There Are So Many Places To Find Information!

Often times people whose families have been connected with the LDS Church say that there isn't much for them to do Genealogy-wise.  It has become apparent to me as I have been researching and finding information for this reunion that it is really a blessing that there is so much written and work done on this family!
When I work on my own family history I find that there is very little written by the actual people themselves and not much more about them written by others.  Off of the top of my head I can't remember all the branches of the Ottley families so I am looking for information for Edward & Harriet Ottley through Frederick Hugh & Abigail Celecta Ottley.  But there must also be information for the other branches that is just as cool.  Take an adventure and see if you can find biographical or historical information on your ancestors.  These links are through the LDS church sites, but there are more sites like Roots Web and other state and national genealogical sites.

Here's a couple of links that I found today:

Gallery - Family Search For Pictures and Memories

Nauvoo Community Project


Church History

Where I found this:
Fred and Abigail Ottley  Just click on the arrow at the bottom!

Early Mormon Missionaries

Ernest Arthur Ottley

Technology is so wonderful!

If you have information we can share by copying during the reunion and then emailing out to others, please bring it!  Or email soft copies to us now so we can make it available.    Maybe you will recognize some of these people?

Sid's Cousins

Celecta and Alice Ottley

Teggie Harriet and Celecta Mignonette Ottley

Four Weeks Till The Reunion!

Wow!  I've really had a writer's block for a month!  Sorry about that.  But this morning when I looked at the calendar I realized that 4 weeks from TODAY, Friday July 29th,  the 2016 Ottley Reunion will be in full swing.

Plans are going well.  I only freak out once or twice a day. I guess that in 4 weeks I will be shaking in a corner somewhere or joyously hugging everyone.

This week I have been going through the historical information we have collected over the years regarding the Ottley heritage.  So I was wondering if you have biographies, pictures, family group sheets, etc that you could bring to the reunion to display?  We can scan them here and then make them available to everyone.  Of course, I married into the Ottley family, but it is so exciting to me to read stories and see pictures of Ottleys.  Maybe even some of you have some information on the Ottley sons who did not immigrate to the United States, but stayed in England?

Most of yesterday was spent researching and planning for the reunion.  We have quite a few games and activities available for children and youth.  There is historical information available.   There will be some entertainment (not professional) and of course time to talk and to find new family/friends or reacquaint ourselves with cousins from near and far.

Bring camp or lawn chairs (We may not have enough)
Sunscreen
Bug Spray (We don't have a lot but there may be some mosquitos.
Children should wear clothes they can get wet.


Depending on the numbers of people attending we can either stay at our house (my preference) or move to the park which is one block away.  Either way we have the park reserved and kids and go play there if they don't do the games and activities at our house.


Times:

July 29:  10:00 a.m. - whenever.  We are going to have an outdoor movie in the evening.
July 30:  9:00 a.m. (Pancake breakfast) to ~ 7:00 p.m.  We won't ask anyone to leave.  We just will need to clean up.  Then we can sit around and talk some more if you like.

1149 Eagle Nest Drive.
Woodland Hills, UT  84653

801-691-2833 or 2811

Okay.  I am done for today.

Well, maybe some pictures from the Murray City Cemetery and the Elba Idaho Cemetery.
Just a little bit of history.

Will this be the last Big Ottley Reunion?

The other day I was wondering just how many people will actually attend this reunion.  As time goes by families just get bigger and bigger and farther and farther apart.  How many people really know much about Harriet and Edward Ottley's family?  Will there be more Big Ottley Reunions?

My husband's family is descended from Frederick Hugh Ottley, the youngest child of Edward C Ottley and Harriet Mills Ottley.  Which of this couple's children are you descended from?  

Bob's sister, Susan Ottley Palmer sent us a letter today.  She is compiling the information on descendants of Frederick Edward Ottley and his first wife, Vivian Udy's children, and his second wife, Inez Lorraine Bennett's children, grandchildren, great and great great grandchildren.  It's going to be super awesome to see how far the family has been and it's numbers!  She is going to have it all together to share at the reunion.  

