In February of 1930, Jarom's Grandpa Blacker was finishing his mission to Ireland and England. G-pa Blacker's father, sent him some names and locations of family members who still lived in England, and wondered if they might be visited. He received permission from the mission president, and at the end of his mission, traveled by train to Mountain Ash, a coal mining town, where some of the Blackers had lived. With the help of a friendly policeman, he was directed to the home of a William Blacker, who was the brother of his grandfather, or his great uncle.

He knocked on the door, and when his great uncle answered, he explained who he was. He said, "Uncle William took me by the hand and pulled me to him and hugged me." This was the first time he had met any of his brother's family, after he had left the British Isles for America. He was treated like royalty, and visited for a couple of days, meeting more of his extended family.

On leaving them, he traveled again by train to the small town of Clutton, Somersetshire, where more of the Blacker family had lived. He was guided to the ancestral home which was also a business where headstones had been carved by Blackers since 1716. A sign on the business read, Blacker Memorial Works.

An older cousin, Frederick Blacker, who was now the owner was not at home, but his adult son, Charles was. Charles took Jarom's grandfather around Clutton, and showed him various places connected with the family. They went to the Chapel of the Church of England, where many Blackers had been christened, married and buried. Almost all the headstones in the cemetery around the church had been created by various Blackers who had owned the Memorial Works since 1716.

Jarom's grandfather then left, as his mission was finished and returned to his home in Rupert, Idaho. Very soon, he received a letter from Frederick, saying he was more than sorry he was not at home, This started a correspondence that lasted may years. Frederick was ablt to give G-pa Blacker much info. On the family. None of the British Blackers were LDS, but they willingly shared their knowledge and history of the family.

The correspondence was kept up even after WWII began. However, some letters would have sections cut out. The British, fearful that the Germans might intercept the mail, had every letter read by censors who would cut our any parts that might unwittingly pass on info that might be dangerous for the British.

Because the Germans were bombing England, and their submarines, or U-boats were intercepting and sinking ships carrying aid to Britain, they began to suffer terrible from lack of food. People were malnourished, and suffering greatly. At one point, Frederick asked his cousin if he could send a little food for them. They desperately needed oils and fats, as all the fat products were being used for explosives. Food was rationed, and things like sugar and butter were not to be had.

Jarom's mother, as a young girl, remembered her father and mother packing canned goods, including shortening, into boxes at their kitchen table. Also candy, which would be a great treat. These were sent to Frederick's family.

Frederick died in the 1950s, and the monumental works were taken over by his children, Charles and his sister, Freida. After Charles died, Frieda, who never married carried on running the business, and carried on until she sold the business to a long-time employee.

Jarom's parents recently did research on Frederick's family. They found his information, and the name of his wife... Annie Weeks, and the information for their children, Charles and Freida. They sent the names to Salt Lake who in turn would send the names a temple somewhere in the world for their sealing ordinance to be performed.

Jarom's paents are ordinance workers in the Twin Falls, Idaho Temple. They work on the Saturday night shift. The very next week after the names had been sent to Salt Lake, they were assigned to be patrons in a sealing session.

Another couple was called to the alter, and the very first two names read by the officiator, were Frederick Blacker and Annie Weeks! Why, with all the temples in the world would those two names be sent to the Twin Falls Temple? Why, with all the many sealing sessions that go on every day in the temple, would those names be held until the very hour and a half, when Jarom's parents would both be in that sealing session? Hardly ever, were they both be assigned to work on the same ordinance assignment during their shift. The brother doing the sealing, when later told of the situation, agreed it was a miracle!

Frederick's letters are now in the possession of Jarom's parents. One tell about him hearing bombs falling and feeling the windows rattling as he was writing. He tells of watching the Royal Air Force, or RAF in so,called dog fights with the German bombers. He told of a German who bailed out of his plane, and landed in a field not far away, who was surrounded by farmers, who treated him well, and tuned him over to the military who would take him to a Prisoner of War camp. He was pleased to hear that President Delano Roosevelt was elected, as he would help Britain with the war effort. He said he hoped Americans would help provide planes. He said, "We have the lads, if we can just get the planes." They got the planes when America generously sent them plus all kinds of war machinery.

Jarom's parents went to Clutton and saw the Monumental Works , and met the current owner who purchased it from Freida Blacker. They were shown the bomb shelter Frederick had built next to the very old ancestral home, which had been useful too Belgian refugees during WWI.

They then drove to the old Church of England, where so manyof their ancestors had been christened, married and buried, and visited the graves of Frederick and Annie, and those of their children, Charles and Freida, with headstones created in their own monumental works.

These people are very real to us.