Sister Rosoer

One day the Branch President, Richard Thomas, received a letter from President George Albert Smith who was then presiding over the European mission, asking him to go or send someone to a place called Merthyr Tydfill to see if they could find a Sister Rosoer who had once lived there. (Some of the records got lost during the war years). So Brother Thomas asked Ellen and me if we would like to go.
Early the next morning we started from Ellen's home about 5:30 A.M. and walked over the hills a couple of miles to the railway station at Blaenavon, arriving there about 7:30 or 8:00 A.M. at Merthyr Tydfill. We asked the station master the way to the little town and we walked another two miles. I remember what a beautiful morning it was. The sun was shining, the birds singing, and we sang and talked as we walked along. We were wondering, too, how we were going to find Sister Rosoer. We did not know how old she was, what she looked like, or where she lived. We started up a hill, thinking we would stop at a cottage further on and make inquiries. Suddenly I looked up and saw the quaintest little old lady coming over the brow of the hill.

She crossed over and walked toward us. She looked a typical old fashioned Welsh woman, dressed in a long dark dress with a white lace collar and a spotless frilly white apron. She offered outstretched hands and a smiling face as she came towards us. We looked at her in astonishment as she said, "Good morning, my dears. I am Sister Rosoer. Are you coming to visit me?" We were speechless for a moment, then Ellen said as she took her hand, "Sister Rosoer, how did you know we were coming?" She replied, "Aye, that’s a long story. I’ll tell ye while we eat and visit." When we arrived at her quaint and beautiful little thatched cottage with a profusion of flowers in the little garden and red and white

A Thatched Cottage

geraniums in the windows, we noticed as we entered the cottage that the table was set for three people on a snowy white cloth. After a brief wash we sat down to boiled eggs and toast with jam, milk and welsh scones (they call them scons). When we finished eating, Sister Rosoer told us her life story. I will tell here only the part that pertains to our visit.

She was converted to the Church as a young girl. She married her childhood sweetheart. He never did join the Church but he never opposed it and was very good to her and never interfered with her church activities. One day the missionaries paid her an unexpected call, President Woodruff and three others. She was quite embarrassed because she had to excuse herself and go to the village store to purchase food for their dinner. After they had eaten and rested for a while they were about to leave when Sister Rosoer again apologized for not being prepared. President Woodruff said, "Sister Rosser, we appreciate your hospitality and would like to leave you with our blessing. Then he put both hands upon her head and among many other things he said, "Dear Sister, if you will live the gospel and remember your morning and evening prayers you will never again be taken by surprise by a visit from the Priesthood or those whom they send". She never was. That morning when we arrived she said that when she arose from saying her morning prayers she had received a distinct impression that someone was coming to visit her today so she decided to meet the early morning train. What wonderful things she told us that morning. It was a visit to be remembered. We saw her twice within the following year. Our third visit was to her funeral.