| Show DEATH AND LIFE OF T W the funeral service of the late thos william whitaker were held at centre ville davis county Jou nty utah on friday april 1886 at 10 a in the corpse was taken to the meeting house where were assembled not only people of the whole village but many also from ogden salt lake and bountiful irrespective of creed sect or party it was the largest funeral ever held sarty eld in that place showing beyond a doubt that the acts and character of the deceased had been such as to call forth the sympathies command the respect and show the honor in which he was held by every individual with whom he was waa acquainted elder joel parish bishop nathan cheney elder john seaman and president wm win E R smith spoke of his integrity to his god and the principles of principles truth his love for his farn families les and his justice to all thomas william whitaker was born on the of May 1822 in Bother Rother hithe surrey En england he received a common effland fland education when sixteen years of age his mother died and home lost its charms for him but the counsels he received at the knees of his mother were as seed sown in rich soil and as he matured they grew stronger ever inspiring him with a zeal in favor of the right which was one of his characteristics through life he left home soon after the death of his mother and the adventurous tales related to him filled him with a desire to go to sea which desire was soon gratified for he went under the command brother in law on a long voyage to the south sea islands for fourteen years he followed this vocation becoming inured to all the hardships incidental thereto ian and d circum circumnavigate nav igat ed the globe three times going ing so tar far north as to be in darkness darkness aa five ve months in his travels he became conversant with seven languages it was when he was about 30 80 years of age that the great resources or of california became known and lie located there determined to make that region his home and commenced work as a joiner and builder while there he first heard the gospel and being beine open to conviction was baptized on the of august IM 1849 by seth beth lincoln he was ordained an elder on the of september of the same year and soon afterwards sent on a mission to tahiti in his journal he says in consequence of my having a knowledge of the tahitian language I 1 was sent to those islands in company with brother grouard and others where we stayed ilea nearly aly two years preaching reach n to t the e natives ti besl with but atle little sue success ss as the fr preach each government had possession os session of th those ose islands and were s strenuously 0 opposed posed to anything but catholicism I 1 imprisoned for four ways days and was then tried for treason but nothing being proved against me I 1 was set at liberty after meeting with much opposition we returned to Ca california Mornia 11 he had been there but a short time when he constructed houses for apostles C 0 rich and amasa lyman he considered he was on a mission while so engaged and labored without wages in the year ear 1856 he was sent by bv apostle C CC J rich to salt lake balley k 1 levy to look after the interests of the batters lat family and to manage his farms on the ath of sept 1858 he married a miss elizabeth mills and ten years later a miss hannah both of whom have proved devoted wives kind mothers and honorable women in society he labored at his trade and built a home at centreville Cen treville where he resided up to the time of his death thearin the principles of truth continued to develop in his mind and the kingdom of god its intellectual spiritual and moral advancement van cement to be his first and highest duty he was chosen clerk of teachers and seventies quorums qu which offices he held for twenty years in 1876 he was called by the voice of the priesthood to be the superintendent of the centreville Cen treville sunda sunday school which office he filled with honor until he was called to labor away from home when he resigned his position on the 3rd ard of august was ordained a high priest As a moral and theological instructor he stood with but few peers As a lat ter day saint he has been one in word and in deed always practicing irig his teachings and setting examples wor worthy the emulation of brethren and si sisters and the good and just in all the world for thirty years he has strictly observed the word of wisdom he leaves an unstained character a record of which his children may well be proud u d and a name that will be honored by y rot the h e living and cherished by succeeding generations who will rise up and can call him blessed lie he aa ams an unusually healthy man having only onix experienced one or two spells of sickness in his life and was able to exercise exceeding great faith fo for others who were afflicted amic ted he raised the sick comforted the widow and orphan cheered the downhearted down hearted and was the first out of his large family to P pass away during ai all 1 his life his counsels w were ere never to have doctors except incase ot of a broken limb or the like and while on his bis death bed when asked if a doctor should be called in said if through the power of faith in the holy priesthood the lord will not heal me doctors balido can do no good thy will 0 fatherland Fat herand not mine be done he leaves a family of twenty two to mourn his absence he had just returned from the temple where he opened the gospel doors to spirits which for centuries have been closed and his time had truly come for faith enough was exercised to raise any man if it were the will ot of god it should be so he had been unwell of late and on tuesday morning april came to this city on business which he he had only partly completed when he was stricken with cramp in his bis stomach he continued to grow worse but through the power of the priesthood the faith was so great that once he raised up and exclaimed brethren I 1 feel well enough to go home praise my heavenly father but god had called him and angels were waiting to io accompany n yand his abels s spirit arl to the spirit world for he look looked toward heaven and said I 1 what I 1 did I 1 hear you say for me to come did I 1 hear you say you yon wanted me to labor on the other side father use me tor for what thou seest fit thy will and not mine be done the pains were so excruciating and the suffer sufferings inis so great reat that large drops of sweat rolled gown down his chilly face the people around could not batand to see him in such ago agony and unknown to him the skilful services of dr ellis R shipp ship were called into requisition and and morphine was injected to ease his bis pains but death had fastened his iron hold upon his system and at am on wednesday april 2 S rsm he was relieved from his sufferings during daring the twenty and a half hours of sickness he suffered such as but few mortal men ever have his greatest desire was that his family should be one that they would heed the counsels he had bad given to them live their religion and observe the dictates and whispering of that still small whispering voice so that in n the eternal worlds after the resurrection they would all meet as one he died praising his maker and glo his holy biame name COM |
