| Show A PAIR OF VETERANS bunkerville BUN KERVILLE nevada february ich 1896 our little settlement sett ement was somewhat enlivened on the aih instant by the cele of the golden wedding of father edward bunker and his wife emily abbott bunker it being the first ot of the kind that has occurred in bunker ville the relatives of the venerable pair with the other citizens ot of the town met under the direction of our bishop edward bunker jr their eldest son in the meeting house speeches songs recitations and sentiments suitable to the occasion were rendered by members f the family A choir chosen from the cami family y discoursed sweet music from the organ and singing one of the eions gathering home was rendered in a most beautiful and effective manner bringing tears to the eyes of 0 many as they contemplated the aged couple before them father bunker made a speech of welcome in which he thanked god lor for the posterity he had given him and though he did not expect himself to see the redemption of zion he expected his children would see it he exhorted all to be faithful and invoked blessings upon them sister bunker or aunt emily as she is affectionately called by many made a beautiful welcoming address in which she reviewed some of her lite life she was married to father bunker in nauvoo their wedding tour was a trip across the mississippi on the ice A biographical sketch ot of the lives of the subjects ot of the day days S celebration was given by bishop ed edward ward bunker A genealogy of the family famila was and emily bunker to be the parents of eleven children three of whom are dead alter the festival at the meeting house father bunker and wife with tight relatives and friends sat down to a feast prepared by their children gitts gifts the most valuable ol of which were a gold watch and charm to each were presented from their sons and daughters and respective wives and husbands numerous other tokens of love and esteem such as silver knives and forks silk chandker chiefs ties etc were presented with appropriate sentiments congratulations and tokens of esteem were sent by children relatives and friends from 0 goen willard panguitch wah wah springs utah and irom from arizona in the evening children and friends visited the pair rendering songs music and speeches until a late hour on the whole the day was a pleasant and enio i 0 able one father bunker the youngest of nine children born to silas and abigah berry bunker was born august 1822 in atkinson penobscot county maine As he grew to manhood he became imbued with the spirit io to emigrate to we the west in 1844 he started tor for wisconsin but on account of the lakes freezing over he was impeded on his journey and stopped at cleveland ohio here he heard the atie gospel message and visited the temple at kirtland alter a thorough investigation of the truth he embraced embr iced the gospel and was baptized in april 1844 in july ot of the same year he went to nauvoo paid his t thing on all the property he possessed and in n accordance with advice went to work on the temple when through boiking on the temple his next employment was cutting hay hav on the prairie lor for the nauvoo house soon aher at ier he joined the militia organized to protect the saints irom from the violence ot of the mobs and was one ot of the posse who went with backenstos to warsaw to arrest the mob that had been burning the homes bimes ol of the saints he continued in duty as one of the militia milr tra till nil september when the saints saino agreed to leave the state slate ot of illinois then he went to montrose where he met his wife to whom he was married february ath 1846 by apostle john taylor in nauvoo his wile was born september xyth 1827 in dansville livingston county new york she as well as he is a descendant from une one of the old american families milies ta her grandfather was a captain ia in the american army during the me revolutionary war and was present at the battle of butker but bui ker hill her grandmother was a participant in the lamous famous wyoming massacre and was carried others into captivity by the indians emily bunker was baptized into imo the june lyth 1841 by eloer george bosley she moved to nauvoo in 1841 and was a member ol of the t birst relief society organized in nauvoo by joseph smith the prophet fattier father bunker and wife started for council blufus in the spring of 1846 but stopped at ahe garden grove when volunteers were called for to make a up the body of men known as the mormon battalion he offered hi his services to his country and wen with that body of men on their memorable march across the continent leaving his wife in a rude hut made of logs and the god of israel asrael for her support the incidents connected alt with h his life during that campaign have already been published history of the mormon battalion on his return from service in the army he met his w ie fe at council bentis with a fine son athe present bishop of bunkerville Bun bunker kerville vitle born dur dar ing his absence it was father bunker who owned the raw ra bide saddlebags saddle bags ot which the returning men ol of the batta liln made a meal mentioned on page in the history ot of the mo mormon r mon bat ka aaion ion in the spring ot of 1850 he came with his bis family to the vai vailey fey basra was a captain of ten in captain johnsons John solms hundred hundred in crossing the plains arrived in in salt balt lake valley september 1850 and settled at ogdan was chosen ou a mem member beruf of the high council wees the ibe weber stake was organized in was also a member ot of the city council of 40 daden giden in the fall of 1852 he wout went ona on a mission to england andhor and fur a while presided over the bristol conference when he was given the pasto ral charge of the sheffield bradford and lincolnshire Lincoln shire conferences in this capacity he labored tor for nearly two years when he was called to scotland to preside over the dundee glasgow and edinburgh conferences he labored one year in those conferences then he was released to return home he reached iowa city in june 1856 in corn com pany with about soo saints and returning elders here the company was fitted out with handcarts hand carts fur further emigration one ot of these handcart companies composed of welsh people was given to the charge ot of elder bunker he left iowa city with his company jur 0 and arrived in salt lake city october and 1856 owing to exposure and excessive labors he was confined to his bed a portion of the way soon after his arrival home he was ordained bishop of the second ward of ogden serving in that capacity until he was called to fill a mission to dixie which was in the fall of 1861 in the fall of 1862 he was called to preside over the santa clara ward in the st george stake and presided there until 1876 when he resigned on account of ill health during which time he assisted in 1111 making a settlement in clover valley nevada helas he was one of the first to embrace the united order when it was first introduced by president younge young in the spring of 1877 he came with a colony of saints to found the town which now bears his name nam epand and which he has lived to see grow after years of hard struggling into a thriving settlement and he looks with joy and pride upon the fruits of his labors in this part ot of the lords vineyard in june 1852 he entered the order of celestial mar ariage e with sarah browning lang a widow so w with two daughters unto enem were born four sons and three daughters all living april aoth 1861 he warned married for his third wife mary M by whom he has had eight sons and two daughters two ot of whom are dead his posterity now numbers in in children grandchildren and great grandchildren of those five children and twenty two grandchildren are dead which leaves to him eighty living representatives B |
