Full circle

This e-mail was written by our Bishop Clark Hatch to the Tingey side of his family. My Moms life came full circle.

Dear Tingey Family,

Decades ago, Grandpa William Wesley Tingey, as the Bishop of the Centerville Ward, Utah, conducted the baptism of one of Mavis' girlfriends, Caroline Melissa Braxton Rober. Grandpa Tingey signed her baptismal certificate. Caroline showed me his signature about 5 years ago when she found out I was a Tingey. She lived in our ward for more than 20 years.

Yesterday I conducted Caroline's funeral in our quite full stake center. She died of ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). She and her husband have 3 grown active temple married kids, with some grandkids. She overcame a childhood with many forms of abuse, joined the church at 17, and has been very successful in all her endeavors. Her husband was baptized into the church about 20 years ago. He was released as Bishop 2 months ago, and I was called as Bishop.

I just thought it interesting to see the dramatic changes the Gospel of Jesus Christ can make in the life of one, then multiple generations. Her oldest son is also in a Bishopric. I also thought it amazing that my Grandpa Tingey conducted her baptism; her rebirth into the gospel.....and I was honored to conduct her funeral, an event that coincided with her birth into the Spirit World.

Also, she had her grandchildren sing, "Genealogy, I am Doing It", at her funeral, since that was her passion. She surely had a throng of hundreds of spirits waiting for her on the other side of the veil, since she did their Temple work and help multitudes of others do their own family history work.

We have been blessed by our righteous ancestors that led the way into the gospel, and followed the commandments of Jesus Christ. May we all be as true and faithful as they, and continue to bless the lives of our posterity with our righteous examples.

Thanks,
Clark Tingey Hatch