On tour of midwest, Tabernacle Choir honors pioneer loggers


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BLACK RIVER FALLS, Wis. — As the Mormon Tabernacle Choir traveled through the Midwest this past week, the singers made a special stop to pay tribute to a group of pioneers many people don't know about.

A rather unusual mini concert took place while the Mormon Tabernacle Choir swept through the Upper Midwest on tour. The choir stopped in Black River Falls, Wis., to honor loggers who helped build the original Nauvoo Temple.

Black River Falls Mayor Ron Danielson conducted a special event, dedicating a plaque at the Trail of Honor Park.

Aaron Dalton's great-great-great grandfather, Stephen Abbott, caught pneumonia and was buried in Nauvoo. His wife and four children crossed the plains on their own.

"Especially when we sang 'Come, Come, Ye Saints' and we get to the verse 'And should we die before our journey's through,' that had particular meaning," Dalton said. "To be here where my own personal family history overlaps with the history of this area and the church was very meaningful."

Paul McGuire thought about his great-great grandfather, Richard Thorne, Jr.

"He owned a freight company when they finally emigrated to Utah in 1853," Thorne said. "They settled in Springville. They built roads and railroads. So he helped kind of build the west."

Barry Anderson, who helped organize the recognition of these pioneers, said their visit bound them to the people of this community and to the Native Americans who helped them.

"As we go away, there is a marker that people can remember the loggers," Anderson said. "When we leave, hopefully those good feelings actually carry on."

After the 10-day, six-city tour, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir returned home to Salt Lake City.

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