I Am Indeed Blessed: The back story behind the Hale Family minibook

By Kurt Johnson

 

“I Am Indeed Blessed” is the story of a family strengthened through crisis. It was our honor to work with Chelsey Burnah to produce a Rememberize Stories of Life minibook that shares the emotional story of her father’s family and its strong response after a car accident took the lives of his parents and three sisters, leaving three young boys to be raised by other family members.

If you are looking to start writing your personal history, but you were told that you could only share one story from your life, one memorable event that you would leave behind for your posterity, what would it be? While we hope you would share many stories about your history, our Stories of Life minibooks are designed to help you share those memories, one story at a time, in print.

On Saturday, January 23, 1960, the Hale family was driving from its home in Las Vegas to Hurricane, Utah, so that Robert Hale could help his father with a home construction project. Robert’s wife, Madeline, and their six children were loaded in the family station wagon with him when, just west of St. George, Utah, a gravel truck suddenly swerved into their lane and crashed head-on into the Hale’s vehicle.

This minibook is the story of how Chelsey’s father, Peter, and his brothers, Larry and Robert, the three who survived the collision, dealt with life after the accident. It is also the story of Robert and Madeline Hale, how they met, raised a family, and left a legacy through their sons and grandchildren that survived through this tragedy.

Sometimes stories of the trials of our lives make for powerful opportunities to share our faith with our descendents. Some of them are more personal and are best kept inside, but those that we feel inspired to share, as Chelsey Burnah did in writing this Story of Life, can teach our families that we are, in fact,  blessed.

Amazing discoveries come when we research and write our histories. If you are looking for something to do with your extra time at home, we have a few suggestions. A good place to start is with writing the stories of your life. Need a little help or a even a gentle push? Visit our website (rememberize.com) or give us a call (385-257-1945) at Rememberize, and set up an appointment for a free consultation. We want to help you tell your stories.