My Grandfather, George Facer, was the son of Henry Facer and Mary Jarvis Facer. He was born at Eynesbury, Huntingdonshire, England, July 4, 1834. He was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, August 5, 1854. He married Mary Pryor, daughter of James and Dove Brown September 6, 1857, of Eynesbury, Huntingdonshire, England. They immigrated to America with their small son George who was 16 months old. They set sail in March 1860, arriving in New York in June, 1860. Traveling by train, they landed in Council Bluffs, Iowa, which was the end of the railroad at that time. Here he assisted in building handcarts for the journey across the plains for Utah. All their belongings were put in one handcart, and they began their 1100 mile trek, which distance they walked; George pulling and Mary pushing the cart in which their small son rode. They crossed the Plains in the Captain Daniel Robinson Company of Saints. Grandfather was a Sub-captain over 10. They arrived in August, 1860 at Salt Lake City. After a few days’ rest, they left SLC, and settled in South Willard, on a farm belonging to a Mr. Davies, where they lived for three years, they moved to North Willard, on a farm known as the Bankhead Farm. Grandfather purchased this farm. He married Sarah Thompson, my Father’s mother, November 1863, in the Salt Lake Temple. He married Susannah Nebeker September 6, 1875 in the Salt Lake Temple. Susannah was my Mother’s Mother by a previous marriage. Grandfather married Hattie Shumway April 9, 1885 in the Logan Temple. From these unions were born 26 children. Grandfather was active in religious and civic affairs in Willard Ward and Box Elder County. He was set apart as 1st Counselor to Bishop George W. Ward, of the Willard Ward, September 9, 1877; he was ordained Bishop of Willard by Lorenzo Snow, December 3, 1882. This position he held for 8 years. By special call, three years later, President Snow again called him to serve as Bishop of the Willard Ward. This call was made because of the request of his ward members that he be returned as their Bishop. This time he served for three years. He was released two weeks prior to his death. Grandfather was a Director of the First National Bank of Brigham City; Manager of the Co-op Sheep Company of Box Elder Country; served as School Trustee for three terms. During the Crusade against Polygamists Grandfather spent three years on the Underground. It was during this time that the Church was receiving tithing in kind. After feeding about 300 horses and cattle at Willard, Bishop Facer was ordered to deliver them to the Church ranch at Treasureton, Idaho. On the return trip, he and his son Joseph camped on the Bear River west of Collingston, where they had left a cow on their way to the Ranch. While Joseph cleared up after breakfast, Grandfather walked over to the bridge over Bear River to inquire from a man he saw there of the whereabouts of the cows. Neither man recognized the other and no inquiry was made. When Joseph drove over the bridge and his father climbed into his accustomed place under cover in the back of the wagon, he said, “Father, didn’t you know that man?” Grandfather answered that he did not. Joseph said, “That man was United States Marshall Steele.” Naturally, Grandfather was much surprised (greatly surprised) for this same man had been looking for him for such a long time; had been to the family home, and had searched everywhere for him. The Washakie Indians were given land in Northern Box Elder County, and Grandfather was asked to help establish the Indians on the farms there. On March 21, 1889, Grandfather gave himself up to the Federal Officers, and was sentenced by Judge Henderson of Ogden First District Court to four months imprisonment and $50 fine. He was discharged from the Penitentiary July 1, 1889. Grandfather would not tolerate any profanity from the man who worked on his place. He consented to rent a portion of his farm at one time, with the stipulation that the man pay a tithe from the produce from this land. In 1920, President David O. McKay testified of his record as follows: “No man had a better record-that he had sanctified the land by the honest payment of tithing.” Grandfather passed away February 22, 1903, at the age of 68, 8 months and 18 days.
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| Sarah Jane Thompson |
| George Facer |
(the following from http://facerfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2009/04/george-facer.html)
George Facer was my great grandfather. A brief history was written about him by one of his sons, (Willard?) so here are some excerpts and facts.
Born 4 Jul 1834, Eynesbury, Huntingdonshire, England
Died 22 Feb 1903, Willard, Box Elder Co., Utah
Parents- Henry and Mary Jarvis Facer
Baptized by J.B. Price in August, 1854
Married 6 Sep 1857 to Mary Prior in Eynesbury, by the Parson Mall.
