Family Memories ~ A Christmas Visit

My maternal grandparents, Debs Warren Webster and Willis (Quillin) Webster, were from Brazil. In the summer of 1952 their family immigrated to the United States of America. My mom was fourteen years old at the time they immigrated to the USA. They settled in Southern California. To learn more about their immigration story, click the The Debs Webster Family Immigration Story tab at the top of this blog.

When I was growing up, my maternal grandparents lived in Hacienda Heights, California. My family traveled to visit them quite a bit while I was growing up, and my grandparents would travel to visit us. It was fun and interesting when we'd get together. I remember hearing Portuguese spoken all around me. Unfortunately, I was never taught the language.

Since it's almost Christmas, I figured it was the perfect time to share some photos from when our family traveled to spend Christmas with my grandparents at their home in Hacienda Heights in 1969. 

This is a photo of my Grandpa Debs and Grandma Willis Webster at their house in Hacienda Heights, California. Technically, my Grandma Willis was my step-grandma. My mom's mother died when my mom was almost four years old and my Grandpa Debs married Willis when my mom was five years old. Willis was the only maternal grandma I knew. So to me she was just Grandma. And she was a wonderful grandmother!

Here's a photo of my parents, brothers, and myself with my grandparents.

  

After all the festivities it was time for our family to head back home. But before we left, Grandpa Debs took a couple more photos.

The first one is of my grandparents with my brothers and myself. I love what Grandpa Debs wrote on the top margin of this photo: "They Came For Christmas." I like to think that this little statement meant that our Christmas visit meant a lot to him.

Here's a photo of my parents, brothers, and myself posing in front of our little 1964 green Volkswagen Beetle. Again, my Grandpa Debs wrote a little something on the top margin of the photo. This time it was, "Bye Bye."

I miss my grandparents. They were so kind and loving. I also miss my parents, who were also kind and loving.

At this joyous time of year when we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, I'd like to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Thanks for stopping by!

Jana

© 2025 Copyright by Jana Iverson Last, All Rights Reserved

Light the World ~ A Special Christmas Video. Share His Light Through Service

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has produced an inspirational video that I'd like to share with you today. It's not even December yet, but I wanted to share this video before December because of the wonderful daily service event that begins on December 1st.

This is a truly beautiful way to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We can share His light with those around us through acts of service.

The following link has ideas for the 25 days of service leading up to Christmas Day.

Follow Our Savior Jesus Christ. In 25 Ways. Over 25 Days.

Thanks for stopping by!

Jana

© 2016 Copyright by Jana Iverson Last, All Rights Reserved

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year ~ Swedish Style

This sweet Christmas card was found in one of my Grandma Ingrid's Books of Remembrance. I love that they took a picture of their home in North Hollywood, California for this photo card.

See all of the presents under the tree? I wonder which ones were for my father, Jan Albert Iverson.

On the right side of the card is a greeting written in Swedish.

En Glad Jul

och

 Gott Nytt År

Från de

Iversons

Translated, it reads,

A Merry Christmas

and

Happy New Year

From the

Iversons

I'm so thankful for this time of year when we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I'd like to share this very special Christmas video with you. I hope you enjoy it.

As my grandparents expressed in their lovely Christmas card, I too would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Thanks for reading!

Jana

© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

Advent of Christmas ~ December 23, 2015 - The Meaning of Christmas

Note: This is a repost from December 23, 2014.

This is part of the "Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories" by Thomas MacEntee of GeneaBloggers. If you'd like to join in the fun, just click HERE.

23 December – The Meaning of Christmas

If someone dropped out of the sky and was unfamiliar with the concept of Christmas, how would you explain it to them? Can you put the meaning of Christmas into words? What does Christmas represent to you and is it different than when you grew up or from the meaning it had for your ancestors?

Tell us what Christmas means to you and your memories of Christmases past.

