See Paul Run

Paul likes to compete in 10K races and we saw advertised the 39th Annual Hospital Hill Run in Kansas City, Missouri on June 2. So immediately he registered for the race and we made plans to go. Paul's parents lived in Independence, Missouri from 1964 until 1992 and after his father's death in 1992, his mother continued to live there until 1995 when she decided to move to Ogden, Utah to live closer to another son and family. She died in 2002.

We had not been back to Missouri since 1992 for the funeral, so we both thought it would be great to visit old haunts and to compete in the race.

The ceremonial meeting place where announcements were made.

 They know how to throw a party.

Paul is very proud of his first place age group prize. A nice, big belt buckle. It should go well with his bolo ties.

 This was towards the end of the race where people were meeting up at Crown Center.

Here are some pictures of the race and our time spent there. Hope you don't get too bored. After all, we live in rural Oklahoma and really don't get out much.

We also visited some Mormon historical sights in the Kansas City/Independence/Liberty/Richmond area. I hope we can come back some day.

The beautiful Kansas City LDS temple at dusk. This picture was taken just a few days after it had been dedicated in June of 2012.  This is in contrast to the "temple" below constructed in the 1990's by the Community of Christ church. In 2001 they changed their name from The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the Community of Christ church breaking off any historicity with Joseph Smith or The Book of Mormon.

This picture was taken about 5 a.m. in the morning after a sleepless night at a family-favorite motel of the Hoopes family in Independence, Missouri. The experience was like going Back to the Future and a true night mare.

After the afore-mentioned Hospital Hill Run, we drove on to explore other LDS historical sights in the Independence, Missouri area.

Alexander William Doniphan (July 9, 1808 – August 8, 1887) was a 19th-century American attorney, soldier and politician from Missouri who is best known today as the man who prevented the summary execution of Mormon founder Joseph Smith, Jr. at the close of the 1838 Mormon War in that state. He also achieved renown as a leader of American troops during the Mexican–American War, as the author of a legal code that still forms the basis of New Mexico's Bill of Rights, and as a successful defense attorney in the Missouri towns of Liberty,Richmond and Independence.

Pioneer Cemetery - Richmond, Missouri

In 1911, an important monument was dedicated to several Mormon pioneers and the commemoration included a concert in the local opera house by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, who were returning to Salt Lake City. 

In 1949, the Mormons in Salt Lake took a real interest in seeing that the cemetery be maintained after it had fallen into disrepair. Church officials wanted it to be fixed up and maintained, because some of the people important to their faith lie buried there. Those names are David Witmer and Oliver Cowdery. The landscape architect sent from Temple Square in Salt Lake City was Irving T. Nelson who had a fine plan. 

So, today the cemetery is delightful as a green space in the city. It looks more like a park than a cemetery with a very handsome monument, park benches and floral plantings in one corner of the plot of land shaded by many trees.