Elder Hosteling

Something I believe everyone should do at least once in their lifetime. I realize it is for the more
aged folks, but it is certainly something to look forward to. A chance to visit interesting places and learn while you discover something new.
I learned about Elder Hostels in a book about "Free Things for Seniors". Of course you can see their catalog in any public library as well. Not that it is Free, but it certainly is something that peeked my interest. I talked Jay into giving it a try. He didn't want to travel too far, so our first adventure was in St George, Utah at Dixie College. The Theme was Ghost Towns. Well we really saw a lot more than the Ghost Towns around the Silver Mines in the area. First off when we arrived, we were introduced to the Leaders for the week, and then given our room assignments in the Dorm. A small room that slept two with the communal bath down the hall. Well the one for the ladies was down the hall, the men had to go upstairs for theirs.
We ate our meals in various places. Breakfast for instance was in the foyer. Lots of choices, all cold. Lunch was in the College Cafeteria, and Dinner would either be their or on some site in town. A lot of variety.
They had a vender with Indian Jewelry come in one night and talk about how things were made and showed us various items, many that we could purchase after the seminar. We enjoyed a dinner in the Park. A local Police Officer and his wife treated us to a great Dutch Oven dinner. We had been to visit the city Cemetery to expore pioneer history from Dixie Country. As we Latter-day Saints (Mormons) know that was the Cotton Mission of the Church in early Utah History. We explored the setting of the Movie Makers who used the St George Scenery for many of their Movies. In fact the local eatery was a hang out for John Wayne when he was in town for a "shoot". Everyone said he was very gracious and enjoyed spending time with the locals while he was there. Rumor had it John Wayne may have picked up his weakness to Cancer with so much time spent in the wilds outside of town. His co-star Susan Hayward was aslo concidered a victim of the radiation from the area. Who knows, so many stories flurry around such stars.
We enjoyed the experience so much that we attended a number of other sessions around Arizona, Utah and Colorado. I think the one that stands out for this writting was the one we took to learn about Yellow Stone National Park. Now you should know we planned that for June, but strange as it may sound, it snowed everyday while we were there. Not enough to slow the group down, but enough to make it interesting.
I think the thing that ment the most to me was one series of lectures by a Naturalist who had worked in the Park and had been moved to find out about the only grave that is still in the Park.
Her name was Nan Weber. She had written a book about her discoveries. I would like to share just a bit about what she learned, and how it made a difference to me.
While picnicing before she became employed in the Park, she found this lonely grave back of a modern joint/gender out house. Strange to find such a lovely headstone over a single grave. If you go to the Park, you can still find that grave. Now it has been surrounded by a rale fench to keep the wild animals from knocking over the headstone. When Nan first found it, it was unprotected. You might find one single red rose laying on the grave as well. Nan and some others quite often lay a rose on the grave when they are in the area.
Who is buried there? Martha Jane (Mattie) Shipley Culver. Oh, something you should also know, all those who had been buried in the Park have since been removed to a proper Cemetery outside the Park. Only "Mattie" was never moved. Nan wanted to know who this person was, and why she alone remained. Elery Culver had worked in the Park for years, and at one time managed a hotel that use to set in that part of the Park, in fact history has it that Mattie died in child birth and was laid to rest in back of the Hotel. Some years after, Elery had sent to Seattle, Washington and had the headstone made and shipped and placed on the grave. Who put the idea of an outhouse just in front of the grave may remain a mystery. At least it brings attention to the grave.
Nan spent years investigating Mattier and found she was a very interesting person. She traveled a great deal and had her name in the paper quite offen telling of her life while she lived in Yellow Stone. She had first come, as many did, to help with her health. Mattie suffered from TB which she had fallen heir to, with many years of working in the mills in Massachusetts following her coming to the United States from England with her family. Everyone worked in the Mills it seems. Her father, anxious to become a citizen, left his family to join the Union Army in the Civil War. Unfortunately he died from wounds and the children who had been abandoned by their mother were left to fenn for themselves.
After spending a week with Nan and her great adventure in finding out about the family of Mattie Shipley, I asked her if she had done anything with that information. She admitted that she had not, but understood the Mormons were gathering family histories and putting them on line. I offered to contact a family of Culvers in our area to see if they had any connection. They were not sure, but felt it would not hurt to put what I had gleaned on line so others might make connections. Sad to say the child Mattie and Elery had was a girl and she died shortly after graduating from high school in Seattle, Washington. So there was no one on that line to do anything for them. The only brother, went to California in search of gold and was killed accidentally without being married, or having any children. One sister married and those are the only decendants of the family to carry on, only none with the Shipley, or Culver names.
I am happy I have been able to put the family in Ancestry.com and hopefully someone from the Culver family will be able to link Elery and Mattie as well as Theda the daughter into their line to complete a family link.
Elder Hostels are a great way to expand your knowledge and learn new and exciting things. We loved everyone we attended, and would have gone to more I am sure if Jay had not been so ill the last few years of his life. I would go now, only I don't enjoy doing things alone. I believe, however, I will stop by he library soon and take a look at an updated catalog and see just what is offered locally. Maybe I could do something close to home.
We never outgrow our need for learning. For stretching our minds and broading our horizons. I know times and things change for us, but we should always be ready to strike out into new adventures that can bring into our lives things that will help us appreciate all that we have and how very much our Father in Heaven wants us to learn while we are here on this earth. So many advertisements today charm us by saying "expect" something or the other. I believe that is one of the things we should be doing, "expecting" for their are more things out there than we can dream of, and most are close at hand. We need to reach out and take a new look. We could be pleasantly surprised at what is waiting for us.

Written this 18th day of April, 2010
by: Eileen Rosenberg