Taylor reunion in Redmesa, Colorado — 1990
August 30th, 1990 marked the beginning of a phenomenal experience for me and my family. We departed for the Leo S. and Stella Dean Taylor Family Reunion in Redmesa, Colorado, birth place of my father and most of his siblings. My mother was able to come with us, sometimes traveling with us and sometimes with the Gillespies. We spent Friday, August 31st touring the Anasazi ruins in Mesa Verde National Park, a glorious experience in and of itself.
Saturday morning we all met in the Mancos City Park. Hal, Russell, and Lynn presided over the reunion and I conducted, as I had done much of the preparatory work for the reunion. We had a wonderful turnout, with 85 members of the family there. We talked about Leo and Stella’s early days in Mancos and then moved on to Redmesa. I had a feeling of reverence as I walked the places where my dear dad spent his early years. We stood where the school house had been, we saw the remains of a well Grandpa Taylor dug by hand, we saw a painting of and stood on the site of the first Latter-day Saint chapel in Redmesa, which was built while my grandfather, Leo, was bishop. We cried as we recounted the story of Leo’s call to Bishop at age 19, we held in our hands bricks that Joseph H. Dean made himself and used to build a house for one of his wives. The highlight of the trip for me was actually going into the old dilapidated two-room house in which my father and his twin brother Von were born on the original Hiram M. Taylor homestead. To stand at the house and hear the story of the very difficult delivery of the twins was a spiritual, edifying experience which I won’t forget. Dayna and I took mementos from the house. We went to Hay Gulch and the La Plata River and saw many of the haunts of Dad and his brothers.
On Sunday we had a wonderful testimony meeting with the Redmesa Ward, with Hal and Russell being invited to speak. Hal told a beautiful story of his daughter Susan’s diagnosis with juvenile-onset rheumatoid arthritis while he and his family were serving in the South West Indian Mission. They took Susan to Salt Lake and were given little hope of her leading a normal life. Hal returned to the mission dejected and forlorn, leaving Anna and Susan in Salt Lake. He cried out in prayer and said, “Lord, why am I down here instead of with my wife and daughter? How can I go about Thy work and carry this burden as well?” As clearly as he had ever heard a voice speak, he heard, “Fear not, I am with thee, O be not afraid, for I am thy God and will still give thee aid. I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand…”. He looked up, fully expecting to see the Lord or an angel. He saw neither, but he carried on with his work with renewed faith. Susan has since prospered and been blessed physically.
Russell told of the incredible opposition that thwarted the building of the Denver Temple. Two sites had to be rejected because of bitter opposition from the community. A third site was chosen and approved by the General Authorities. Again the opposition mounted. A particular day had been set apart for presentations to the Zoning Commission of Denver by the Church and by those in opposition. A region-wide fast was held in the Denver area. The night before the meeting, Russell led a prayer meeting in which he prayed, “Lord, we are Thy servants. We’ve done all within our power. Wilt Thou now bind up the tongues of our enemies and cause a profound stupor of thought to come upon their minds?” The next day, despite the opposition’s presence in the auditorium., when given a chance to speak, not one person came forward. Petitions containing thousands of names of those in opposition to the Temple had been collected — not one of the petitions was presented. The site and the plans moved ahead without hindrance. The meeting in Redmesa was wonderful.
After the meeting, I met Ione Slade Lee, and elderly woman who went to school with Von and Dean. She described my dad as gentle and kind, and as a peacemaker. She said that I reminded her of my father. What a thrill it was to visit with her. Many wonderful feelings were shared by those of us who went to this great reunion. My love for my father and his family was renewed and reinforced. I now have a better understanding of the incredible sacrifices they made and hardships they faced.
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