I love Christmas. It's a very special time of the year that we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Because He was born in Bethlehem so many years ago, and because He fulfilled His divine mission here on earth, we all have the opportunity to return to live with our Heavenly Father again.

I'm eternally grateful to our Heavenly Father for the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ.

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

Please enjoy this beautiful video that tells the Christmas Story.

Merry Christmas!

Jana

© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

Advent Calendar ~ December 15, 2015 – Christmas Tree Decorations

This is part of the "Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories" by Thomas MacEntee of GeneaBloggers. If you'd like to join in the fun, just click HERE.

Christmas Tree Decorations

Advent Calendar Prompt from 2015 - Do you have unique decorations that you use each Christmas? How did you get them or were they passed down to you from family members? Do you have certain traditions surrounding Christmas decorations such as purchasing one from every state or country you visit? Describe your favorite decorations!

Tell us about your Christmas decorations and your memories of Christmases past.

Our Christmas tree is decorated with traditional round ball ornaments such as you'd find at your local Target or other department store. But, we also have special Christmas ornaments that we've collected or have been given over the years. I'd like to share a few of those with you today.

In previous Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories posts about Christmas tree decorations, I mentioned that I remembered some painted glass bird ornaments from my childhood. They were clipped onto the Christmas tree branches and had decorated bristle-like tails. I inherited one of those birds from my parents. It's a very special heirloom ornament.

This is our Fresno California Temple ornament. On April 9, 2000, the Fresno California Temple was dedicated. Our family was able to attend the groundbreaking for the temple on March 20, 1999. During the temple's construction, our family visited the temple site and took pictures. I made a scrapbook that contains those pictures and other items. We are so thankful to have a temple near us. Before the Fresno California Temple was built and dedicated, we attended the Oakland California Temple, which is about three hours north of us.

I made these ornaments years ago. They are round and egg-shaped glass ornaments covered in a gold mesh fabric.

This lovely Nativity Scene ornament was given to me by my sweet friend Ann who lives in Ireland. Ann is the wonderful person who found and gave me many of the Engle Family postcards I now have in my possession. If you haven't read about the amazing story of these postcards, click HERE.

This is our Liahona ornament. It's a beautiful shiny plastic ornament. In the Book of Mormon, there is an account about Lehi, a Hebrew prophet, who found a brass ball outside of his tent door. This brass ball was called the Liahona and was given to Lehi and his people by the Lord. The Liahona provided direction and spiritual instruction to Lehi and his family. To learn more about the Liahona, click HERE.

This beautiful glass ornament decorated with fruit was given to us years ago by some friends. 

My friend Sue bought this beautiful ornament for me when she visited Amsterdam several years ago. 

This sweet and simple Nativity Scene ornament has graced our Christmas tree for many years.

We purchased these ornaments while we were vacationing in Disneyland.

This is our glass bells ornament. We've had it for years. I don't even remember when we bought it.

 This is our white dove ornament. 

Do you have special ornaments on your Christmas tree? 

Thanks for reading!

Jana

© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

Advent Calendar – December 10, 2015 ~ Christmas Traditions

NOTE: This is a repost from December 10, 2014.

This is part of the "Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories" by Thomas MacEntee of GeneaBloggers. If you'd like to join in the fun, just click HERE.


December 10 – Christmas Traditions

So many of us have family traditions related to Christmas that we learned as children and we still keep to this day. Do you know how your traditions started – is there a “backstory” to each one? What about starting new traditions – how do you start and then keep the tradition going? Are there any traditions which you disliked and that you refuse to keep?

Tell us about your family’s Christmas traditions and your memories of Christmases past.

In this post, I'm not going to share Christmas traditions from when I was a child, but from my own family as a parent. My husband and I have five adult children. When they were young, we would gather together in the family room and read about Christ's birth from the scriptures. Our daughter would dress up as Mary and our four boys would dress up as Joseph, the wise men, and the shepherds. When they got older, they wouldn't dress up, but we'd still read the Christmas Story from the scriptures together. It was a special way to remind our children, and ourselves, of the real meaning of Christmas.