George's father died when he was 2 years old. After George was baptized, he worked on the farm of Edward Peck, saving his money and making payments to an emigration fund for Church members to come to Utah. He gave all of this emigration money to the Church, by request, and then sorted onions for Peck to earn more to come to Utah himself. George and Mary started their journey on March 27, 1860 with their 16-month-old son George Henry. They arrived in Liverpool the next day and sailed for America on March 30 on the ship Underwriter with 594 other Church members. James D. Ross was president of the company. The journey was very rough, with much sickness on board. They arrived in New York after 32 days, landing on May 1, 1860. They continued to Florence on the Missouri River by boat and also traveled by rail. In Iowa, George worked for a Mr. Ford digging post holes for which he received some food. At Florence a handcart was prepared. It was a two-wheeled outfit with a tongue at which 2 people could pull. The box was about 6 feet long and 3 feet wide, with a cover, containing bedding and 1 week's provisions for 5 people. On June 14, 1860 the company started for Utah. Captain Dan Robinson was president of the company from there. It was the first company of the season, consisting of 233 people, 43 handcarts, 6 wagons, 30 oxen and 10 tents. The trek was difficult with blistered hands, bloody feet, and food shortages due to feeding the Indians. It was either feed them or fight. George shot and wounded a buffalo, but didn't kill it so it got away. The Indians were determined to have Mary and another woman in the company, Hannah Slater. They offered 3 ponies for the women, and caused a lot of trouble when they were refused. The company finally arrived in Salt Lake City on August 27, 1860.
In Salt Lake City, George and Mary stayed with Mark Lindsay for one night, then left for Centerville on August 28 where they stayed with John Ford, Sr. Arrived in Willard on Aug 30. In Willard they lived on what is known as Old Wells Corner. George worked for Bishop Virl Dives, and lived in a one-room house. William Facer was born here on July 13, 1861. George Q. Cannon told them to go to North Willard and they would succeed, but earning enough money to buy property was difficult. They had no change of clothes. Mary washed them every night so they would be dry in the morning. Benjamin Taylor gave them their Christmas dinner. They had no shoes or boots, but wrapped their feet in burlap and tied it on with a string. They had no soap and no matches. when they needed a fire, they wrapped a cloth tight on a stick, then went to the neighbors, set it on fire, and carried it home. Sarah Ann was born March 26, 1863, and died January 13, 1864.
Bishop Dives gave them a cow, and they continued to save. George was finally able to buy the Bankhead property in North Willard. It's now called the old Facer Homestead. Mr. Bankhead was a slave owner at the time, but moved to Wellsville after the property sold.
This final bit on George Facer is quoted from his son's journal. I love the detail about George's character and habits.
"Father was a man of faith and integrity. Very clean in person and language. True to the living oracles or authorities, strictly honest and trustworthy. He was firm in his testimony of the gospel. Very careful in his dress. He had a head of curly hair and always wore a moustache. He was about 5 feet 8 inches in height; weight, about 165 pounds. He was intelligent, a good provider and a good economist.
Ordination: ordained a seventy the 23rd of September 1860 by J.W.Brewerton.
Ordained a high priest 9th of September, 1877.
He received his endowment in the Salt Lake Endowment House in November 1863, and was sealed there to Mary by Heber C. Kimball. He received 3 patriarchal blessings: 27th of September 1860 by Isaac Morley, 10th of May 1871 by C.W. Hyde, and the third by John Smith, date not known. The blessings all told him that it was not his privilege to go to the world to preach the gospel on a mission, but that his work was in Zion.
President Lorenzo Snow taught Father the celestial order of marriage, or polygamy. He was instructed to marry more women, and married 3 more. His wives: Mary Prior (English), Sarah Roberts (English), Susannah Nebeker Lechtenburg (Dutch), Harriet Shumway (Danish). He built each a home and deeded it to them. He was true to them. He spent 3 months in prison and was fined $300 because he would not set them aside or deny them."
