“. . . I was greatly surprised”
When
I was called as a Patriarch, I was greatly surprised. Here I was an average church member, making a
living for my family, serving in the church organizations, and participating in
the civic activities of my city. I could
not imagine myself a Patriarch. I did
not feel worthy of so important and great calling. Still I could not say no, for I knew that
because I had been chosen, the Lord would give me the necessary help if I
humbly prepared myself. Ever since my
official call and ordination, I have tried to live close to my Father in Heaven,
and I have always fasted and prayed before giving blessings so that I might be
prompted by His Spirit.
My
experiences have been rewarding and inspiring.
I have become acquainted with many church members who now seem close to
my heart, for I have blessed them and they have appreciated the blessings. To each one I gave his lineage and in general
pointed out great things he might accomplish over a life time of service to
humanity.
Often,
since receiving my call, I have reread my own patriarchal blessing in which I
was told that I would bless and comfort the people. I had always thought of that in a general way
as meaning I would not work against but would work with people for their
benefit. Now I know that the statement
has greater significance. That is the
way with blessings. Sometimes the
promises become meaningful only as we live faithful, useful lives. At other times a fulfillment might be almost
immediate.
On
July 25th, 1956, Sister Eula Marie Hoppock came to me for a
blessing. She had joined the Church in
1953 and now desired to be sealed to her husband and children in the
Temple. She had been told that this was
impossible unless she had the records of her parents and of her own birth.
Because
of unusual happenings as an infant she had been separated from her natural
father and mother. She knew nothing of
them. She had implicit faith that if she
had a patriarchal blessing, a possible solution to her problems would be made
clear to her.
Among
other things in her blessing, she was promised, “Inasmuch as you are seeking
your parents, the Lord will assist you in this matter and will open up the way
for you that you may be able to receive the necessary information in this
regard.”
One
week later on August 2nd, Sister Hoppock finally was permitted to
appear on the Jack Bailey’s Queen for a
Day
television program in Hollywood. On
this day she told her story and presented her problem to the listening
audience, among whom were several of her relatives. Imagine her joy, when she was reunited with
her people after many years. She found
it was wonderful to belong to a family of five brothers and two sisters. She was overjoyed when she found that all but
one had been baptized into the Church.
In
her letter to me she said, “Brother Heywood, my blessing has been such a
comfort to me. I usually read it before
going to bed. I’ll never forget the
feeling I had when receiving it. I
certainly have a beautiful blessing, and I pray that I might stay humble and be
worthy. I can now go to the temple.”
Young men and women, value your heritage, pray in
faith, and when you desire it, seek to obtain a patriarchal blessing. It can be a comfort to your heart and a guide
to your feet because it deals with eternal values of life. I have given many such blessings and testify
to you that a patriarchal blessing is founded on faith and the true promises of
the Lord.
Part of a letter to President
Alvin R. Dyer of the Central States Mission, Oct 15, 1956.
Dear President Dyer:
Some time ago I promised to
give you particulars on Sister Eula Marie Hoppck’s miraculous reunion with her
family for your records. . . . the following is a summary.
Sister Hoppock was born to
Frank Christopher Jewett and Bertha Louise Armstrong in North Bend, Oregon, on
August 1, 1925. She was named Eula Marie
Jewett. Subsequently, in 1927, she was
taken to Oklahoma from Salt Lake City by John Henry Jones and his wife,
Lela. While the evidence is not
conclusive that it was a bona fide kidnapping, it appears that the move from
Salt Lake City occurred without the parents’ knowledge or consent. Eula Marie was reared in Oklahoma by John
Henry Jones’ mother, Mattie Jones (he and Lola Jones having separated and
leaving the little girl about six months
after having taken her.) She was married
to Melvin Howard Hoppock in Arkansas in 1942.
She was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints on July 15, 1855.
Evidently, the significance
of not having real parents was most impressed upon Sister Hoppock when you
informed us that she must have names of her parents (since she was not legally
adopted) in order to provide authentic records in connection with a Temple
recommend for her endowments. She had
implicit faith that a Patriarchal Blessing would open the way to her locating
her parents.
Brother Leland Heywood,
Maricopa Stake Patriarch, Mesa, Arizona, gave her a blessing July 26,
1956. Among other things, Sister Hoppock
was promised, “inasmuch as you are seeking your relatives, the Lord will assist
you in this matter, and will open up the way that you may be able to receive
the necessary information in this regard.”
One week after her blessing,
on August 2, 1956, Sister Hoppock was able to appear on Jack Bailey’s “Queen
For a Day” national television show in Hollywood, on her fourth attempt to be
on the show. She was seen and recognized
by a half-sister in the Los Angeles and an aunt, uncle, and cousin in Salt
Lake, all of whom contacted the television show on August 2. That same day she was reunited in California
with her mother, Mrs. Bertha Louise Armstrong Comstock, two sister, and three
(of five) brothers on her mother’s side.
Through relatives in Salt Lake City, she located her father in Tacoma,
Washington, on August 17.
All except one of Mrs.
Comstock’s eight (including Sister Hoppock) children are members of the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, even though neither she nor her present
husband are members of the Church.
Neither Mr. Jewett nor his present wife are members . . . [the remainder
of the letter is missing.]
Eula
Marie Jewett KW8M-QFV
Birth: 1 August
1925, North Bend, Oregon
Death: 29 April
1982, Bartlesville City, Oklahoma
Husband: Melvin
Howard Hoppock LVGF-S6M
Father: Frank
Christopher Jewett
Mother: Bertha
Louise Armstrong
Her temple ordinances were completed in 1957
Glen
Sisam: gsisam@msn.com Cleared the
sealing of Frank Christopher Jewett to his parents. 801-571-6954
(Only the first page of the letter is available at this
time. The author of the letter is not
known, but, judging from the wording of the letter, it was probably not written
of Leland Heywood. I have made a few
minor changes in punctuation and spelling. RNH)
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