Several years ago, we began another tradition. We started having German Pancakes for breakfast on Christmas morning. These pancakes are baked in the oven and grow puffy as they bake. It's fun to watch them crawl up the sides of the baking dishes as they puff up.

They come out of the oven big and puffy, but fall pretty quickly as they are brought to the table. We serve them sprinkled with powdered sugar and covered in maple syrup. They are delicious! And our family looks forward to eating these each year.

Another Christmas tradition we have is making Christmas fudge. I've been making this fudge for years and years. I couldn't even tell you how many pounds of fudge I've made since I started making and sharing this fudge with our family and friends at Christmas.

The recipe was given to my mom when I was a child. It's called See's Fudge. I don't know if it's really a recipe from See's or not. It has a smooth creamy texture and is delicious and quite popular with my family and friends. I'll share the recipe here on my blog in a future post.

What about you?  What are your Christmas traditions?

Thanks for reading!

Jana

 
© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

Advent Calendar ~ December 6, 2015 - Santa Claus

NOTE: This is a repost from December 6, 2012

This is part of the "Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories" by Thomas MacEntee of GeneaBloggers. If you'd like to join in the fun, just click HERE.

December 6 – Santa Claus

Advent Calendar Prompt from 2014 - Today is the Feast of Saint Nicholas and the origin of Santa Claus. What are your memories of Santa Claus and waiting for him to come at Christmas? What does Santa mean to you today and how do you pass along that meaning to family and to others? Post your best Santa story and your memories of Christmases past.

Advent Calendar Prompt from 2012 - Did you ever send a letter to Santa? Did you ever visit Santa and “make a list?” Do you still believe in Santa Claus?



As you can see from the photo above, my brother and I did make a visit to see Santa Claus.  Unfortunately, we didn’t look all too happy to see him.  I was three years old and my brother was two years old at the time.

Between the two of us, I’d say my younger brother was the braver child during our visit, as he had the courage to actually look at Santa.  Whether or not I ever gathered up enough courage to look at Santa, I really don't recall.  Oh well, at least we weren’t screaming our heads off.  And for that, I’m sure Santa was very thankful.

At this special time of year when we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, I'd like to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas!

Thanks for reading!

Jana

© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

Advent Calendar ~ December 2, 2015 - Christmas Cards

NOTE: This is a repost from December 2012.

This is part of the "Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories" by Thomas MacEntee of GeneaBloggers. If you'd like to join in the fun, just click HERE.

December 2 – Christmas Cards

Do you still send Christmas cards or has electronic communication taken the place of this tradition? Do you remember sending Christmas cards as a child – making a list, sending out your family’s cards and then checking the mailbox for cards sent to your family? How did your family display the cards?

Write about anything related to Christmas cards and your memories of Christmases past.

My parents did send and receive Christmas cards. And they were displayed in our home.  As you can see from the photo below, one of the ways my mom displayed them was by attaching the cards to a ribbon which was then attached to the wall.



I don’t display my Christmas cards the same way my mom did, but I have kept up the tradition of sending Christmas cards to family and friends. Lately though, I’ve started sending those fun Christmas photo cards from Costco instead of traditional Christmas cards. I also include a Christmas letter updating the happenings of our family.

You could say that my Grandma Ingrid sent a type of photo Christmas card as well in 1939.  Here is a cute little Christmas card I found in one of my Grandmother Ingrid’s Books of Remembrance. Pictured are my Grandpa Arthur and Grandma Ingrid Iverson with their three children.



At this special time of year when we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, I'd like to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas!

Thanks for reading!

Jana

© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

Advent Calendar ~ December 1, 2015 - Christmas Trees

The Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories prompt for December 1, 2015 ~ Christmas Trees

What are your memories of your family putting up the Christmas tree? Many of us come from different traditions: some people won't put up their tree until after Thanksgiving or even on Christmas Eve? Some like live trees and actually go out into the woods to cut their own while others prefer the convenience of an artificial tree.

