In these sacred walls that will soon be built, we are able to make it possible so that our family ties in this life will continue throughout the eternities.

I'm blessed to work with the children at my church. In commemorating the building of the temple, we initiated a challenge called "A Page A Day, Helps the Spirit Stay!" We are reading the scriptures in our home as a family for 100 Days. We will finish on December 25th, the day we celebrate the birth of the Savior. As we “feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do” (2 Nephi 32:3) as a family, that it will prepare our hearts and homes for the blessings of the temple.

Reflections from the Past

As we reflect upon this day 10 years ago and how it has effected all of our lives, I am grateful for those that I hold dear to my heart. My family and the memories I build with them truly bring the greatest joy. When I went to Hawaii last year to visit some relatives and work on some family history, I was sad to realize that there was nothing written of my grandmother's life. She died when I was just a baby so I have no memories of her. How I wish I had even just a letter of her thoughts that I could treasure and share with my children. It is so important for us to not only find our ties to the past, but to preserve the history of our own lives for the future. Here is a great article from ancestry that I found today. May we each take a moment to reflect on what truly matters most and write down our feelings this day. We never know what tomorrow will bring.

From the article, "This morning I took my breakfast out to the back porch to enjoy a crystal blue sky and a beautiful early September morning. With the September 11th anniversary upon us, I couldn’t help but remember that on the morning of 9/11 the air had a very similar feel to it. Crisp, clear, and with no hint of what was to come. My daughter was in Kindergarten and I remember running to school to pick her up, wondering how to explain to her what had happened. The other day I asked her about it, because I wondered what the memories would be like from her perspective. It was interesting to hear the things she remembered and what stood out to her... (read full article here)

Pottstown Historical Society on FB

I am excited to be one of the newest board members of the Pottstown Historical Society along with a distant cousin that I found through my Potts ancestors. How exciting to be with other great members as we work together towards a common goal. I also just started a Facebook Fan Page for the Historical Society so check it out and spread the word. Click here to go to the Facebook Page.

It is so exciting to find new relatives and try to piece together the family puzzle. Just today I went to a couple cemeteries in the area with my three kids. I was at the Oak Grove Cemetery and as soon as we got there the skies opened up and it poured buckets. I decided to leave the kids in the car and just look at the ones closest to the car so that I could watch them. I grabbed my umbrella and left my camera in the car. (I have already had one terrible experience with digital cameras swimming in water!) As I walked through the rain, the rain picked up and the lightning started. Let's just say it wasn't as an eventful day as usual. I'll be heading back to take a look again to find more Potts relatives when the weather clears up. That's Pennsylvania for you, one minute it is nice and sunny and the next it is raining cats and dogs!

Here's one image from of a family with the surname "Ewing" that I have been trying to piece together into the Potts puzzle. Happy Hunting!

FamilySearch coming to Pottstown

I am super excited to share with you that FamilySearch will be coming to Pottstown in July to image the records at the Pottstown Historical Society! Yahoo!!!! Many of you might know of the journey that I have been on to get FamilySearch and the Pottstown records together and I am so excited to see it finally happen. I am also excited to be one of the newest members of the Board of Directors for the Society as well. I had a great opportunity to speak to the Historical Society and then to the Rotary Club about Family History and the records that will be recorded at the society. There are so many treasures found there like original deeds from early 1700s that will now be accessible online through this project! Can you tell how excited I am? I spoke to a small group of men and women in Milford and shared with them about how to discover their family history as well. I love sharing with others the way to search and find their ancestors and through the process I believe is how we find ourselves as well.

Get ready for some serious indexing classes coming soon both at the Historical Society as well as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Even if you are not from the area you can help us index these priceless records and give to the world a service of love as we knit our hearts together as one.

As President Gordon B. Hinckley once said, "All of us need to be reminded of the past. It is from history that we gain knowledge which can save us from repeating mistakes and on which we can build for the future."

The Web of Life

Here is a picture that I forgot I took while searching a grave site one day last year. As I thought about this image of a spider in his web, my mind reflects on LIFE and how we are all connected. Some of the lines are strong and clear while others have holes. This is how searching my family has been for me. I find a line here and there and some fit together just right while others have gaps that need to be filled. I love how you can't even count the lines in this web they are like "the sands of the sea." How great it is to be a part of something bigger than just myself. Happy Hunting this Month!

Basso Chiotti Facebook Group

Happy New Year! What a great way to start the New Year by finding some long lost LIVING relatives. I have found several cousins from my Grandfather Charles Basso's family and it has been so cool to share and find out what they have regarding my family. If you are related to Guiseppe Basso and Giacinta Chiotti and would like to join our facebook page, please contact me by email mrioslazo@yahoo.com and I'll send you an invite. It is a great place to meet new cousins and share information across the globe. I just found a Great Aunt, my grandfather's sister-in-law, that will be celebrating her 100th birthday this month!! Wow! What stories she must have to tell. Maybe I can get her to do a blog soon and share a story from the early 1900s... In the meantime here is the marriage certificate of my great grandparents that my cousin in Michigan posted. Awesome!!

The Howland Family

Okay so I know I left you hanging in the last post so I thought I'd better add my connection to this family and stop the guessing game. This chart is on display at the King of Prussia Mall next to the Cheesecake Factory in my exhibit.