OCR Text |
Show Patriarch John Smith Passes Quietly Away Venerable Churchman Succumbs to Pneumonia In Presence of HU Family After Illness of Short Duration Du-ration Was Early Pioneer, "Call the boys; I am afraid I will have to give up." Thcso wore the lBt words spoken by Patriarch John Smith, fifth presiding presid-ing patriarch of the Mormon church nnd nephew of Joseph Smith, the prophet, n fow mluutos beforo death called him from earthly activity at 11:35 o'clock last night. Ho had shown signs of restlessness earlier In the evening, nnd when he brenthed his last all members of his family wore about thoileath bed nt his residence, res-idence, 263 South First West street. During tho last hour of his life Patriarch Pa-triarch Smltli talked with his oldest son, H. F. Smith of Provo, who enme to Salt Lake Sunday bocause of the serious illness of his father. The conversation con-versation was rational, and II. F. Smith, who will succeed his father as patriarch commented after his father's fa-ther's death upon tho wonderful vitality vi-tality of the beloved churchman. Whon President Josoph F. Smith visited Patriarch Smith yesterday noon he found htm In good spirits, though noticeably sinking, and tho president and patriarch chatted moro than nn hour, Patriarch Smith then seemed hopeful of recovery and requested re-quested Presldont Smith not to worry over the Illness, which he thought would soon pass. Ho spoke confidently confident-ly of being able to again attend to his duties to the church which ho had Continued on pa go eight o Patriarch John Smith Passes Quietly Away Continued from Page 1. performed nrdently more than half i century. Returning from a visit to his daughter, daugh-ter, Mrs. Lucy Davis of Preston, Ida,, Wednesday evening, Pntrlarch Smith complained of a slight cold. UiBison, A. F. Smith of "Salt Lake, vislteS his father Thursday forenoon. Alarmed, tho son summoned Dr. C. F. Wilcox. Tho latter discovered symptoms of pneumonia, and efforts were made to prevent a spreading of Iho disease This seemed successful until Saturday Satur-day night, when tho physician advised that tho children be informed that tho condition of the patriarch bad be come -serious. When Dr. Wilcox visited Patriarch Smith nt 7 o'clock last night he, ob-'served ob-'served that loss of strength had become be-come very serious. Two hours lator the pulse and respiration caused alarm. HowovcrL Patriarch Smith seemed clenr lit mind ahd in thereon; versntlon with 11b eldest "sonKVor5fcai: edly expressed hopo of recovery, frequently fre-quently asking him to tell the chll-drennot chll-drennot to worry. ,, Conscious Till the End. t Showing signs of restlessness nt 11:22 o'clock last night, Patriarch Smith called his oldest son, who at once felt his, pulse. Heart nctlon had become so faint that it could scare' ly bo detected. The patriarch cast an appealing glance toward bis1 son and said, faintly, "Call the boys. I am afraid I will have to give up." The children were called nnd Dr. Wilcox summoned. The 'sons and daughters who stood about tho death bod asl'atriarch Smith: breathed hlb Inst were H. l Smith ofVrovo, Mrs. Lucy Davis of Preston, Ida., D. C. Smith of Rlverton, Joseph Smith of Hoytsville, Summit county, and A. F. Smith of Salt X.ake. Dr. Wilcox ar-rived ar-rived n few minutes .after life had bo-come bo-come extincL After n brief examination examina-tion Dr. Wilcox stated that pneumonia had been the direct cause of deah. Funeral arrangements will be mndo today under the dlroctlon of President Presi-dent Joseph F. Smith and probably will be hold In tho Tabernacle. Tho patriarch wns 79 years old. He had acted in the honored position for more than 66 years. It Is estimated from records kept that ho administered administer-ed botween 15,000 and 20,000 patriarchal patri-archal blessings during that period. Perhaps no man has been so widely known and loved by so many genera tions among members of the church, Fow central flgyrdsTn spiritual affairs af-fairs of Mormonlsm have received such universal esteem and trlbui'or John Smith was born In Klrtland, Lake county, Ohio, September 22, 1832, He. wns the son-of Hyrum Smith naMrsJofusha-Darden. -Smith. Jo-8ophSmltb, Jo-8ophSmltb, tho Mormon prophet nnd founder of tho church, was hU uncle. His mother died In 1837, nn'd'Jils fa, thet was killed at tho tlmo of Joseph Smith's death at Carthage prison. With other members of the family, ho - llyed at Far West, Qulncy, Nauvoo rPff and other places where the followers of the church established their communities, com-munities, In early days. He performod missions nbroad and crossed tho plains many times at the head 'of" immigration bands nnd converts con-verts ho had lod from across tho Atlantic.:' At-lantic.:' , He was a leader of the pioneer band b( 1848, nnd was then but sixteen years of age. in 18C0 ho distinguished himself as nrriember of tho "Battalion "Battal-ion of Lifeguards," which protected tho settlers from the attacks of marauding mar-auding Indians. At tho age of 21, Feb. 18, 1855, ho s was. appointed pr6sldlng patriarch by I President Brlghnm Young. Others assisting as-sisting in tho ceremony were Heber C. Kimball, Jededlah M. Grant, Orson Hyde, Orson Pratt, Wllf6rd Woodruff, Ocorgo A. Smith and Lorenzo Snow. The offico of presiding -patriarch Is tho only position In tho Mormon church that Is handed down from father fa-ther to Bon by right of Uncage. The, ; first to hold tho office wa3 Joseph ' Smith, senior, father of the founder of the church. Hyrum Smith, father of the decedentT followed. Asabel Smith and John Smith, both senior 'sons of Hyrum preceded the late patriarch. |