August 25, 2024 • 12 mins
What memories from your past connect you most deeply to your faith? Today on "More Than Coincidence," we sit down with Sharon, an 81-year-old from Springfield, Ohio, who shares the enduring impact of her family's Christian values passed down throughout the generations. Raised in a devout household, Sharon's reflections offer a beautiful testament to how faith and family history shape our spiritual journey.
Sharon takes us on a captivating exploration of her extensive family history, revealing how her West Virginian roots and Swiss Huguenot ancestry have deepened her connection to Jesus Christ. Discover how knowing her heritage has enriched her faith, giving her a sense of belonging and continuity in a lineage of honorable individuals. This heartwarming episode emphasizes the significance of family history in the gospel and how it serves as a powerful anchor to our Savior. Join us for an inspiring conversation about faith, heritage, and the remarkable legacy carried through generations.
Please reach out to me if you are interested in sharing your story! I would LOVE to hear from you. :)
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Hello everyone and welcome to.
More Than Coincidence,remembering Jesus Christ in your
Story as the author andfinisher of our faith, our
Savior writes personalexperiences into each of our
lives which can later strengthen, empower and bring us peace
upon reflection.
This podcast is dedicated tosharing these anchoring memories
(00:26):
from everyone's unique storiesin order to collectively
remember and testify of thereality of Jesus Christ and his
presence in our lives.
I'm your host, lily, and I'mvery excited to share these
experiences together.
Good morning everybody.
Today on the podcast we haveSharon.
How are you, sharon?
I'm fine today.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Good Will you introduce yourself for us.
I am Sharon Woodrum Patterson.
I'm 81 years old.
I was born in Springfield, ohio, clark County.
Born in Springfield, ohio,clark County.
And let's see.
The first daughter of myparents, hattie Mildred Crane,
(01:14):
crane, townsend, and marriedKesley Woodrum, so her name was
Woodrum.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Well, I'm really grateful that you came to be
interviewed today, and so I'llask you the question, Sharon
what memories do you have inyour life that prick your heart
in remembrance of our SaviorJesus?
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Christ and anchor you to him.
Okay, I've always been, I think, reading the scriptures and
having a loving family thatthought the same thing.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Absolutely.
It was very strong in my life.
My father came from WestVirginia and his family.
They were very religious in thefact that they read the Bible,
they knew the Bible and theypractice very sound, honorable
(02:10):
lives.
My mother was also raised byher grandmother and she went to
church and had a very honorablelife and had a very honorable
life.
It's just a little odd that thegenealogy is just kind of
(02:32):
unusual, that she's raised byher grandmother, never knew her
parents Right, so that had to bea very you know hard thing to
get through.
Yeah, but yeah, we all knewabout Jesus.
My, they were practicing Jesus.
My, uh, my grandpa Woodrumwould read the bible every they
(02:56):
had like family home eveningsevery night.
Yeah, for 15-20 minutes hewould pass the Bible around and
the kids would read out of it.
Yeah, and that's amazing.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
I can barely get through like one day of family
time.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
in the evening they lived on a little 20 acre farm
in Lincoln County, west Virginia, those.
This book that I'm reading hereis about hillbillies.
Yeah, and my, my grandparentswere hillbillies and my
grandparents were hillbillies,but they were religious people.
Yeah, you know, they did notdrink alcohol.
(03:31):
That's the one thing they did,but they chewed tobacco.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Yeah, a lot of them did.
It is West Virginia, yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
But they had a strong religious background and that
comes from our ancestry back inthe woodrums and stones on that
side.
So the heritage, our heritageand our family history is very
(03:59):
very strong in our family.
One when I met my husband, heonly knew his first and second.
He knew his grandparents andmaybe his great grandparents.
He didn't know anything beyondthat where I did and I had been
to their graves in.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
West.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Virginia and I wasn't a member, but yet I already
knew my heritage.