Write about anything related to Christmas trees and your memories of Christmases past.

During the early years of our married life, my husband and I bought live Christmas trees. We did this for several years until we decided to buy an artificial tree.

Our Christmas tree has moved from one location to another in our living room. We've put it next to our piano before, but for some years now, it sits in front of our window.

Things have changed a bit in our living room over the years. That window treatment is gone and the bookcase in the first photo changed location to where you see it in the second photo. Also, the photos of my husband and I next to the Christmas tree in the first photo have been moved to another wall in the living room. In their place, a picture of our Savior, Jesus Christ, graces that wall.

Traditionally, we have put up our Christmas tree soon after Thanksgiving, sometimes even the day after Thanksgiving. I love Christmas and spend several hours decorating our home with Christmas decorations we've collected or were given through the years.

When all five of our children were living at home, we would gather together, put on some Christmas music, and decorate the Christmas tree. So much fun!

This year we are behind schedule. We haven't put up our Christmas tree yet or decorated the house. We plan on decorating our Christmas tree early next week. We only have one of our five children living at home now. Two of our children are married and two other children live out-of-state while they attend college.

I'm really looking forward to seeing all of our children at Christmas this year!

Thanks for reading!

Jana

© 2015 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

The Advent of Christmas Memories (ACCM) allows you to share your family's holiday history twenty-four different ways during during December! Learn more at http://adventcalendar.geneabloggers.com/.

Merry Christmas ~ 2014

Tomorrow is Christmas Day. And I wanted to share a very special video with you. It's beautiful and moving. I love it! And I hope you will love it too.

This beautiful video includes the musical talents of The Piano Guys, David Archuleta, Peter Hollens, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

In early December, over 1,000 people came together to break the Guinness Book of World Record's title for the largest live Nativity scene. The video I'm sharing with you today shows this record-breaking live Nativity scene. I hope you enjoy this wonderful video.

I am thankful for this time of year that we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I'm thankful for His birth and for His mission here on earth. 

May you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Jana

© 2014 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

Advent of Christmas ~ The Meaning of Christmas

This is part of the "Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories" by Thomas MacEntee of GeneaBloggers. If you'd like to join in the fun, just click HERE.

23 December – The Meaning of Christmas

If someone dropped out of the sky and was unfamiliar with the concept of Christmas, how would you explain it to them? Can you put the meaning of Christmas into words? What does Christmas represent to you and is it different than when you grew up or from the meaning it had for your ancestors?

Tell us what Christmas means to you and your memories of Christmases past.

I love Christmas. It's a very special time of the year that we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Because He was born in Bethlehem so many years ago, and because He fulfilled His divine mission here on earth, we all have the opportunity to return to live with our Heavenly Father again.

I'm eternally grateful to our Heavenly Father for the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ.

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

Please enjoy this beautiful video that tells the Christmas Story.

Merry Christmas!

Jana

© 2014 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

A Wonderful Family History Christmas Gift

NOTE: This is a repost from January 2014.

On December 25, 2013, I received a very special Christmas gift. This wonderful gift was given to me by my daughter and son-in-law.



Inside this frame is a map showing the route one of my Webster ancestors took when he left the United States sometime in the early 1900s, and the route that branch of the Webster family took as they returned to the United States in 1952.

My regular readers may already know which of my Webster ancestors left the United States in the early 1900s and which Webster ancestors returned in 1952. But, for those who may be unfamiliar with this story, I'll give you a quick recap.

My great-grandfather, Watson Emory (Frederick) Webster, who I affectionately refer to as "The Traveling Dentist" in my blog, was born in Coolville, Athens, Ohio on February 14, 1864. He became a dentist and was awarded a Doctor of Dental Surgery Diploma on April 2, 1896. I have that amazing document and shared it in my blog. If you'd like to see it, click HERE. At some point during his life, Watson changed his name to Frederick. So, when you see the diploma, that's why the name "Fred E. Webster" is on his diploma.

