Utah Since Statehood
Author is Noble Warrum 1919

CHARLES SCHMALZ.

Charles Schmalz, now deceased, was identified with the pioneer epoch in Utah's history and contributed to the development of the state through the passing years. He resided at South Weber and was born at Bohn, in the German province of Waldeck January 1, 1844. He was a youth of but fifteen years when he came to the United States being met at New York by his uncle. He went to work in a cabinet shop in that city' where he was living at the time of the Lincoln presidential campaign of 1860 A great torchlight procession was held in New York and Lincoln was present, making stump speeches. Mr. Schmalz was among the first to carry a light in the procession which featured as part of the campaign and on a certain night was accorded a seat at the same table with President Lincoln at a banquet held in his honor. Party feeling ran very high. There were many riots and negroes were often strung up. The democratic party was making every effort to keep Lincoln from being elected but without success

From New York city Mr. Schmalz made his way westward to Salt Lake, where he met and married Miss Margaret Affleck, who was born in England, January 15. 1852, and arrived in Utah in 1871, becoming a resident of Ogden.

Mr. Schmalz was a cabinetmaker by trade, serving his apprenticeship under an uncle in New York city. It was subsequent to this that he came to Salt Lake, where he worked at his trade, and later he went to California, where he engaged in railroad work He then returned to Utah and settled in Ogden, where he had charge of railroad trains in the repair department. When his industry and economy had brought him sufficient capital to enable him to purchase land he made investment in ranch property in Hooper and engaged in sheep raising. Later, however, he sold his interests there and removed to Uinta, where he purchased a ranch and again engaged in raising sheep. Prior to this, however, he had conducted business as a contractor and builder and had erected the home of Fred Keisel and many other fine residences. He built the present family home, which is a large modern structure, constituting one of the attractive features of the landscape in which it is located. The property which he left is a large stock ranch, devoted to the raising of sheep and cattle, and is pleasantly and conveniently situated near Ogden.

To Mr. and Mrs. Schmalz were born eleven children, of whom nine are yet living.  those who have passed away being Jennie, who was born September 6, 1885; and Fred F., born December 20, 1887. The others are: William Charles, born June 4, 1873; Dorothea, December 7, 1874; Annie G., October 4, 1876; Christian, October 20, 1878; Margaret, November 10, 1880; Nellie, January 24, 1883; Frank Y., December 20, 1889; Eva, March 4, 1892; and Edwin L., July 10, 1894. The son Fred F. was with Company M of the One Hundred and Ninth Infantry of the Twenty-eighth Division, and was killed in action in the Argonne forest October 3, 1918. Frank Y. was with Headquarters Troop of the Fourth Army Corps and remained overseas for fourteen months with the gasoline and oil outfit, returning on the 8th of June, 1919.

With every phase of frontier life in Utah, Mr. Schmalz was familiar. He participated in a number of skirmishes with the Indians and on two different occasions was left for dead. He assisted in building the barracks at Evanston and it was he who laid out the irrigation ditches at Hooper. He filled the office of school trustee and in connection with Mr. Fernelius was instrumental in having a school built at South Weber. His life work was a valuable contribution to the development and up building of the region in which he made his home.

JACOB MORONI SECRIST.

Jacob Moroni Secrist, who has departed this life, was born in Salt Lake City, August 15, 1850, a son of Jacob F. and Ann Eliza (Logan) Secrist, who were natives of Pennsylvania and came to Utah in the second company in 1847. They settled first in Salt Lake City and a few years later on a farm at Farmington, now known as the Secrist homestead, which is one of the old landmarks of the district. The father went on a mission to Great Britain, where he labored for three years, and died while crossing the plains on the way home. The mother resided on the farm in Davis county until her death. They had a family of five children, of whom but one is now living. 

Jacob M. Secrist was reared in Davis county and pursued his education in the public schools. He purchased the home farm, which he conducted very successfully. He became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was very active in the work of the church, serving as bishop of the Farmington ward for twenty-four years, or from 1882 until his death. He participated in the Black Hawk war and in nearly all of the Indian troubles of the early days. In commercial and financial circles he became well known as president of the Farmington Commercial & Manufacturing Company and as a director of the Davis County Bank at Farmington. 

