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Forever Stalwart endorsed by Brent Ashworth

We were privileged to visit Brent Ashworth, keeper of sacred things, in his rare treasures shop: "B. Ashworth's" of Provo, Utah. Brother Ashworth not only endorsed our book, but purchased several copies as well. Many thanks, Brent.

Forever Stalwart Endorsement by Brent Ashworth, July 30, 2014

“Susan Billings Mitchell’s “Forever Stalwart”, the first book-length account of Titus Billings and his family, the great Mormon Pioneer Leader and friend to the Prophet Joseph Smith and contemporaries, is a page-turner.  Mitchell ‘s easy text weaves historical fact and unique characters with such  meaty narrative, it left me feeling that if any of them had walked into my office, I would feel to greet them as friends. This is history as it is meant to be written and so rarely achieved.  It will reward the reader, not just by acquainting us with great early Latter-day Saints, but in understanding the times they lived and their struggles to achieve a promised better world.”

Sneak Peek of the First Chapter

Thanks for taking a SNEAK PEEK of my new book and lifetime project. 

Its 101 chapters are short to accommodate the 7 main characters. 

Forever Stalwart is a TRUE account. Enjoy!

Forever Stalwart

The biography of Titus Billings including the Isaac Morley and Edward Tuttle families.

Susan Billings Mitchell

Stalwart Stories

2014

 _____________________________________

Chapter 1

        Diantha opposed the idea from the beginning. Why should she and her family leave Montague, the township they loved, and travel hundreds of miles to settle in an undeveloped territory they had never seen? Diantha witnessed the way Isaac’s letters enticed her father. At first he showed only a hint of interest which she and her mother dismissed at once. Neither of them had set foot outside of Massachusetts and neither of them intended to do so, ever. Then why did she find herself and everything she owned covered with dust on this bouncy wagon?

               Why? Diantha thought to herself. Why? Because Isaac Morley is the most persuasive, persistent creature on earth! He will never give up when he believes he is right about something. Father became infatuated with the invitation to move to “the plushest place on earth” before I realized what was happening. The thought was exasperating to her, but there was more. As always, mother willingly gave up the fight and abandoned me to follow along in agreement with Father.

               Diantha disliked change and the thought of moving away from the beautiful land of apple blossoms to a . . . to anywhere was most distasteful to her.

               Yes, Isaac Morley was her hero, always had been. He was nine years old when she was born and as her oldest brother he had forever protected, entertained, and often teased her. Many were the songs they had harmonized and the games they had played together. No one could ask for a better brother, but now this brother was renowned. Why, he was one of the first to clear timbers in Northern Ohio, and he (so his letters claimed) introduced agriculture into the Western Reserve. Many folks were migrating there. It was a chance of a lifetime. She had heard it all. So what? Let the others enjoy it. But oh no, she was just an insignificant girl who had no say in the matter, none at all.

               Diantha brushed dust off the dulcimer case she held in her lap. Her plan was to play and sing along the way, but she was in no mood for singing and trail dust would only harm her treasured instrument.

               “How ‘you doing back here?” Thomas shouted as he rode up beside the wagon. He was the brother just older than she, a very good one too, now that he was an adult. Diantha could not help noticing how different he was from Isaac.

               “How much farther is this place?” Diantha asked with irritation.

               Thomas picked up on her annoyance and could not hide the smirk it caused to cover his face. He knew she was ready to end this journey before it began. Her attitude had been easy for anyone to detect. Now he witnessed her ongoing frustration and could not pass up the opportunity to provoke her.

               “Oh dear sister, we have just begun. It will take days and days and days before we attain our destination.”

               Diantha stood. Balancing the dulcimer with one hand she attempted to whip the irritating Thomas with an apron tie in her other hand. He kicked his horse and lunged forward as she tumbled back into the wagon landing on top of Alfred who in turn bumped into Louisa. So much for adulthood, she thought as she retrieved the music case and made apology to her younger siblings.

               “Is it really going to take all those days to get there?” Alfred asked.

               “No,” Diantha assured him as she brushed dust from his curly red hair. “Father said we should find Isaac before sunset tomorrow. “ Alfred leaned against her. Sliding the black music case to safety beside a soft quilt, she made room on her lap for the tired lad to rest his head.

               “It will be good to see Lucy again, won’t it?” Diantha said to her sister.

               “I can’t wait to meet little Philena,” Louisa added. “How old is she now?”

               “Can you believe our little niece is already two,” Diantha answered.

               “It will be fun living beside them, won’t it?”