Apparently, my great-grandfather, Frederick, liked to travel. And during those travels, he practiced dentistry. He even practiced dentistry from his Dental Boat at Natchez, Mississippi, and at Lake Charles, Louisiana. Later, Frederick traveled to Mexico and married a beautiful girl named Esther Matus Villatoro. She was my great-grandmother. They moved to Brazil, and that's where four of their five children were born. Their first child was born in Mexico. Esther and Frederick passed away in Brazil.



My grandfather, Debs Warren Webster, was one of their children who was born in Brazil. He later married a beautiful Portuguese woman named Sarah Vasques Madeira. They were the parents of my mom, who was also born in Brazil. Tragically, Sarah passed away suddenly when my mom was only four years old. My grandfather, Debs, remarried a lovely woman named Willis Quillin. They had a son together and then adopted another boy.

In 1950 and 1951, the family joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Then, in 1952, the family emigrated from Brazil to the United States. So, there we have it! This branch of the Webster family came back to the United States.

I've written several blog posts about my "Traveling Dentist" great-grandfather, Watson Emory (Frederick) Webster. There's a landing page called "The Traveling Dentist" at the top of my blog dedicated to him. If you'd like to check it out, click HERE.

I've also written about the immigration story of my grandfather, Debs Warren Webster, and his family. They arrived in the United States in the summer of 1952. The ship docked in New York, the family bought a car and some camping equipment, and they set off on a cross-country adventure. The family bought postcards and took pictures along their way toward California, which was their final destination. I also have a landing page dedicated to their story at the top of my blog. It's called "The Debs Webster Family Immigration Story." If you'd like to check it out, click HERE.



The photo below is a close-up of this map. My daughter hand-stitched the route onto the map. Isn't it awesome?! I love it!



This hand-stitched map is such a thoughtful gift. And it is truly a family history treasure. Thank you my dear, sweet daughter and son-in-law for this amazing Christmas gift.

UPDATE: This wonderful gift hangs on a wall in our home and has proven to be a great family history discussion starter. I love it!

Thanks for reading!

Jana

© 2014 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

A Special Family History Christmas Gift

On December 25, 2013, I received a very special Christmas gift. This wonderful gift was given to me by my daughter and son-in-law.



Inside this frame is a map showing the possible route one of my Webster ancestors took when he left the United States sometime in the early 1900s, and the route that branch of the Webster family took as they returned to the United States in 1952.

My regular readers may already know which of my Webster ancestors left the United States in the early 1900s and which Webster ancestors returned in 1952. But, for those who may be unfamiliar with this story, I'll give you a quick recap.

My great-grandfather, Watson Emory (Frederick) Webster, who I affectionately refer to as "The Traveling Dentist" in my blog, was born in Coolville, Athens, Ohio on February 14, 1864. He became a dentist and was awarded a Doctor of Dental Surgery Diploma on April 2, 1896. I have that amazing document and shared it in my blog. If you'd like to see it, click HERE. At some point during his life, Watson changed his name to Frederick. So, when you see the diploma, that's why the name "Fred E. Webster" is on his diploma.

Apparently, my great-grandfather, Frederick, liked to travel. And during those travels, he practiced dentistry. He even practiced dentistry from his Dental Boat at Natchez, Mississippi, and at Lake Charles, Louisiana. Later, Frederick traveled to Mexico and married a beautiful girl named Esther Matus Villatoro. She was my great-grandmother. They moved to Brazil, and that's where four of their five children were born. Their first child was born in Mexico. Esther and Frederick passed away in Brazil.



My grandfather, Debs Warren Webster, was one of their children who was born in Brazil. He later married a beautiful Portuguese woman named Sarah Vasques Madeira. They were the parents of my mom, who was also born in Brazil. Tragically, Sarah passed away suddenly when my mom was only four years old. My grandfather, Debs, remarried a lovely woman named Willis Quillin. They had a son together and then adopted another boy.