It was on the 29th of April, 1903. that Mr. Secrist was married to Mrs. H. Priscilla (Bourne) Potter, whose first husband was Ernest H. Potter, to whom she was married October 11, 1875. By her first marriage she had seven children: William E., who married Olive L. Moon and now owns the old Secrist homestead; Horace C, who is living with his mother; Alice M., at home; Wallace G., who married Clara Robinson and resided in Farmington, where he died at the age of thirty-five years; Estella, the wife of Albert Moon, of Davis county; Vernon L., who died in infancy; and Inez A., the wife of Edward F. Clark, of Farmington. Mrs. Secrist was a daughter of Charles and Jane (Alder) Bourne, both natives of England, whence they came to America in 1852. After a brief period spent in St. Louis, Missouri, they started for Salt Lake City with ox team and wagon and were about five months in making the trip across the long, hot stretches of sand and over the mountain passes to their destination. Mr. Bourne settled in Salt Lake City, where he engaged in business as a contractor and builder, following that pursuit for a number of years. Later he settled on a farm in Davis county and both he and his wife died upon that place, the former on the 12th of February, 1885. and the latter on the 8th of July, 1889.

The death of Mr. Secrist occurred November 5, 1906, and deep regret was felt at his passing, for he was well established in public regard as a substantial and valued citizen -one whose interest in the welfare and up building of the community was manifest in many tangible ways. He gave his political allegiance to the republican party from the time of its organization and ably served as county commissioner.

CHARLES SILL.

Charles Sill, a farmer of Davis county, Utah, was born in the county where he still resides, his parents being John and Elizabeth (Kirkham) Sill, who are mentioned elsewhere in this work in connection with the sketch of another son. Charles Sill attended the common schools and continued his education in the State University at Salt Lake City, thus becoming well qualified for life's practical and responsible duties.  He afterward took up the profession of teaching, which he followed successfully for six years, but thinking to find a more profitable field of labor along other lines, he turned his attention to farming and later purchased the farm upon which he now resides, comprising sixty acres of rich and arable land. The entire tract is under the ditch and is splendidly improved with modern equipment and conveniences. In addition he cultivates another tract of eighty acres which is most productive and he also owns forty acres near Delta, Utah, that is also well irrigated. He is greatly interested in the question of irrigation and is the secretary of the Kays Creek Irrigation Company, of which he is also one of the stockholders. 

In 1902 Mr. Sill was married to Miss Mary Etta Nalder, a daughter of S. H.  Nalder. mentioned elsewhere in this work. Mr. and Mrs. Sill have become parents of four children: Leona N., born July 10, 1904, now a freshman in high school; Reta M., who was born July 3, 1909; Vera K., born July 7, 1912; and Golden C. born January 12. 1916.

The parents are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and in various phases of the church work Mr. Sill has taken an active and helpful part.  He served on a two years' mission in Illinois and Minnesota and has been ward clerk in the North Davis stake for eleven years, cooperating heartily and zealously in all the work of the church. He is a self made man and has accumulated a handsome competence since starting out in business life independently. Persistently and energetically he has worked his way upward and the salient traits o£ his character are manifest in his prosperity.

JOSEPH ALBERT SILL.

Joseph Albert Sill is filling the position of postmaster in Layton, where he was born January 11, 1867. He is a son of John and Elizabeth (Kirkham) Sill. The father was born at New Egypt, New Jersey, in 1816. a son of John and Edith (Dennis) Sill. In the paternal line the ancestry is traced back to Hugh Coward, who was a native of England and came to New York in the year 1712. His son, John Coward, crossed the Atlantic to the new world in 1715 and settled in New Jersey. He was the father of Elizabeth Coward, who was born April 14, 1746, and died August 30, 1828. She became the wife of Thomas Sill and they were the parents of John Sill, who was born September 29, 1773, and passed away January 10, 1851. It was he who wedded Edith Dennis, whose birth occurred in 1783 and who died October 29. 1863. Their son, John Sill, born in New Egypt, New Jersey, January 19, 1816, was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1839. He first saw the prophet Joseph Smith in the winter of 1840 and in 1842 he paid a visit to Nauvoo, Illinois, then the center of Mormon population. After two weeks he returned to New Egypt, where he remained until 1855. when he made preparations to remove to Salt Lake City. Soon after entering the church he was ordained a priest and later was ordained an elder. On disposing of his property in New Jersey he had the sum of fifteen hundred dollars, of which he gave a tenth to the church, according to its tithing system. After reaching Utah he was again called upon for official service in the church. At Kaysville, in 1866, he was ordained a high priest and on the 8th of August. 1893, was set apart as a teacher of high priests in the Layton ward.