But since then I've beensearching it all the way back to
George Washington's family.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Yeah you've done a lot of family history research?
Yeah, I have.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
And it was dumped in my lap when we lived in Gunnison
because my parents hadcollected it or knew who to
write to for it or to get thedeath records, birth records,
Right right.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Why do you feel like knowing your heritage and
knowing your ancestors is soimportant and why do you think
that that is such a big part ofthe gospel and how we can have
that be an anchor point toChrist for us?
Because we know that theprophet and a lot of people have
been saying you know, do yourfamily history, do your family
history, but why do youpersonally feel like it's so
(05:10):
important and that's an anchorpoint?
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Because I feel like I was chosen to be in that
particular line and given theopportunity.
If I was given the opportunity,I would have had ancestors who
were honorable and upright tofollow through with.
And it's just amazing, like onmy mother's side, now the
(05:39):
Townsend side, the ancestor thatlived in Pennsylvania so this
is the Townsend side.
He was a Huguenot fromSwitzerland.
His name was Hatfield, hatfieldfrom Switzerland.
I've traced that all the wayback.
(06:01):
He was very staunch.
They would not bear arms, theydidn't shoot, they didn't kill
people, they did not participatein the Revolutionary War.
Interesting yeah, well, hisfamily lived in Pennsylvania,
the eastern part of Pennsylvaniabefore they were states.
Yeah, just that.
(06:21):
He had a big farm there, youknow, and the New Jersey River,
I think it's called that flowsthat divides Pennsylvania from
New Jersey, is where Washingtoncrossed the Delaware River,
delaware River and came on tothe farm of Hatfield.
Oh, uh-huh.
(06:42):
And I remember when I firstjoined the Daughters of the
American Revolution I thoughtwell, why did he?
He was a Huguenot, he didn'tfight in the Revolutionary War,
he wouldn't fight there.
Why was he given all theseawards?
Yeah, he gave, he brought.
When George Washington cameacross and was settled there,
(07:04):
trying to escape the British.
They had no food.
They had in the winter ofValley Forge.
Well, that was his British.
Yeah, they had no food.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
They had in the winter of Valley Ford.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Well, that was his land yeah, my ancestors land,
hatfield and he brought food.
He brought meat for theWashington's soldiers to eat.
Yeah, and they were veryvaliant, so it was that Hatfield
that also came down intoKentucky and.
West Virginia area.
(07:32):
Yeah, and, and I have, you know, great admiration for that, in
fact I've been to Valley Forge.
That one time we came toVirginia to visit you yeah.
I says we've got to go up toValley Forge and Gettysburg and
and we went to Gettysburg.
Yeah, and the Gettysburg familyis my mother's side.
They're from the south, the onethat Pickney, Vardaman, Pickney
(07:55):
yeah, they fought in the southRight.
And my mother when she findsout they fought for the south,
she was a northerner.
When she finds that out she'sgoing to turn over in her grave
because she was so much againstthe South and slavery.
She hated slavery.
(08:16):
Yeah, yeah, it's just so I thinkstalwart testimonies of of
America is very staunch in mybrain and that's been a gift for
us.
We have to fight for it.
We have to protect it Right,and that's where my testimony
comes from.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Right.
So it's like doing your familyhistory and learning all these
stories and seeing the braveryand seeing all the amazing
things that your ancestors havedone has really kind of shown
you your blessings and shown youyou know the things that you've
been given and that the Lord'sblessed you with Right.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Right, I just think my testimony is built on my
relationship with my ancestors.
No-transcript.
So I have to be patient withpeople who don't accept the
gospel right away.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
And I know it's true and I want everybody to go over
the Kirtland Temple's dedicationright.
Yes, and in the dedicatoryprayer it specifically says that
you know angels will havecharge over you.
