Genealogy Makes History

by Fred Edwards

Get a special copy of Amy Utter's Journeys -- TB and Other Tragedies in Rural America's Heartland autographed by the author and his wife (one of Amy's relatives). $14.95 plus $2.00 handling. Click on book image to order.

"I received your book today and was unable to put it down until I read it through. What a wonderful tribute to an amazingly brave young woman. … Thanks so much for sharing Amy's story." Mary Leyba, Director Historical Committee, Missouri Rehabilitation Center.

"I received the book yesterday and couldn't wait to begin reading it. I compliment you on an excellent documentation. Amy would be proud of you."

Floretta Woodson. (Mrs. Woodson was the Nursing Director of the Missouri Rehabilitation Center -- formerly the Missouri State Sanatorium -- from 1968 to 1995)

Read more about Amy Utter's Journeys-- TB and Other Tragedies in Rural America's Heartland

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Welcome to Genealogy Makes History

If you don't already believe that genealogy makes fascinating history, we hope to convince you with this Web site that it does. Our feature book about Amy Cora Utter in the 1920s and 30s is brim-full of glimpses of a life that was every-day for Amy, but filled with wonder and excitement for us.

Imagine living in an environment with little electricity or running water, no television, and where a radio was so rare it rated a special checkoff column in the 1930 census.

Think of an age when ungainly black telephones represented the epitome of high tech communications for the few who had telephone wiring and could afford to subscribe.

Re-live a world where the magic of the train system and the new automobiles put mail into your box virtually the day after the writer posted it.

And visit a world where a new invention called a "talkie" did what it meant - presented actors and actresses on magic celluloid in a way that you could hear them talk!

But lurking in the background of everybody's life in those days was "The Great White Plague." Tuberculosis was a killer just like it is today in its new, multi-drug resistant form. Learn about the procedures Amy underwent at the Missouri State Sanatorium. See how she relied on her God when all else failed.

Every copy of Amy Utter's Journeys - TB and Other Tragedies in Rural America's Heartland includes a 37-page bonus genealogical section in two of the appendices.

First is a listing of Amy's direct ancestors back to Nicholas Mattson Utter, who my records show was born about 1636 in Westmanland, Sweden, and died before Aug. 7, 1722, in Stonington, Conn.

Second, because Amy left no children, the descendant list shows direct descendants down to the sixth generation of her father, Leander Scott Utter, who was born Dec. 14, 1862, in Franklin, Ind, and died June 14, 1948, in Wheaton, Mo.

Besides the family name, Utter, the ancestor lists (moving upstream) include Witt, Russell, Carver, Allen, Parkhurst, Yeager, Hayes, Wheeler, Gibson, Morris, Luttrell, Gibson, Houston, Capwell, Littlebury, Cottrell and Daux.

The descendant listing (going downstream from Utter) shows Pierce, Marlow, Boyer, Patton, Condry, Beam, Gibbons, Tucker, Nelson, Dodson, Green, Lawson, Nodine, Blythe, Edwards, Rockstead, Giammarino, Conley, Shamblin, Tucker, Barnes, Carder, Laizure and Murray.

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The latest accession to our library follows.

A milestone is reached as Amy Utter's bench is emplaced

by Fred Edwards

Aug. 5, 2008 -- Mary Leyba of the Missouri Rehabilitation Center's Historical Preservation Committee has notified me that she and her committee succeeded! After months of networking and fundraising, they finally had a bench emplaced with Amy Utter's name on it. It sits where Amy could have seen it in 1930 from her room in the old Eaton Building, where she was dying of tuberculosis. In behalf of the Utter family and all of Amy's fellow patients, my wife, Pauline, and I thank Mary and her committee. The following was extracted from her e-mail.

"Finally, shortly before noon on a sweltering August day, the Eaton bench was placed under a shade tree on the south circle.

Somehow of all the benches, it seems to be the one that is the most welcoming, perhaps because it's between two of the huge trees that shade the south circle, or maybe it's because of the location, so close to where the Eaton building was located but so very far away from the time Amy Utter was a patient in Eaton. To me it will always be Amy's bench even though there are other names engraved on the back.

When the weather cools a bit, I can't wait to go sit on the bench and let my mind wander to the time so many years ago when life was not so complicated. Maybe it was a simpler time but it was a very difficult life for those who lived then, especially those who suffered from disease or illness. I think how the heat must have affected the patients on a day like today, the heat index way over 100 and nothing to cool the patients except an occasional breeze floating through the trees.

These people were tough, very tough, this was their oasis in a troubled time and thankfully this institution was here to serve them no matter the outcome of their disease. My hope is the benches remain long after we're gone, standing strong as a reminder of those who have passed through this facility all these many years.

Please see the attached pictures, I truly wish you could be here to see and touch the bench, I can honestly say, it's been an honor working on this bench project with the other dedicated members of the Historical Committee. Our intent was to honor those who have gone before us and I believe we have attained and surpassed that goal.

My best,

Mary

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