               “Yes,” Diantha admitted. She did adore her sister-in-law. Lucy was as lovely and as capable as anyone she had ever known. The last time I saw Lucy was at her wedding. Again Diantha was daydreaming, remembering. Isaac was so excited when he came back to fetch her for his bride.                                     He had homesteaded a spot in that “plush place” and built a cozy cabin for his Lucy.

               Deep thinking was Diantha’s way of ignoring boredom. Oh, I do love weddings. Someday I will have a glorious wedding too and drape myself in the elegant lace Grandmother Marsh fashioned with her skillful hands. Mother promised. She was wed in it and I shall be also . . . if I can find a good man out there in that rugged territory. I feel like we left civilization behind us many miles ago.

               Isaac’s last letter informed us that Lucy is again in a motherly way. This will be number two. Hope it’s another girl. I do wish we would get there. Travel is such a waste of time. I am an adventurous person. I like to do things, many things, but I do not like change. And if this is how it is, I definitely don’t like moving.

               Diantha’s only hope was for Isaac’s spot to be so beautiful and inviting she would never have a need to relocate again in her life!

Historical Background “Thomas Morley moved his family to Ohio July 6, 1815” (Esplin, 2) OR according to another account the Thomas E. Morley family “moved to Kirtland, Ohio in 1829” (MorleyRH, Appendix B). [The first date seems to agree better with other happenings.] The four youngest children (of nine) came with them. (Bennion, 1). “Isaac Morley married Lucy Gunn June 20, 1812 at Montague and took her to his property” (Bennion, 1) in the “so-called Western Reserve” where he was one of the first to “cut down the woods and introduce agriculture in northern Ohio” (Jensen1, 235).

Kinda felt like I was "hanging out" here all alone because it seemed that no one ever came or posted a comment. Thanks to Karen and Chris I just learned that the comment option was turned off. Sorry bout that. It has been remedied so

PLEASE LEAVE ALL THE COMMENTS YOU WANT.  Many thx.

It's so sweet to see my book in print at last. 

You can view "Forever Stalwart" at www.amazon.com (even open it electronically),
but before you buy . . . we'll sweeten up your day . . . 

Let me give you a Christmas gift of a $5.00 discount. 

Go to:  www.foreverstalwart.com -- "Buy Book Now" -- and put in my

discount code: XV84SB3G

Talk about a Christmas miracle. THE BOOK is printed! 

All pre-sale orders are in the mail with a in-time-for-Christmas promise. I am delighted. 

Purchase book at:  www.foreverstalwart.com

Endure to the End!

"Endure to the End"

Words and Music by Susan B. Mitchell

1968 my winter was filled with worries of war because my sweetheart was fighting for freedom in Viet Nam and fears of the Hong Kong Flu epidemic because it had already hospitalized our one-year-old twin daughters. On Christmas Day our infant son awoke with a fever and the doctor admitted him too. Needless to say, I then lived at the hospital nurturing our little ones and trusting the God who was nurturing me. 

At length the children came home and I clung onto the expectation that their daddy would someday return as well.  While rocking the baby late one night a powerful message came into my heart. I felt Heavenly Father’s love! He knew me and He wanted me to know Him. All these things were for my good, my eternal preparation. With faith I could lay my worries and fears on the alter because my Savior, even Jesus Christ, had endured all things and stood ready to help me endure too, even to the end. As I rocked my baby the chorus of this song came into my mind and I sang its melody again and again until the baby fell asleep and I could write it down. 

Over the years this message has been an important focus in my life. The Lord expects us to endure all things and to endure them well, even happily to the end. 

That is my quest and I think in part it also applies to enduring the wait to publish this book! I thank you all for you patience too. It will happened! While we wait -- I would like to share this song with you. Email me at foreverstalwart@gmail.com and I will send one to your email address. 

Your comments on this blog are greatly appreciated.

Enjoy the Journey

Would you believe? My father assigned me to write this account about Grandpa Titus over three decades ago. That's before computers! Talk about taking a l-o-n-g journey, but it has been a good one. In future blogs we will expose some of the behind-the-scenes details, finds, and memories to enjoy while we continue this extended journey to the printed page. Please join us.

So we're still hanging on

Can you believe it? "The book" is edited and uploaded with written permission to release every single item requested. I should be on cloud nine, you say. Not quite yet. Now we have to wait for a LCCN (Library of Congress Control Number). Cannot release printing until we have a number. Could take up to ten days, they say. What more could be LEFT?

Sweet Claudia, volunteered to edit "the book" one last time while we awaited the final release statement from the Church History Library. She was editing the Illinois section when her mission call arrived -- to serve  in Nauvoo, Illinois! How cool is that?

It came today!!!

Yeah! I am so happy I'm jumping for joy. The last release statement came today.