You know if you go to thetemple and other people were
also talking about that if yougo to the temple and other
people were also talking aboutthat I think that was also
(09:43):
another specific thing thatPresident Nelson himself also
just brought up about how youknow when you go to the temple
and you do family history work,then you will have angels, you
know, around you and guiding youand helping you.
What do you do you feel likeyou have seen or felt that the
spirit of your ancestors as you,whether that was when you were
(10:05):
younger or while you were doingthis family history work, or
when you were, you know becauseyou're a convert to the church
and so you didn't necessarilyknow about temples or anything,
but before and after that do youfeel like you really knew these
people and do you feel likeyou've had ministering angels?
You know minister to you andstuff, as you've been trying to
(10:28):
live the gospel and do yourfamily history work?
Speaker 2 (10:31):
Oh yes, absolutely.
I believe that it's been a giftgiven to me specifically doing
the family history work and it'spart of the whole story of
everyone's life.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
And I just feel that some people don't take it
seriously and that's pasthistory.
It should be rejected and leftalone and don't find out about
the good and the bad.
Right, Right and uh.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Well, that's cool, I don't have any other things.
Do you have any other finalthoughts or do you mind leaving
us with a?
Speaker 2 (11:11):
testimony.
Okay, I have a testimony ofJesus Christ and I love the fact
that I know the true church andI know that and I want that for
my children.
Yeah, the true church.
And I know that and I want thatfor my children, yeah and uh,
but I do not, I'm not going toforce my children.
They have to gain thattestimony themselves, right, and
(11:33):
I'm very grateful that, uh, Ihave seen the hand of God in my
in Mitch's surgery on his eyes.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
The doctor in California when he only had to
have one surgery to correct theglaucoma that was building up.
Yeah, and he says the doctorsaid to me that is the most
amazing miracle that's happened.
And he says this is the firsttime I've ever had a surgery be
successful.
(12:05):
The first time Usually you haveto come back.
And I said because he was givena priesthood blessing.
Well what's a priesthoodblessing, so I got to teach him
about that, that's cool.
You know that's, I know.
I know I've been blessed, and Isay this humbly in the name of
Jesus Christ Amen.
Speaker 1 (12:26):
Thanks again for tuning into More Than
Coincidence Remembering JesusChrist in your Story.
Please follow us on socialmedia or share us with a friend.
If you have an experience you'dlike to share, feel free to
reach out tomorethancoincidencerememberhim
at gmailcom.
I can't wait to hear all of theamazing memories you all have
of our Savior.
(12:46):
See you next time.
Hello everyone and welcome to.
More Than Coincidence,remembering Jesus Christ in your
Story as the author andfinisher of our faith, our
Savior writes personalexperiences into each of our
lives which can later strengthen, empower and bring us peace
upon reflection.
This podcast is dedicated tosharing these anchoring memories
(00:26):
from everyone's unique storiesin order to collectively
remember and testify of thereality of Jesus Christ and his
presence in our lives.
I'm your host, lily, and I'mvery excited to share these
experiences together.
Good morning everybody.
Today on the podcast we haveSharon.
How are you, sharon?
I'm fine today.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Good Will you introduce yourself for us.
I am Sharon Woodrum Patterson.
I'm 81 years old.
I was born in Springfield, ohio, clark County.
Born in Springfield, ohio,clark County.
And let's see.
The first daughter of myparents, hattie Mildred Crane,
(01:14):
crane, townsend, and marriedKesley Woodrum, so her name was
Woodrum.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Well, I'm really grateful that you came to be
interviewed today, and so I'llask you the question, Sharon
what memories do you have inyour life that prick your heart
in remembrance of our SaviorJesus?
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Christ and anchor you to him.
Okay, I've always been, I think, reading the scriptures and
having a loving family thatthought the same thing.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Absolutely.
It was very strong in my life.
My father came from WestVirginia and his family.
They were very religious in thefact that they read the Bible,
they knew the Bible and theypractice very sound, honorable
(02:10):
lives.
