I Think I Know You!

Before our mission, I had a strong impression that I would run into people I hadn’t seen in years. This included people from my childhood and even some of the students I taught in elementary school 40 years ago. 

In my first week here I was giving a loom demonstration in the Family Living Center. A young mom said, “I think I know you. Where are you from?” I told her I was from Richland, Washington. She said, “Sister Cornwell! You visit taught my mother when I was a young girl. You look the same!” I hope I looked better then! This was Julie and Warren Caudle’s daughter, (I think her name is Stephanie). I visit taught Julie over 30 years ago. This lady had a good memory!

The next week, while serving in the Stoddard Tin Shop, I met the brother-in-law of my dear friend, Laina Taylor. His wife asked where I was from and when I said Richland, she told me that her husband’s sister-in-law lived there.

About a month ago I met Kathryn Rhoten’s brother who was here with a youth group from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 

And so it goes, on and on, every week, sometimes multiple times a week, I meet someone who I can connect with in a more than casual way. So many people have connections to the Tri-Cities!

Fellow missionaries, the Childers, who are from Richland (who we didn’t know previously). I know two of their grandsons from Richland Seminary. Jonas came to visit with his family and it was great to see him again (and about six inches taller).

Temple missionaries, the Cooks, also from Richland, who served in the Columbia River Temple on Thursdays and know so many people we know.

Temple missionaries, the Meines, who are best friends with Kerry and Luanne Anderson.

One of the most exciting meetings so far was with Rick and Debbie Ragsdale. They were here two weeks ago with a very large youth group from McKinney, Texas. Debbie was in charge and had made all the plans for the mission to accommodate the group. I was in the visitor center when this group started arriving. I went up to Debbie and her husband, one of the first adult couples to come inside and introduced myself. They did the same. Ragsdale is not a common name so when her husband said his name was Rick Ragsdale, I said, “Rick Ragsdale? Have you ever lived in Denton, Texas?” He looked a bit surprised and said, “Yes, I grew up there.” I told him that he probably didn’t remember, but we met…a LOOOOONG time ago. He looked at my name tag and I assured him that it wouldn’t help. Here is the story: 

In the summer of 1976, about six months after I had joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I went to Texas with my mom. It was her first trip to her hometown of Denton in 30 years. We stayed with her good friend, Jane Stabile and her husband Nick. Jane found out I was a member of the church and told me that their neighbors were also members and she wanted to make sure I had something to do with kids my own age while I was there. She called the Ragsdale family to see if anything was going on at church that I could attend with them. Their son, Rick (recently home from a mission, and engaged to be married) told me he would pick me up and take me with him and his fiancée to a young adult dance and introduce me around. At that dance, he danced with me the first dance then made sure I had company the rest of the night. It was a very simple thing for him to do, but I NEVER forgot it, or his name. I often thought of Rick Ragsdale and the example he set for me. So, when we met again, 43 years later, I told him that as a young man, he had made a difference to a dorky girl who didn’t know much. When I mentioned the Stabile family he and his wife smiled and said that they all grew up together and knew each other very well.

The kind words we say to and the seemingly simple things we do for people we happen to meet as we go about our lives can have a tremendous impact on them. We might never know how we affect others for good.

Now some pictures of our excitement for the week: The Nauvoo Prairie Grass Burn!

In less than five minutes one acre of tall prairie grass was burned down to nothing.