Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Generations Project: The Gurr's

My grandfather and of whom I am the namesake, George Austin Palmer, was born in 1921.
He was adopted when he was 9 months old by Joseph Palmer, Jr. and Ella Colton.
Joseph  and Ella Palmer, and 3 granddaughters, my aunts
He wasn’t told that he was adopted until he left home for a mission, I believe. Although growing up in a small town in Idaho, and hearing the mean things that kids repeat that their parents say, he always suspected it.

Joseph Palmer, Jr.
His childhood was not a pleasant one. Grandpa was a very tender and caring man. His biggest fear was that he was illegitimate and he was branded with the nasty title of a bastard son. And he always wondered why his mother would give him up. For years, my grandfather wondered about his birth parents, who they were, what they were like. When he was a little older, he sent off for his adoption certificate, that is the only information that he had to go off. It listed his name as "Austin Gurr", and his birthmother’s name but no father, which stirred up the feeling that he was born illegitimately. His mother had signed "Lila Gurr", crossed out"Lila" and wrote "Eliza".
Grandpa's Adoption Decree
Shortly before his death, due in large part to family history research done by a daughter-in-law’s sister (kind of confusing), doing a genealogy project at BYU,  he was able to find out that he had a biological sister living in Cedar City, UT, a Norma Gurr Steiner (born 17 June 1918- Aug 30 2006) and in St. George a 1/2 sister, a LaFawn Crosby Robinson (born in 1925, living, as last I had been informed), and was able to meet them. What a neat occasion it must have been for him to met his sisters and finally solve a life long mystery. It was interesting because when my aunt contacted the family for the first time, they said that it probably wasn’t the same "Elizabeth Gurr", since their grandmother went by the name "Lila", which was a big step in finding my grandpa's biological family.

Grandpa Palmer
 Grandpa grew up in Malad, ID graduating from high school, and attended University of Idaho at Moscow, studying veterinarian medicine, having a deep love of animals. He served an LDS mission to the California El Centro Mission, which included California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and part of Mexico.


In large part he proselyted to Navajo Indians in the area. He told storied of eating prairie dogs among the Indians and a story about going into Mexico and being put into prison. He had a dark complexion and black hair they thought that he was trying to cross the border, but he had blue eyes so that threw them.


In 1948, he married grandma, Norma Johnson in the Logan, Utah LDS Temple, where they were sealed for time and eternity. They were blessed with seven children, five daughters and two sons, one of which is my father.
He spent his life working and enjoying his family on the family dairy farm. His pride and joy were his children, grandchildren, and family, and having them stay and work with him on the farm. He was active in the LDS Church as a high priest, serving on the stake Sunday school board, as a stake missionary and other callings. He had a love of music, the outdoors and a great appreciation of family. I remember how every time we had to leave after visiting, he would weep and would come outside and wave to see us off.  
My paternal grandparents, Norma Hilma Johnson and George Austin Palmer
Grandpa was born in 1921 in Salt Lake City, UT to his birth mother Elizabeth "Lila" Catherine Gibson (1895-1940, daughter of David William Gibson (1870-1958) and Elizabeth Stewart Hunter (1871-1937)),  and birth father John William "Jack" Gurr (1894-1944). At this time, his biological sister, Norma would have been 3.
Jack Gurr
It was believed that Jack was a bit of a player, and that Lila’s parents were very upset about the whole thing. They were married, mostly for a name to the child. Jack had married Lila, on 6 August 1918, two months after Norma was born, and soon after, Jack went into the Army. Jack served in World War I from 1918-1919 as a  Private First Class in the D Company of the 319th Engineers of the U.S. Army. He was a sheepherder and farmer by trade.

Lila's parents kept Norma for a couple of years, while Lila went to Salt Lake to study nursing. During that time it is thought that Jack returned and grandpa was born. Lila kept the secret of her pregnancy, birth and the adoption. I believe one of Lila’s sisters was still alive when Grandpa first found this family. They asked Lila’s sister if she had ever mentioned giving up and child, she said that she felt Lila took it to the grave.
Norma Gurr and Lila Gurr
Jack and Lila had divorced June 1923. He was married to Rachel Margaret Allen (1897-1978) on 3 October 1921 in Farmington, UT. He died in 1944 from pneumonia in Ogden, UT.



Jack's WWI Service Questionnaire





War Questionaire Cont'd
  
Vetern's with Federal Service Burial record


 

Wanted add from the Ogden Standard-Examiner, 19 Apr 1930

Grandpa was able to put to rest two of his biggest fears, he was not illegitimate and his mother did not want to give him up. Lila's overbearing father and the pressures of single life left her feeling she had no other option. Elizabeth Gibson put grandpa up for adoption sometime around Dec. 1921, as I recall.

Elizabeth later remarried a Clarence Ember Crosby (1892-1975) 26 June 1923 in Provo, Utah. Grandpa's 1/2 sister, LaFawn was born to them. Most of their children were born sickly and they lost a lot of them. Some believe that it may have been due to the RH crossover blood type. Grandpa had B+ blood and something about an O- type mother.

Lila, her mother, Norma, and baby Bonnie Jean.
 Also grandpa was kind of sickly also and a difficult time as a baby, maybe due to the blood thing. One may wonder how Lila felt knowing that she had given up a son and then was having such a hard time having other children. 
Death Certificate for Eliza Gibson Crosby

   
Death Certificate, Jack Gurr





http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/IDONEIDA/2004-12/1102120614
https://new.familysearch.org/en/action/hourglassiconicview?bookid=p.KW8Q-GLD&focus=p.KW8Q-GLD&svfs=1
http://www.myfamilyhistoryjj.com/TNG/getperson.php?personID=I62252&tree=1





posted by Austin @ 10:40 PM

5 Comments:

At October 18, 2011 at 10:47 PM , Blogger Austin said...

Thanks for all your help on this one Dad!

 
At October 19, 2011 at 3:08 PM , Blogger Shanna said...

Grandpa Palmer cetainly had an interesting beginning to his life, but he turned out to be a fabulous father and grandfather! Thanks for the facts! I'm sure he's proud you have his name!

 
At October 20, 2011 at 11:53 PM , Blogger Debi said...

I'm so glad you wrote the story down to share with us. It was interesting hearing about it the other night at dinner. :) I think your dad looks like your grandpa Palmer. Especially his eyes...

 
At October 20, 2011 at 11:53 PM , Blogger Debi said...

PS. Thanks for the pop-up box. Now I don't have to be Anonomous anymore!

 
At November 22, 2011 at 11:33 PM , Blogger Brynn said...

Thanks Austin!

This made me tear up a little.

You forgot to add - Grandpa could sleep anywhere and could be found on the front room floor often, he had the best toothless smile :), and he always knew how to make the kids giggle at the kitchen table with his finger up the nose trick.

Love you Grandpa.

 

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