My mother was also raised byher grandmother and she went to
church and had a very honorablelife and had a very honorable
life.
It's just a little odd that thegenealogy is just kind of
(02:32):
unusual, that she's raised byher grandmother, never knew her
parents Right, so that had to bea very you know hard thing to
get through.
Yeah, but yeah, we all knewabout Jesus.
My, they were practicing Jesus.
My, uh, my grandpa Woodrumwould read the bible every they
(02:56):
had like family home eveningsevery night.
Yeah, for 15-20 minutes hewould pass the Bible around and
the kids would read out of it.
Yeah, and that's amazing.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
I can barely get through like one day of family
time.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
in the evening they lived on a little 20 acre farm
in Lincoln County, west Virginia, those.
This book that I'm reading hereis about hillbillies.
Yeah, and my, my grandparentswere hillbillies and my
grandparents were hillbillies,but they were religious people.
Yeah, you know, they did notdrink alcohol.
(03:31):
That's the one thing they did,but they chewed tobacco.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Yeah, a lot of them did.
It is West Virginia, yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
But they had a strong religious background and that
comes from our ancestry back inthe woodrums and stones on that
side.
So the heritage, our heritageand our family history is very
(03:59):
very strong in our family.
One when I met my husband, heonly knew his first and second.
He knew his grandparents andmaybe his great grandparents.
He didn't know anything beyondthat where I did and I had been
to their graves in.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
West.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Virginia and I wasn't a member, but yet I already
knew my heritage.
But since then I've beensearching it all the way back to
George Washington's family.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Yeah you've done a lot of family history research?
Yeah, I have.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
And it was dumped in my lap when we lived in Gunnison
because my parents hadcollected it or knew who to
write to for it or to get thedeath records, birth records,
Right right.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Why do you feel like knowing your heritage and
knowing your ancestors is soimportant and why do you think
that that is such a big part ofthe gospel and how we can have
that be an anchor point toChrist for us?
Because we know that theprophet and a lot of people have
been saying you know, do yourfamily history, do your family
history, but why do youpersonally feel like it's so
(05:10):
important and that's an anchorpoint?
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Because I feel like I was chosen to be in that
particular line and given theopportunity.
If I was given the opportunity,I would have had ancestors who
were honorable and upright tofollow through with.
And it's just amazing, like onmy mother's side, now the
(05:39):
Townsend side, the ancestor thatlived in Pennsylvania so this
is the Townsend side.
He was a Huguenot fromSwitzerland.
His name was Hatfield, hatfieldfrom Switzerland.
I've traced that all the wayback.
(06:01):
He was very staunch.
They would not bear arms, theydidn't shoot, they didn't kill
people, they did not participatein the Revolutionary War.
Interesting yeah, well, hisfamily lived in Pennsylvania,
the eastern part of Pennsylvaniabefore they were states.
Yeah, just that.
(06:21):
He had a big farm there, youknow, and the New Jersey River,
I think it's called that flowsthat divides Pennsylvania from
New Jersey, is where Washingtoncrossed the Delaware River,
delaware River and came on tothe farm of Hatfield.
Oh, uh-huh.
(06:42):
And I remember when I firstjoined the Daughters of the
American Revolution I thoughtwell, why did he?
He was a Huguenot, he didn'tfight in the Revolutionary War,
he wouldn't fight there.
Why was he given all theseawards?
Yeah, he gave, he brought.
When George Washington cameacross and was settled there,
(07:04):
trying to escape the British.
They had no food.
They had in the winter ofValley Forge.
Well, that was his British.
Yeah, they had no food.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
They had in the winter of Valley Ford.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Well, that was his land yeah, my ancestors land,
hatfield and he brought food.
He brought meat for theWashington's soldiers to eat.
Yeah, and they were veryvaliant, so it was that Hatfield
that also came down intoKentucky and.
West Virginia area.