We now have permission to use all of the items requested in our upcoming book:

Forever Stalwart.

Independence or Wayne City Landing

Old Wayne City Landing Marker

I took this photo in 2002.

New Marker

My sister, Anne Billings Untch took this photo at the same location today, November 20, 2014. 

When the saints were driven from Jackson County they crossed the Missouri River at this point, now known as Wayne City Landing, formerly Independence Landing, where River Road runs into the Missouri River. It was a busy river port in the 1830 period and the spot where the migrating Billings Party arrived in the springtime of 1832.

Perhaps updating this find is one of the reasons "the book" has been delayed. We are still waiting for a last permission letter. I will to make a final inquiry about it tomorrow and plan soon to release the uploaded manuscript with or without the photos. WE WANT THE BOOK  AVAILABLE IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS!

Forever Stalwart Book Update

Sister Sharon Church and I view the Salt Lake Temple from the Church Office Building after a Family History Discovery event this morning, then spent the afternoon working with some wonderful OFFICIAL STAFF personnel at the Church History Library who were helpful in finding and preparing our permissions request for “the book.” They are smothered with requests, but promised to submit ours to the legal department by the first of next week. No idea how long that process will take, but you can be sure I will let you know as soon as it is done. It really is going to happen! Please stay tuned.

[Note: Elder and Sister Church (from American Fork) served a Family History Mission scanning records from the South Dakota Historical Society. They also taught a seminary class for us (as CES missionaries). Our mission apartments were across the hallway from each other. Friendships are eternal.]

Exciting Find: Grandpa Titus loved the Book of Mormon. I do too!

Even though "the BOOK - Forever Stalwart" cannot be released until that last permission statement comes in, I have decided to move forward with this blog and share some of the inspiring "tender mercies" experienced along the journey of it's creation.

Would you believe?  We found a Book of Mormon that actually belonged to Titus Billings!

So here's the scoop, a DUP (Daughter's of the Utah Pioneers) lesson mentioned a Book of Mormon owned by Eunice Billings Warner Snow (daughter) and claimed it was preserved in the Provo DUP Museum. Of course I rushed right over. It is precious and kept in a locked glass cabinet. You cannot touch it or take pictures without special permission. Read on, if you want to learn about a real tender mercy.

Just then, the Museum Director entered. Everyone was surprised and I was delighted. She wasn't scheduled to be there, but felt impressed to come. Long story short, she unlocked the cabinet and with gloved hands removed the book. Again, I could not touch it, but did ask if she would open it. 

The inside cover was signed by Titus Billings! In his hand writing! Underneath Eunice had added: "Is now the property of Eunice Snow, 5th Ward, Provo."

Needless to say, I was very overjoyed. Decades ago my father assigned me to write the biography of Titus Billings and share every treasure we could find about him. Dad even moved to Titus' Independence Stewardship property in Missouri and spent years searching history for facts. "Forever Stalwart" is the compilation of everything we could find (with the Isaac Morley and Edward Tuttle stories added). I was allowed to take these three photographs for the book. (Of course proper permission forms and fees were satisfied.)

Have you ever been frustrated? My book is done, but I can't share it yet!

"Forever Stalwart" was proofed, uploaded, and made print-ready weeks ago. What is the hang-up? We are still waiting on one last written release statement for treasures (photos, letters, documents) being included in the book. To be legal we must have that permission or remove the valued items. We have chosen to wait it out. Thanks for you patience.

The moment it arrives presses will roll! 

Just the Bibliography for "Forever Stalwart" fills this entire file drawer!

Still proofing - it's a BIG book!

Really, the proofing is almost finished. The biggie is that we are waiting on one last written Release Statement. Once that arrives the presses will roll. Still taking Pre-Orders at www.foreverstalwart.com.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!

For many years I made an autumn trip to Missouri for Dad's birthday and spent a week or two in the Titus Billings guest room working on this book. He, Evan A. Billings, purchased a piece of the Titus Billings' property in Independence where he built a nice home and enjoyed discovering treasures about our pioneer ancestor. Several decades ago dad assigned me to write this biography. I am so excited to see it coming into print at last.

Birthday Special!

Pre-order your copy of Forever Stalwart by September 13th, Dad's birthday, and receive the Forever Stalwart Digital Document Collection as our gift with your order!  

www.foreverstalwart.com

Look who won't put the book down!

It's only the proof, but . . . what a sweetheart. 

He's proofing it for me.

Inside the Proof

Lots of pages to check out. 

First Peek - as it came out of the packaging

This is just a proof. They print one copy for author inspection. But hey, it is a REAL BOOK. 

I am so excited!!!!