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Family history moments: 'If we will listen'

My husband and I joined the Church in 1977, but it wasn't until after we were sealed in 1978 that I found my ancestors on my mother's side in Wisconsin.

Through correspondence, I found that I had a third cousin in Norway who was working on family history. Even with a few trips to the United States to find people, he hadn't come up with a lead on any of the "lost" Cofferys in South Dakota.Meanwhile, another cousin of mine was looking through some of her mother's things and found an obituary of my uncle that mentioned some McCoys from Nunda, S.D., that had come to the funeral. I put off calling them, and then I fell and broke my hip. When I came home from the hospital, I was pretty confined.

One day, while I was reading the Bible, I felt spiritually impressed and reminded to call South Dakota. I obtained the number for the McCoys through directory assistance. When I called them, a man answered, and I asked if he had any relatives in Wisconsin. He hesitated and then said, "Oh, you have to talk to my wife!"

When Mildred McCoy came on the phone, I told her who I was and what I was doing. She exclaimed that her grandmother was my grandfather's sister, for whom we had been searching.

She was really excited. Then she grew quiet.

"Isn't it strange that you called now?" she mused. "I was just reading your mother's letter that she wrote to my mother in 1952."

I have since had temple work performed for Mildred, as well as her parents, as she passed away some time after that.

This happened to me in 1981. After that experience, I've learned to listen to the still, small voice. Since then, I've done a great deal of family history work, and I love it. I live only a few blocks from our family history center and can hardly wait to go up every chance I can to compile my information on computer.

I am blessed that my cousin in Norway has done all the research for our family lines in Norway.

I have a firm testimony of family history and temple work, that other people are interested in what we do here and will guide us if we will listen.

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