(07:32):
Yeah, and, and I have, you know, great admiration for that, in
fact I've been to Valley Forge.
That one time we came toVirginia to visit you yeah.
I says we've got to go up toValley Forge and Gettysburg and
and we went to Gettysburg.
Yeah, and the Gettysburg familyis my mother's side.
They're from the south, the onethat Pickney, Vardaman, Pickney
(07:55):
yeah, they fought in the southRight.
And my mother when she findsout they fought for the south,
she was a northerner.
When she finds that out she'sgoing to turn over in her grave
because she was so much againstthe South and slavery.
She hated slavery.
(08:16):
Yeah, yeah, it's just so I thinkstalwart testimonies of of
America is very staunch in mybrain and that's been a gift for
us.
We have to fight for it.
We have to protect it Right,and that's where my testimony
comes from.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Right.
So it's like doing your familyhistory and learning all these
stories and seeing the braveryand seeing all the amazing
things that your ancestors havedone has really kind of shown
you your blessings and shown youyou know the things that you've
been given and that the Lord'sblessed you with Right.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Right, I just think my testimony is built on my
relationship with my ancestors.
No-transcript.
So I have to be patient withpeople who don't accept the
gospel right away.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
And I know it's true and I want everybody to go over
the Kirtland Temple's dedicationright.
Yes, and in the dedicatoryprayer it specifically says that
you know angels will havecharge over you.
You know if you go to thetemple and other people were
also talking about that if yougo to the temple and other
people were also talking aboutthat I think that was also
(09:43):
another specific thing thatPresident Nelson himself also
just brought up about how youknow when you go to the temple
and you do family history work,then you will have angels, you
know, around you and guiding youand helping you.
What do you do you feel likeyou have seen or felt that the
spirit of your ancestors as you,whether that was when you were
(10:05):
younger or while you were doingthis family history work, or
when you were, you know becauseyou're a convert to the church
and so you didn't necessarilyknow about temples or anything,
but before and after that do youfeel like you really knew these
people and do you feel likeyou've had ministering angels?
You know minister to you andstuff, as you've been trying to
(10:28):
live the gospel and do yourfamily history work?
Speaker 2 (10:31):
Oh yes, absolutely.
I believe that it's been a giftgiven to me specifically doing
the family history work and it'spart of the whole story of
everyone's life.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
And I just feel that some people don't take it
seriously and that's pasthistory.
It should be rejected and leftalone and don't find out about
the good and the bad.
Right, Right and uh.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Well, that's cool, I don't have any other things.
Do you have any other finalthoughts or do you mind leaving
us with a?
Speaker 2 (11:11):
testimony.
Okay, I have a testimony ofJesus Christ and I love the fact
that I know the true church andI know that and I want that for
my children.
Yeah, the true church.
And I know that and I want thatfor my children, yeah and uh,
but I do not, I'm not going toforce my children.
They have to gain thattestimony themselves, right, and
(11:33):
I'm very grateful that, uh, Ihave seen the hand of God in my
in Mitch's surgery on his eyes.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
The doctor in California when he only had to
have one surgery to correct theglaucoma that was building up.
Yeah, and he says the doctorsaid to me that is the most
amazing miracle that's happened.
And he says this is the firsttime I've ever had a surgery be
successful.
(12:05):
The first time Usually you haveto come back.
And I said because he was givena priesthood blessing.
Well what's a priesthoodblessing, so I got to teach him
about that, that's cool.
You know that's, I know.
I know I've been blessed, and Isay this humbly in the name of
Jesus Christ Amen.
Speaker 1 (12:26):
Thanks again for tuning into More Than
Coincidence Remembering JesusChrist in your Story.
Please follow us on socialmedia or share us with a friend.
If you have an experience you'dlike to share, feel free to
reach out tomorethancoincidencerememberhim
at gmailcom.
I can't wait to hear all of theamazing memories you all have
of our Savior.
(12:46):
See you next time.
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