Two of my 3rd great-grandfathers, Clinton Doneral Bronson and Amos Betts Andrews, came to Utah with the Mormon pioneers in 1847. Clinton married Amos’s daughter, Lovisa Andrews, and both families settled for a time in Huntsville in the Ogden Valley. Clinton’s brother, Wilmer Wharton Bronson, also settled there with his family. Some of their daughters married into the Ferrin and Hammond families, and descendants still reside in the valley. The Ogden Valley is a beautiful, secret gem in the Wasatch Mountains. It is dominated by Pineview Reservoir, a popular boating and fishing lake, and three ski resorts (Snow Basin, Powder Mountain, and Nordic Valley). The valley is comprised of three towns: Huntsville, Eden, and Liberty.

Cemetery Point Beach, Pineview Reservoir, looking west toward Ogden Canyon, October 2014

When my husband and I began looking for a place to retire nearly five years ago, we ignored this beautiful valley, thinking it was too far away.  But after two of our daughters ended up living a 40-minute drive from the valley, it became more of a possibility.  In May we found a home we loved in Liberty, and here we are, living in the Nordic Valley area, just north of the very place where two of my grandfathers settled in the 1850’s.

My husband and our daughters, Brenda and Alicia, painting the front of the house.

Daughters Kimi and Brenda painting those tall pillars in the back.

I have researched the Bronson and Andrews families extensively, especially the Andrews family, and can’t help feeling like I have “come home.”  Although the Amos Andrews family eventually left the valley, Amos was actually buried near Huntsville, but his grave was washed away.  I feel even closer to him now and am excited to spend my time here doing even more research on his family.  In my wildest dreams, I never expected this scenario to take place!

View to the northwest from our deck.

And during the move I came up with more ways to organize my stuff!  Stay tuned!