| Show Letter from real J J C I I Wood o of 01 Salt LakeWoods Lake LakeWoods Woods Cross Crosa Cros Utah April 3 1936 Mr J T C Woods 33 South h 7 East alt alt I Inic ll-e te City rity Ulah l nc ar Brother Woods I nm am writing this letter to youlie you ou 1 hr lie request t if d f my 1 Mrs r B Parkin grandfather ln n Parkin passed awa away yester- yester ay ay and as you ou were a missionary companion of my mr grandfathers grandfather's we wewer were wondering wondering- if you OU would like to gle give a short talk at his funeral lie He will be buried from the South Bountiful church at 1230 p in as We could arrange to bring you ou out and g get gel t you ou back to town I We would woud not want too long a talk as al there will be 3 other speakers 1 but th there ire arc none of them that knew him on his mission and we would especially like someone there I that had and could give a short lk I would appreciate your our can I call call- calling call calling Ing ing me at Wasatch anytime bc between a m to 5 p m and advise me if you rou will be able to do doit doit it or not i Mother and md father appreciated your visit isit and especially that you e were ere able to see sec grandfather before be- be be before fore he passed sed on With b best st she i l Respectfully 1 MERRILL PARKIN 49 19 Street Derby England March I 6 G 1895 Elder James C Woods Dear Brother Drother may the spirit of YOur calling reston rest on you and that you ou ma may be the means of bringing many to the knowledge of the G Gospel is the wish of your fellow labor in the spread of Truth JOHN P PARKIN AItKIN On January 10 1894 1594 I left Salt Lake City for a mission ion to England There were nine o other hel men nen in the company one of them being Na- Na NaI Nathan Na-i Na I than Reeves of Centerville We e sent to 10 to labor in the Not Not- Nottingham Nottingham conference under the di- di direction direction di direction of William C Hunter ot of Cache county My first companion was no more or no less than John Parkin of Bountiful I soon learned to love and respect him as a true man of God A man who was ever alert and anxious to spread the gospel plan of salvation to children of men We were assigned to labor in what was known as th the traV traveling ling district from Nottingham to the branches running north and east ent to he of three hun bun hundred dreg died miles Our Oui destination was in L Lincolnshire nc We We used sed t to make make this j journey and back ack t to No Nottingham in three months to report at confer confer- conference conference conference ence time As we went to I those these dif dif- different different dif different ferent branches we would stay with the Saints and hold meetings Strangers were always invited to t our ur street meetings and gatherings s We would stay for a week or so and then travel to t tho the next branch We al always walk walked these distances U tI was while hUe on these visits that we met with the honorable and be- be beloved beloved be beloved loved family of Joseph Betts Belts of whom one now is dear and alre affectionate tion te wife and mother of Heber Parkin and their children children They are arc iri hi my judgment a fine and won won- wonderful wonderful wonderful family worth worthy of the tho love and respect of everyone Well dear editor I had not met my iny companion elder for a n good many years ears One day while work working ing in the Salt Lake temple got nc- nc ac acquainted with a mighty good Lat Lat- da day ter-day saint that is a willing and hard worker for the soles of men by the name nam of Isaac Issac Spencer of Bountiful and we were talking to- to together to together gether ether and I asked him if he knew John and he said yes es so he told me he was 88 years old and if I wanted to see him alive I had bet bet- better better better ter go out and see him Brother Spencer told me we wc were to go on the 19 or 26 of March After mak mak- making mak- mak making making ing two sessions in the temple I took the Bountiful bus and happen ed to be on the same bus with a Brother Brown Drown who lives close to Brother Parkins and goes back and forth ever everyday day from Salt Lake City from the Deseret News I believe so we got off at what is known as ns Five Points and walked a mile and a half so I went to see Brother Drother Parkin and it took mo me one hour and a half to convince M Dear old Pal of 1894 that I was really Elder Woods and that he was my first companion over 40 years ago ngo and the only way that I could convince him was to sing a song that we used to sing when we used to sing when we went among the tho saints and this special one entitled Hale to the Brightness of Zions Zion's glad morning and after every verse the chorus was We would say will you and they would say yes I will Well We'll go to t the valley the saints happy home and after I had sung t i for a few times he began to laugh and said now I know you and put out his hand and shook mine and said God bless you Brother Woods I know you So I Iwas Iwas Iwas was with him for about two hours and then went over over to tp his eon Heber's wife and f family home Sister Janie Betts Belts whom I had not seen for over forty years in Mans Mans- Mansfield Mansfield Mansfield field Nottingham England We bad bada a nice nico supper er anda and a fine tine talk and h Y i about Merrill and his sweet and affectionate Sister drove to the tho station I left my address and en enclosed closed cosed in a verse verso written by John Parkin while we together in I Der-I Der- Der Derby Der Derby by England in my autograph album I would like to have it back baek e nl also o a letter from from Merrill l about his glandLa grandfathers death Did not 1 0 fito to the funeral on of a mis- mis mist mis mistake this t take ke and this is why I am f writing I I JAMES JA C WOOD i |
