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Show 60TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY OF WM. DRIVER AND WIFE WILL I BE CELEBRATED TOMORROW - TomorroTV Mr. and Mrs. William driver, 2708 Jefferson avenue, -will celebrate their sixtieth wedding anniversary. anni-versary. . All members of the family in Utah will be present and a reception will be held from S to 10 o'clock In the evening, eve-ning, at the beautiful home, corner of Twenty-seventh street and Jefferson avenue. Sixty years ago the couple were married in London, and in 1866 the family came to Utah, and later moved to Ogdcn, which has been the home of tho Drivers for -17 years. , There are seven children, 30 grand-children grand-children and 6 great grandchildren. The sons and daughters aro: George Driver, who was born August Au-gust 10, 1859. Mrs. Ellen Barbara, Alameda, Cal. Mrs. Mary Ann Burton, Salt Lake. William B. Driver, Bisbee. Ariz Walter Driver, Ocean Park, Cal William Driver is one of the best known men of Ogden. He has played a very important part 'in the upbuilding upbuild-ing of this cityv He lms been j retired re-tired merchant for ten years, spending most of his time in Ogden but making occasional trips to the coast, accompanied accom-panied by his devoted companion. Mrs. Driver has been prominent in church and social affairs, and, up to a few years ago, was one of the most active ac-tive workers in a number of charitable organizations. She is beloved by all who know her: Biographical Sketch. William Driver was born at Bury, SL Edmunds, Suffolk county, England, May 3rd, 1837. At the age of fourteen, he was baptized bap-tized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, by Elder Thos. J. Stayner. In August following his entrance into the church, he was ordained or-dained a priest. He was considered to bo tho youngest priest in the Norwich conference. I' At tho age of seventeen, he went to Battersea, England, and became engaged en-gaged in the laboratory of Price's Pat-"ent Pat-"ent Candle company, where he remained re-mained until called to the ministry, August, 1956. He proceeded to Brighton, Brigh-ton, England, where he began to preach the gospel and distribute tracts under the direction of the district president, Elder Joseph Silver. On the third day of September, Mr. Driver was seized with cholera, and suffered great agony. At one stage of the sickness sick-ness he was pronounced dead, but ho recovered, and after three weeks resumed re-sumed his missionary labors. The following year, he was sent to preside over the Hastings district. After marriage on August 16, 1S58, he moved to London, where he secured secur-ed a position as reporter and genera! assistant in the ofTlco of the "Messenger," "Messen-ger," a religious paper. Moving to Brighton, where Mr. Driver followed painting as a living and at the same time presided over the I branch of tho church. There his first son, George, was born. Three more children were added to the family, and preparations soon were started for u I long journey. The Drivers, bound for Utah, left Liverpool on the ship Caroline, May 5, 1866. Previous to their departure, the vehlclo which carted their baggage, broke down, and injured their second son, William, who died at sea several days later, and was buried in tho Atlantic. At-lantic. When off tho Isle of Wight, a severe storm and heavy fog, caused them to come within a few rods of tho coast, and It was only a momentary lifting of the fog which enabled the pilot to quickly change the course and avoid being wrecked on the shore. Three times before reaching New York, the vessel caught fire, and at one time there "was four feet of water in tho hold. They landed in New York on Juno 10th. They traveled by railroad to the terminus in Wyoming. The company left the camp in Wyoming Wy-oming on July 16th in J. D. Halloway's train of sixty-four wagons. Mr.' Driver was sick with fever during the greater great-er part of the journey. They reached Salt Lake City on September 25, 1866. Upon entering Salt Lake, Mr. Driver secured work with the Western Union Telegraph company, constructing a lino from Chicken Creek to Gunnison: In 1868, he worked for the Union Pacific Pa-cific railroad constructing a grado at Mountain Green. While thus engaged.-camp engaged.-camp supplies failed in one circumstance circum-stance and Mr. Driver was compelled to walk, without food, a distance of thirty-eight miles to Salt Lake City. Then, provided with wagon and supplies, sup-plies, he returned and hauled rock until he middle of November. He next obtained employment with Godbo and company and was sent to Ogden to conduct a drug business. Tho company on selling out, in June, 1871. sent Mr. Driver a letter of thanks for his faithful and efficient management. They offered him a position in Salt Lako City, but anticipating a good future fu-ture for Ogden, he declined and remained re-mained a resident o this city. In 1874, ho built the first three-story building in Ogden and opened it as the City Drug store. The third story of tho building was occupied by tho Masonic order, which occupied It for nine years, It was pronounced by Judgo Bennett at the dedication ceremonies, as the finest hall between Omaha and Sacramonto. Branch houses of the dmg company wero opened at Logan, Brigham City and Montpclier. In 1S79-S0, Mr. Driver spent a year as missionary to Great Britain. Upon returning he toured Scotland and France. William Driver became a citizen of the United States, September 20, 1S71. At a convention held in February, Febru-ary, 1SS6, he was the unanimous choice for councillor for the ward; he was duly elected and served on the committees of finance, claims, and streets, being chairman of the latter. He was an alternate delegate to the constitutional convention of 1SS7, and in 1S94 was elected Republican member mem-ber of the constitutional convention which met in 1S95. Mr. Driver In 1S84, was elected a member of the board of directors of the Molecular Telephone company, and In 1887 made a director of the Ogden city board of trade. He was one of the incorporators and a director of the first street railway in Ogdcn, and was a director of the Davis and Weber Counties Canal company. His latest term of public office was as mayor of Ogden. To his progressive ideas arc due many of Ogden's substantial improvements. improve-ments. oo |