In 1950 and 1951, the family joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Then, in 1952, the family emigrated from Brazil to the United States. So, there we have it! This branch of the Webster family came back to the United States.

I've written several blog posts about my "Traveling Dentist" great-grandfather, Watson Emory (Frederick) Webster. There's a landing page called "The Traveling Dentist" at the top of my blog dedicated to him. If you'd like to check it out, click HERE.

I've also written about the immigration story of my grandfather, Debs Warren Webster, and his family. They arrived in the United States in the summer of 1952. The ship docked in New York, the family bought a car and some camping equipment, and they set off on a cross-country adventure. The family bought postcards and took pictures along their way toward California, which was their final destination. I also have a landing page dedicated to their story at the top of my blog. It's called "The Debs Webster Family Immigration Story." If you'd like to check it out, click HERE.



The photo below is a close-up of this map. My daughter hand-stitched the route onto the map. Isn't it awesome?! I love it!



This hand-stitched map is such a thoughtful gift. And it is truly a family history treasure. Thank you my dear, sweet daughter and son-in-law for this amazing Christmas gift.

Thanks for reading!

Jana

© 2012 - 2014 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

Wishing You and Yours a Very Merry Christmas ~ 2013

Merry Christmas everyone!

I'm so thankful for this time of year when we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

I hope you enjoy this special video and its beautiful message.

"What shall we give to the babe in the manger,

What shall we offer the child in the stall?

Incense and spices and gold we've a-plenty-

Are these the gifts for the king of us all?

What shall we give to the boy in the temple,

What shall we offer the man by the sea?

Palms at his feet and hosannas uprising;

Are these for him who will carry the tree?

What shall we give to the lamb who was offered,

Rising the third day and shedding his love?

Tears for his mercy we'll weep at the manger,

Bathing the infant come down from above."

Catalonian Christmas Carol

Adapted by David Warner

Merry Christmas!!

Jana

© 2012 - 2013 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

Christmas Lights on Temple Square ~ Part 2

In a previous post, I shared some photos I took while our family visited Temple Square in Salt Lake City on November 29, 2013. That was the night the Christmas lights were turned on for the first time this Christmas season. What a beautiful sight!

Today, I'm sharing more pictures from our visit. I hope you enjoy them.

A photo of the Salt Lake Temple through the trees.



Lovely luminaries.



A beautiful nativity scene in the center of the reflecting pool.



Here's a different viewing angle of the nativity scene in the photo above. The magnificent building behind the nativity scene is the The Salt Lake Temple.



A close-up view of the nativity scene.



The Salt Lake Temple.



Merry Christmas everyone!

Thanks for reading!

Jana

© 2012 - 2013 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

Christmas Lights on Temple Square ~ Part 1

In my Fab Finds post on November 22, I mentioned that I would be taking the following week off from blogging. Instead of spending time writing about my ancestors on this blog, I was spending time with living family members.

Last week, our family spent the Thanksgiving holiday together in Utah. We had a wonderful time.

On Friday, November 29, we all traveled to Salt Lake City to see the Christmas lights on Temple Square.

For those who've never been to Temple Square, the magnificent building in these pictures is the Salt Lake Temple. Construction of this temple took 40 years to complete. The groundbreaking took place on February 14, 1853 and the dedication was held in April of 1893.

The Salt Lake Temple is the largest temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.



My husband and I had been to Temple Square before, but never at Christmas time.



These pictures will hopefully give you an idea of just how beautiful Temple Square is during the Christmas season.



But, being there is so much better. These photos simply can't compare with the experience of seeing the amazing beauty of Temple Square at Christmas time in person.



I'll be sharing more photos from our visit to Tempe Square in a future post.

Thanks for reading!

Jana

© 2013 Copyright by Jana Last