John W. Hess and Emeline Bigler Grandparents of ... - Bateman Family

Across Three Centuries Alfred John Bateman & Clara May Hess Familythe)’ had planted a crop of buckwheat and corn, and theolder brother, on his return, found them in good healthand fairly comfortable circumstances. He made arrangementsto bring them to Utah in the following spring, andthen went to Council Bluffs, where he engaged to workfor Apostle Orson Hyde for twenty dollars a month. Hehad only worked one month when cold weather set in andwork was suspended for the rest of the winter. On April15, 1849, he started for Salt Lake City, and after an arduousjourney arrived in Salt Lake on July 27th, 1849, onlyto find his land in Mill Creek taken up by another party’.Mr. Hess was married seven times. He married his secondwife, Miss Emily Cord, on March 30, 1852. She wasa native of Maine, and was born September 27, 1831. Shewas the mother of ten children. Onthe 16th day of November, 1856, hemarried Julia Peterson, who was bornin Norway September 29, 1839, andbecame the mother of four children.In March, 1857, he was married toMary Ann Steed, born in EnglandNovember 27, 1837, and who borehim ten children. January 31, 1862,his first wife died. This was a very severetrial to Mr. Hess, as she had beenthe wife of his youth and was ever afaithful and loving helpmeet, passingthrough all the early trials and hardshipsof life with him. On the 25thof April of that year he married MissCaroline Workman, who was born inTennessee March 28, 1846, and whobecame the mother of ten children.He married Miss Sarah L. Miller onMay 30, 1868 She was born in Farmington,Davis county, Utah, June 24,1850, and by her he had eight children.His second wife, Emily Cord, died August 4, 1872.On July 28, 1875, he married Francis Marian Bigler, bornin Farmington, Utah, October 22, 1859, and by her hadseven children. Mr. Hess is the father of sixty-six children,of whom thirty sons and thirty daughters are now living.He has two hundred and fifty grandchildren and fifty-fivegreat grandchildren.Upon arriving in Utah with his mother Mr. Hess wentto Farmington, in Davis county, and has made that hishome ever since. He has followed general farming, andhas been very successful. He and his different families arefaithful and consistent members of the Mormon Church,and Mr. Hess has been especially active in its work. Hehas passed through all the offices of the Priesthood, andis now a Patriarch. He was ordained a Bishop by PresidentYoung, and set aside to preside over the FarmingtonWard in 1855. President Young called him to go on a missionamong the Lamanites, located in Washakie, in BoxElder County, Utah, and he has been more or less activein working among and directing these people since thattime. In September, 1882, he was called by President JohnTaylor and set apart as First Counselor to the President ofDavis Stake of Zion. On March 17, 1885, the citizens ofFarmington prepared a banquet at Social Hall in honor ofMr. Hess’ long and useful career during his twenty-sevenyears as a Bishop, and as a token of their esteem and gratitudefor his services presented him with a bust of PresidentBrigham Young and a set of books containing the Churchworks. In September, 1887, he was called on a missionto the Washakie tribe of Indians,in company with BishopZundel.He had gone on a missionto his old home in November,1869, and while there hadlooked up the family genealogy,returning to Utah February16, 1870. Shortly after hisreturn William R. Smith, thenPresident of the Davis Stake,died, and Mr. Hess was calledto fill the vacancy temporarily.On March 4, 1894, he was setaside [by Apostle Franklin D.Richards] to preside as Presidentof Davis Stake of Zion,which position he still holds.[On 8 February 1900, he wasordained a Patriarch by ApostleFrancis M. Lyman.]John W. said of his callingas stake president “. . . to acceptthe responsibility of presiding over the stake seemeda great responsibility, and so it has proved in every senseof the word. It has caused me to feel very humble and tolive as near to the Lord as a man of my temperament coulddo, but through the help of the Lord I have done the bestI could do, and as to how well I have succeeded, I willleave to the Lord and my charitable brethren and sistersto judge. I pray most earnestly that I may continue to befaithful and humble in the future in my labors among thepeople, that I may put my trust in the Lord and have Hisapproval, then I will be content.”Mr. Hess has not distinguished himself in Church workalone, but has been a prominent and active man in politicalaffairs in Utah, and has ever been foremost in assisting topromote the welfare of the State, as well as the communityBy 1850 John W. Hess had acquired areal wealth of $240, according to theUtah Federal Census of 1850. His realwealth in 1860 was $3,000 and his personalwealth was $1,500, according to the1860 census. By 1887 John suffered fromdiabetes. He believed his diabetes was adirect result of a back injury incurred as abattalion teamster. He attributed his pooreyesight to the blinding glare of snow hesaw on the battalion march. These afflictions,added to a weak heart and kidneydisease, disabled him. In 1887, John hadno real property, but he did have $1,000in the Davis County Bank. (Pension File)[Nauvoo Ancestors Land & Records,The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-daySaints, July 2005].308