"George eventually became the bishop of the Willard Ward. He was instrumental in getting the ward meeting house. After about 7 years he was released as bishop, only to be called back for a second term. He was one of the committee which laid out the Willard Cemetery. He helped build the Logan Temple and afterward served on the Temple board of directors. He was superintendant of the cooperative sheep herd in Brigham City under the direction of Lorenzo Snow. He was strictly honest with the tithes and offerings. When poor cattle, hogs, etc, came in he did not waste; he fed the vegetables to the animals and fattened them. Often he cooked the vegetables and fed them to the old cows that had no teeth. The Presiding Bishop told him he could throw the old stuff away, and then said, 'You are a very honest man.' George taught his family that Joseph Smith was a prophet and seer, and that the Doctrine and Covenants was the revelation from the Lord. One Sunday they were just going to Sunday School when a great swarm of grasshoppers came and settled on a patch of wheat that was green. George H. (his son) and John Roberts got a rope to run through the wheat. Father said, 'Come, we will go to church.' They came home to find the wheat unharmed. It was my duty to keep Father's shoes shined, every Monday morning for immediate use. His mother had required it of him, too. To me he was a man of God, true to his calling and ordination. His testimony was the foundation on which he stood and God was his buckler and shield. George died on the 22nd of February, 1903 in Willard, Utah, and was buried in the Willard cemetery. They said his sickness and death were caused by gallstones."
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| Susannah Elizabeth Nebeker holding Myrtle Lechtenberg (Conyngham) |
[Short Life Sketch of George Facer written by a granddaughter Ethel Dawn Eliason]
This is a short sketch of the life of my maternal grandfather George Facer who died before I was born. He was born July 4th 1834 in Eynesbury Huntingdonshire, England son of Henry Facer & Mary Jarvis. He was baptised into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints August 5, 1854. His childhood was uneventful. He was one of several and they were poor. He could not attend school and in his whole life had only six days of schooling. He married Mary Prior September 6 1857. Their first child George H was born November 13 1858. With his wife and small son he sailed from Liverpool for America in the early part of 1860. After arriving in New York they traveled by train to Council Bluffs. In Council Bluffs he assisted in building handcarts. In the spring of 1860 they put all their belonging in a handcart and started on an 1100 mile trek to Utah - George pulling and Mary pushing and their sixteen month old son riding. They encountered many of the hardships that were prevalent to all the pioneers. Their company was captained by Daniel Robinson and was made up of 233 persons, 43 handcarts and 6 wagons. My grandfather was a sub captain over 10 handcarts. The company arrived August 27, 1860 in Salt Lake City. After a few days in SLC my grandfather, wife and son moved on the South Willard. Here they lived 3 years on a farm belonging to a Mr Davis. Then Bankhead farm. This farm be purchased and it still remain in the family. In this family there was eleven children born.
He married Sarah Thompson November 1863 in Salt Lake City. They had three children. He married my grandmother on Sept 6 1875 in Salt Lake City. She was Susanna Nebeker, daughter of Peter Nebeker and Elizabeth Davis and was born in Salt Lake City April 9 1848. They had seven daughters and one son. Of these only two lived to maturity. My mother Ethel Rose who died in 1944 at the age of 64 and my Aunt Susanna who died when she was in her early forties. His fourth wife was Hattie Shumway whom he married April 9 1885 in Logan Utah. They had 4 children. He was the father of 26 children.
He was prominent in religious, civic and business of Willard of Box Elder County. He was a director of Brigham City Co Op, Director First National Bank of Brigham Manager of Box Elder Co Op Sheep Company and trustee of school district several times.
At the time the Indians were given land in Northern Box Elder, he was called to help establish them on the farms.
He was called to be bishop of Willard Dec 3 1882. Served for 8 years and was released. Shortly after at the request of the people he was called to be bishop again. Held this position for another 3 years and was released just 2 weeks prior to his death which occurred Feb 22, 1903 at the age of 68 years, 8 months and 18 days.
He lived for 3 years on the underground. At this time the church was taking tithes in kind. He led 300 cattle & horse, and was called to take them to Treasureton, Idaho. On his return trip he & son Joseph camped on the Bear River where they had left a cow. He went to look for it while Joseph was making camp. On a bridge nearby he encountered a man whom he asked if he had
seen any stray animals. On returning Joseph asked him if he didn’t recognize the man. His answer was no. Joseph informed him it was U. S. Marshall Steele. Grandfather was very surprised. This was the man who had been looking for him so long. Had been to the house many times to search for him.
On March 21st 1889 he gave himself up - was sentenced by Judge Henderson to 4 months imprisonment and an a 50 dollar fine. He was released July 1st 1889.
He was a man who wouldn’t tolerate profanity. On his land he had a small granary. He insisted that if the men who worked for him smoked they would have to do it in the granary and no place else. He wouldn’t rent any land unless the man promised to pay tithes.
In 1920 David O. McKay testified on his tithing record as follows quote “No man had a better record than he had. Sanctified the land by the honest paying of tithing”.
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