Show CHARLES HARPERS FUNERAL At Big Cottonwood MeetingHouse Last Friday Biographical Sketch Holllday Utah April 2STlio funeral of Charles A Harper was held In the Big Cottonwood meetinghouse yesterday at I a m Tho body lay In a white casket covered with Jlowers surmounted by 11 Mheaf of ripe wheat Tho family being EO badly scattered all wcro not present I Tho speakers were Presidents Joseph F Smith Angus 11 Cannon ami Frank Y I Taylor At tor ho services wcro over tho procession mod to tho Big Cottdnwood I graveyard whero the body was Interred j I Charlcu A Harper was born In Montgomery I Mont-gomery larjlr Juno 27 1517 His boyhood days were spent Jn winter at I Franklin school and later at Evergreen Franlcln ole During the early history of tho I ihureh ho moved to Nauvoo where lie became > crbonnlly acquainted with Joseph Jo-seph Smith and the Urst leaden of tho church AVhen the Saints were driven from Nauvoo ho was one of tho number Ho btcamo a nvjmber of theplon or company com-pany which arrived In Salt Lake valley in JI7 Being ono of those who worn ahead of tho main body he looked across tho valley on July 22 1M7 After assisting In planting crops ho returned to VTlnter Quarters the sumo year On bin return tho ensuing year he lived ut Salt Lako City < near where the residence of AV S McCornlck now stands Later he located ut Big Cottonwood Salt Lake county and also In Parleys Park Summit county Mr Harper performed a mission to Europe assisted In the colonizing of southern Utah and In attempts at colonizing soutwrn nizing near Carson Nov HJJi life was spent principally aa a farmer although ho was a carrlagemakerln the early da > sat s-at Nauvoo The old gentleman was always al-ways pleased to talk of his trip across the great plains In 17 and of the hardships of early Utah of which he experienced his share Boaldcs being Ih6 oldest resident of Big Cotlonwpod he was tho oldest pee ton Although a small man ho was particularly par-ticularly noted for his wiry strength nnd was very active and agile up to a few years ago For many years It was no uncommon thing for him to mow all day with the scythe at Big Cottonwood and tin the evening walk out to his ranch on Silver creek Summit county and again perform another days labor without rest remarking that tho duya wero not long enough for him Mr Harper leaves two wives aged S2 S rod 03 respectively Tie walt father of nineteen children fiftyone grandchildren rind thirteen groatgranchlldr |