Family History

I would like to turn this into a family history blog. I would love to hear from all of you. I didn't know Hope and Francis Platt. They are my great grandparents. I would love stories about them, pictures, memories that any of you may have of them. I would also like all of the families to do a little history of their families with family pictures. If we get a good response I will turn it into a book for everyone. I think it would be a fun way to get to know everyone and include family history. I will even let any of you interested in adding to this to be blog moderators. Let me know what you think. If you do not feel comfortable putting your info on here, we can make this private. I would need all of email addresses of anyone interested in keeping up with this blog, though so that they can view it if we go private.
Also, if any of you have blogs that you are keeping up, send me your links and we can add them on here so that others can keep up with your families.
I will start by including on here a letter written by Hope R. Platt to her grandchildren in 1975. I would have been a year old or so. This letter means a lot to me.

For all my dear ones . . . . Dec. 1975
Dearest Sharon (written in her own hand)
(Typed) I'm so proud of all of you because you bear the ancient and honorable names of PLATT and RUSSELL . . . and of the names of those you marry.
May Christmas mean as much to you as it did to me as a child long ago. We had rag dolls with glass beads for eyes and lots of molasses candy and popcorn. Our boys made their own sleds and would have great fun on the hills as you do.(small hole=missing words) strung popcorn and cranberries to trim the tree. My uncle Alma Pratt had (hole=missing letters) up Parley's Canyon up in the mountains and would always come down dressed in a red hat . . and a red face and a red nose . . to bring us a christmas tree. I remember one time my mother gave him a big bowl of bread and milk and I watched our "Santa" eating it and oh how I wanted to eat it myself. We had very little to eat then.
My father always carried a red handkerchief tied on his cane to put goodies, candy and surprises to bring home for us children. He used to sing to us many songs as we loved to sit on his lap in the green rocking chair. Both he and mother would sing songs together to entertain us. We didn't have records or TV then. He liked to sing "Uncle Ned", Bell Brandon", Katie Wells, etc the old Negro spirituals and we all liked to hear them over and over again. My father was only 16 when he came to Utah with his widow mother and family. He had known many hard times in his young life. He served in the Spanish American war. He was a hard worker and built a fine home and farm on West Temple, and did a great amount of genealogy and Temple work. He died when I was only 7 so my mother was left with a great responsibility for us children.
In 1907 when I was 18 I went on a mission to Chicago. I recall how we used to go with the Elders to help them with their cottage and street meetings . . . and help them sing. When they sang "Oh My Father" people would come up after and offer them money to sing it again. But of course they told them they couldn't take any money but would be happy to sing and to explain the gospel. At Christmas time we always had a good time in the mission Home, where I was a secretary. The people there were very good to us. My sweetheart, Frances Platt, went to Holland while I was still in Chicago and we wrote often. I still have many of his letters and cute Dutch post cards. I thought you would like to have a picture of me when I was a young girl . . . and though I'm now 86 I can still remember how it is to be young! (There is a copy of an old black and white picture of a beautiful young women - Great Grandma Platt).
Now . . Remember who you are and be careful what you do with your precious name.
May you always have a Merry Christmas to remember . . and all things you'll need in each New Year ahead. May our Father in Heaven ever guide and protect you and your dear ones.
(written in her own hand) Love and prayer for you
Grandma Great
Hope R Platt