Wouldn't it be also super awesome to learn about the descendants of Frederick Hugh Ottley's family as well as his older siblings, Edward, George, John, Peter Henry, Anna, and Elizabeth Susan?

That's a pretty big hunk of people and not all of them immigrated to the United States.  

Edward C Ottley married Harriet Mills on 3 October 1847

Children:

Edward Ottley                 DOB 17 May 1848

George Ottley                  DOB 30 Jan 1850

John Ottley                      DOB 25 September 1852

Peter Henry Ottley          DOB 26 June 1855

Anna Deborah Ottley     DOB 10 February 1858

Elizabeth Susan Ottley   DOB 30 December 1861

Frederick Hugh Ottley   DOB 24 March 1865

Who is your ancestor in this list?  What do you know about them?  How many descendants are there?  

Reunion plans are moving along.  It's getting close!  Have you made your plans?  Please confirm your attendance on this link:  Attendance Registration for the 2016 Ottley Family Reunion

Do you have questions?  We would really love to answer them.  Email:  jbottley@gmail.com  

Have you ever been to this link for the New Ottley Courier?  It has some really neat family information.  There haven't been updates for a while.  I'm sure there have been a lot of family happenings over the last 9 years!  New Ottley Courier  There is also a new link on the sidebar at the top for the New Ottley Courier.

Maybe you remember The Ottley Courier that used to arrive by snail mail?

Really Getting Together

What is the purpose of a family reunion?  One purpose I can think of is to get to know extended family members, to learn to love them, and to continue family relationships as families grow.

We would like to know how many descendants there are in the Edward Ottley and Harriet Mills Ottley family.  Come prepared to the family reunion with information to fill in our giant family pedigree chart.  Once it's filled in as much as we can it will be transcribed into a smaller format and distributed to all who are interested.

Do you have stories about Ottley ancestors?  Come with those in mind.  We will have some time to record those stories to also be transcribed for all to have a copy.

Do you have pictures that we can copy?  Are there journals, letters, diaries, clothing, artifacts?  Could you bring these items to display?  It seems that viewing parts of our family's history and reading stories of our heritage will bring their lives into focus in our lives.

Have you gone to the LDS Church History Library?  If we share what we have then more family members through generations will know their ancestors.

Here's a link to Celecta Ottley Haroldsen's history of Abigail and Fred Ottley which is online on the Church History Website.

Abigail and Fred Ottley

Also in the library is more information which has not been digitized about Granter Kenneth Ottley and Dora.  Someone can request that these documents be digitized.  There might be a fee.  There are also sound recordings from JoAnn Ottley and Jerold Ottley which have not yet been digitized.  Bob has requested that Frederick Hugh Ottley's diary be digitized.  We will let you know what happens.

I am bound to them, 

though I cannot look into their eyes

or hear their voices.

I honor their history.

I cherish their lives.

I will tell their story.

I will remember them.

Author Unknown

Please don't forget to register for the reunion no later than July 1st! Here is the link to register:    2016 Ottley Family Reunion Attendance

Planning a family reunion really makes you think a lot about family history.  At LDS.org there are quite a few very interesting papers to read.  Here's some interesting facts regarding the immigration of Edward & Harriet Ottley to America on the steamship Wisconsin. On board, along with 450+ other emigrants were Edward Ottley, Harriett Ottley, Annie Ottley, Frank Ottley, and Susan Ottley.

