PS: TJ is Jehovah Witness sorry the computer is weird and won't let me make the correction.
Well I hope all is well and have a great week!
Elder Ahlmer
Here is some stories about our Grandparents that Zachary asked for, written by Joanne Ahlmer.
Adam Cralk Smyth
My father, Paul E. Anderson’s Mother - Sarah Elizabeth Smyth’s father Adam Craik Smyth was born in Manchester, Lancaster, England in 1840.
He studied music as a young boy, sang as a choir boy in the Manchester Cathedral. He and his wife, Emily Brown came on a ship over to America, 3 weeks after their marriage. They came across the plains with an oxcart company. Arrived in Salt Lake City in the fall of 1864. All they had with them were their clothes and 10 cents. He spent his last money on 2 red tomatoes, biting into 1 and throwing it on the ground. They moved to Logan in a few days where he was employed as a school teacher. He organized a county choir and many he taught became music leaders in Cache County.
They moved to Mendon in Cache Co. where he was baptized into the LDS Church. He followed his profession as a music teacher. He imported the first organ that was brought into Cache County.. His wife Emily died leaving him 2 daughters; Sarah Elizabeth , 11 days old, and Francis Emily, 15 months old. He returned to SL and was active in music. He spent time composing and directing musical plays.
He moved from SL to Sanpete County, locating in Fountain Green where he homesteaded and continued teaching school, directing the choir from 1881 to 1886 where he was given the position of recorder in the Manti Temple. He was hired by manti City to teach and train a choir. He conducted them to sing at the dedication of the Manti Temple in 1888. He wrote many church hymns, the most noted was Joseph Smith’s first prayer.
Abraham Hunsaker
Your Dad’s mother - Margaret Tressa Hunsaker, daughter of Isaac Hunsaker jr., son of Isaac Hunsaker, son of Abraham Hunsaker and Eliza Collins.
Abraham Hunsaker, born in 1812 in Jonesborough town, Union Co. Illinois. He married Eliza when she was only 15 and he was 21. They lived on Abraham’s father’s ranch for 2 months until they could build a small cabin of their own. They moved to Pilgeon Creek, Ill, where they joined the church. They had the desire to live closer to Joseph Smith and moved to Mississippi. After the murder of Joseph Smith in 1844, the persecutions of the mormon people become greater than they could endure. Abraham owned a flour mill and traded it for an ox and a cow , a wagon, and the other things to cross the Mississippi River not knowing where they were going or what the future would bring, putting their faith in God. They took their cattle and sheep with them. After they reached Council Bluffs, Iowa, a call came to fight in the war between Mexico and the US. Abraham was 1 of the first to volunteer. He later feared he had done the wrong thing, leaving Eliza and 6 children with nothing but a covered wagon and a few provisions, not knowing if he would ever return. Eliza had a well-to -do brother who told her she should give up the Mormon religion and come and live with him and they would never want for anything. Eliza told her brother that Abraham would come back and she would never give up her religion. The saints built a small cabin for her and her family to live in and Abraham finally returned. They left Council Bluffs and traveled west in 1848 with the Cunningham Company. After arriving in Utah, Abraham & Eliza settled in what is now So. Jordan. The Indians became very troublesome & began stealing livestock and killing settlers. Abraham started preparing to move the family to Salt Lake Valley He sent his son Lewis to round up the horses. He never saw his son again, which grieved them badly. Thinking he had been killed by the Indians.
He was called by the Church to settle Carson City, NV. He sold all his possessions except his cattle and he took his family and Eliza across a very difficult journey over rough mountains, cliffs and streams into Nevada where water was very scarce. Many of the cattle died on the way. On July 17 1856 they located in Carson Valley. Now Carson City. They were doing well, when he got a call from Brigham Young to return to Utah. The US Army had been sent by congress to make war on the LDS people because of polygamy. So he sold what he could and gave away everything else. He started for Utah. During this trip, Eliza gave birth in a covered wagon to their last child, Eliza at Snowville, Utah. From there they were told by Brigham Young to settle in Brigham city. In 1858 the saints left Northern Utah and moved south to payson because of the army. Then later they returned to Brigham City. In 1865 he built the Hunsaker Big House on Main Street and 4th South where Eliza remained until 1880. Then she moved to Honeyville to live with him and his other 3 wives.
He had 5 wives all together. Here is part of an obt. written in the Deseret news in jan. 1889:
He told his wife, Eliza C., whom he survived but two months and twenty days, that their work would be done here when he had made one more trip to Logan Temple, which he accomplished. This remark was made a few hours before her death, and he added that he would soon follow her.
Brother Hunsaker had done much in the interest of cooperation. His charity was unbounded, he was loved by all and looked up to as a noble man whom God had made great through his humble life. He died as he had lived, firm as a rock in the faith.
There is a monument honoring him erected in 1956 located on the grounds of the Honeyville Ward Chapel.
