Working through a number of photos and other documents, I stumbled upon these photos I took of two cards that were glued into a scrap book my Grandma Ross had made. The first is a letter from my Grandma, Gladys Maxine Donaldson Ross, to my Grandpa, Milo James Ross. The handwriting is clearly my Grandma’s and it is as sweet as she ever was as I knew her.

There are so many things I want to read between the lines. But we will never know.

Grandma was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 30 August 1930 in Ogden, Weber, Utah. She was only weeks before she would turn 9. I don’t know when the letter above was written. I would imagine it was within a year or so of their attending the Ogden Utah Temple to do the temple Sealing.

Grandpa was baptized into the Church on 2 July 1939 in Ogden. He had turned 18 earlier that year. I recall Grandpa indicating that he did not have permission to get baptized so he had to wait until he was 18.

Grandpa and Grandma both received their washing, anointing, clothing, endowment, and sealing on 2 July 1976. Judy, their daughter, received the same ordinances at the same time, except she was sealed to her parents rather than to a spouse. I couldn’t help but notice that Grandpa’s baptism and confirmation are the same date as the other ordinances in the temple. Was that intentional or just coincidence?

Same day they were sealed, Caroline dated this card to her parents.

A few years later, Grandpa was sealed to his parents on 8 February 1980 in Ogden Temple. That, too, was the date Grandpa performed the temple ordinances on behalf of his father. Two days before, he had performed the ordinances for his brother Paul. After his parents were sealed, then Grandpa was sealed to them along with his brothers Paul and Earnest. Another special date in the Ogden Temple (Ethel’s ordinances were completed in 1978). The 2 July date did not carry over, so perhaps it was more coincidental above.

Caroline received her own blessings in the Ogden Temple and was sealed to her parents 25 October 1991 in Ogden. Years later, Grandma was sealed to her parents on 3 September 1998 in the Ogden Temple.

Grandpa and Grandma both worked as temple workers in the Ogden Temple too. They became pillars in the House of the Lord.

The sealing of Grandma to her parents is curious to me. Dad and I received our own temple ordinances on 1 September 1998 in the Logan Temple. Two days later my Grandma was sealed to her parents, we were not present. Not that we needed to be, it was likely a personal private occasion with just Grandpa and Grandma present.

Dad was sealed to his parents 4 February 1999, Grandpa’s 78th birthday. I am certain he appreciated the birthday present.