The ship Wisconsin

Liverpool to New York 1877

Liverpool to New York 19 Sep 1877 - 29 Sep 1877

Voyage Information

Ship Name

Wisconsin

Vessel Type

Single-Screw Steamship

Departure

19 Sep 1877 from Liverpool

Arrival

29 Sep 1877 at New York

Source

BMR, Book #1042, pp. 91-104 (FHL #025,693); Customs #928 (FHL #295,774); SMR, 1877 (FHL #025,696) (source abbreviations)

A Compilation of General Voyage Notes

"SAILED -- The good S. S. Wisconsin sailed on the 19th instant, as advertised, with a goodly company of Saints, numbering, including returning elders, 482 souls. Elder H. G. Park was appointed to preside, with instructions to complete his organization, which will be published when his advices arrive from Queenstown. It almost seems that every succeeding company are ahead of their predecessors, but whether or not, this was a very spirited and lively company, full of music and song which burst out from time to time as the favorite and faithful steamer rode at anchor in the river. When the time for separation arrived hearts too full almost for utterance, gave way, tears of joy from both departing and returning parties flew thick and fast, while the song 'Cheer, Saints, Cheer We're Bound for Peaceful Zion,' swelling from a company led by some brass instruments made such melody as the Saints love to hear; amid waving handkerchiefs and hasty farewells, separation was accomplished, and soon was lost in the distance as warm hearted and lively a company as ever sailed form Babylon for home; may the God of Israel hold them in his keeping, and bring them there in safety and in peace.
The following returning elders sailed with the company: -- Hamilton G. Park, W. W. Taylor, J. McFarland, James Mellor, Thomas A. Wheeler, E. D. Woolley, junior, Samuel
Leigh, John Parry, S. S. Adams, junior, J. C. Sandberg, K. H. Brown, and Job Rowlands, who had been on a visit among his friends.
The following traveling elders form the Scandinavian Mission also left for Utah, their first time: -- F. J. Jensen, N. P. Overgaard, Jens M. Hensen, Thomas C. Williamsen, and O. E. Skoglund.
Brother Robert F. Stewart and Sister Christina Samson, from 42, Islington, went with the company."
MS, 39:39 (Sep.24, 1877), pp. 618-19
"Wed. 19. [Sep. 1877] -- The steamship Wisconsin sailed from Liverpool, England, with 482 Saints, in charge of Hamilton G. Park. The company landed at New York Sept. 3
0th, and arrived at Salt Lake City Oct. 6th."
CC, p.100

Effie & Deloy Ottley, Dean & Gloria Ottley, Annabelle (Leo) Ottley, Susan & Jim Palmer, Bob & Janice Ottley

The Ottley and the Layton family gathered recently to celebrate the life of Mary Maxine Ottley Layton.  This picture is of some of the Ottleys who attended.  We all realized how special it is to get together and the up-coming 2016 Ottley Reunion is a perfect time to renew family relationships or make new friends!  

Please, please complete the information form found at this link for those attending, July 29 & 30.
Your information is confidential and will be used for reunion planning purposes only.

Thank you!  Have a wonderful week!

Link:  2016 Ottley Family Reunion Attendance

Introducing Our Guest Speaker for Saturday, July 30th!

With great excitement we are looking forward to hearing words concerning heritage, both past, present, and future from Connie Sokol.  We have known Connie ever since moving to Woodland Hills in 2014.  She is really awesome and we are honored to have her speak to our family.

Biography:

Connie Sokol is a mother of seven and a favorite local and national speaker for over fifteen years. 

​She is the ​

founder of Back to Basics

​, a monthly program teaching women tools for more purpose-driven lives.​

​ ​

She is a TV contributor

​ 

on ​“Studio 5 with Brooke Walker” and a national blogger for www.ksl.com. Mrs. Sokol is a bestselling author who has written 14 books, including her fiction: Christmas Kisses: An Echo Ridge Anthology, and Caribbean Crossroads; and her nonfiction: Faithful, Fit & Fabulous​, ​Create a Powerful Life Plan, and 40 Days with the Savior. Mrs. Sokol marinates in time spent with her family and eating decadent treats. For her TV segments, blog, podcasts and more, visit www.conniesokol.com.Connie Sokol

Mother, Bestselling Author, Speaker

Back to Basics, Founder

Make a change! Join the Back to Basics program today!

Bestselling book, Faithful, Fit & Fabulous on Amazon

Website, Twitter, Facebook

801.787.4910