On his trip to Utah, John Sill was accompanied by his wife, Mrs. Sarah (Morris) Sill, their children, Elizabeth Ann and Edith, and his mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Sill.  After arriving at Salt Lake City on the 19th of September, 1856. Mr. Sill purchased two houses and lots in the fifteenth ward of Salt Lake City, for which he paid four hundred dollars, and a five acre lot on the state road, for which he paid two hundred dollars. This is indicative of the rise in property values, for at the present time this property would be worth many times that sum. In 1857 Mr. Sill went to Echo canyon to help herd soldiers. In 1858 he went south and stopped on the Indian reservation while the soldiers passed through to Camp Douglas, returning to Salt Lake City late in the winter of that year. In 1861 John Sill traded his property at Salt Lake City to Christopher Layton for a farm in Kaysville, now Layton, Utah, and took up his abode thereon in the month of June. In that year upon his forty acre farm he raised eight hundred bushels of wheat planted on twenty-five acres. In Davis county Mr. Sill reared his children. By his first marriage he had six children, the eldest of whom. Elizabeth Ann, born March 3, 1853, is the wife of Joseph E. Hodson. Edith, born October 30, 1855, died October 11, 1868. Sarah Maria, born June 21, 1857, became the wife of Lorenzo Dow Imlay. John Heber and Daniel Rush, twins, were born March 5, 1859, and the latter died November 6, 1863. The former married Martina Anderson. Howard Ivins, the youngest child of John Sill's first marriage, was born December 6, 1862, and died November 10, 1863.

On the 27th of February, 1864, John Sill married Elizabeth Kirkham, who was born in Toddington, Lancastershire. England, April 2, 1845, a daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth (Dearden) Kirkham. She was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the winter of 1851 at Berry, Lancastershire, England. Her father, Thomas Kirkham, was a wheelwright and joiner who believed that he might have better business opportunities in the new world and left England in 1854. Four letters were received from him during the first year of his absence but the family never heard from him again. His wife, who in her maidenhood was Elizabeth Dearden, was born April 19, 1809. By her marriage she had nine sons and one daughter, of whom Mrs. Elizabeth Sill was the eighth in order of birth. The mother left England for America on the 21st of April, 1862, accompanied by three of her children, George. Mark and Elizabeth. In the meantime Elizabeth Kirkham had been employed in a factory in England but at the age of seventeen accompanied her mother to America. While on shipboard she had formed a strong friendship for Mercy Shettleworth, who during their trip up the Mississippi river sustained a sunstroke, after which Mrs. Kirkham gave her bed to Mercy during the rest of the trip. The latter was desirous of hastening on to Salt Lake City and started on the journey with an independent company under Captain Brunson, who left Florence, Nebraska, en route for Utah. Elizabeth Kirkham received her mother's consent to accompany Mercy Shettleworth with the independent company but not long after they had started Mercy died and was buried on the plains. Elizabeth Kirkham then accepted the offer of a widow, Mrs. Robinson, that she should travel with her and do the work for her and her four sons. On reaching Green River, however, Mrs. Robinson told Elizabeth that she must either wait there for her mother or continue the journey with some one else owing to the scarcity of provision. She was offered a position at Green River but when questioned she told Captain Brunson that she preferred to continue on the trip and he replied: "We will see you through to Salt Lake City." She had to walk much of the way, suffering greatly from the heat. After reaching her destination she entered the home of Bishop Pugmire to look after his children and after various experiences as an employee she was married to John Sill in the Endowment House of Salt Lake. February 27, 1864. To John and Elizabeth (Kirkham) Sill were born eleven children. William Henry, born May 25, 1865, died September 20, 1866. Joseph Albert, born January 11, 1867, married Marietta Welling. Mary Elizabeth, born February 4, 1869, died August 22, 1869. Robert Wilford and Ann Eliza, twins, were born November 1. 1870, and the former died August 21, 1871, and the latter, August 23, 1871. David Morris, born December 23, 1871, married Rose E. Webster. George, born January 27, 1875, died October 1, 1888. Charles, born September 15, 1876, wedded Mary E. Nalder. Jesse, born August 3, 1878, married.  Minnie Lundberg. Arthur Thomas was born March 18, 1881, and died September 25, 1883. Daniel Ephraim was born April 11, 1883.

Mrs. Sarah (Morris) Sill was born April 8, 1826, in New Egypt, New Jersey. She was a daughter of Abraham and Hannah (Johns) Morris, also of that place, and died at Layton, Utah, May 15, 1897. Her life was one of devoted service to her family, her children, and to her friends and neighbors. It is said that she always had a glad smile and a kind word for everybody and that all of the people for miles around testified to her goodness. She administered comfort and cheer to the sick and needy and kept many a midnight vigil by the bedside of a sick person without remuneration, while no needy individual ever appealed to her in vain for help.  Joseph Albert Sill, who was the second child of John and Elizabeth (Kirkham) Sill, was reared upon his father's forty acre farm and aided in the work of the fields through the summer months, while in the winter seasons he attended school until he was thirteen years of age. He then started out to provide for his own support and afterward was able to attend school only at rare intervals during the winter months.  He accepted any honest employment that he could secure and when seventeen years of age he obtained a clerkship in the store of Barton & Company at Layton, with whom he remained for two years. When eight years of age he was baptized-as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was ordained and advanced to the priesthood of teacher while in his teens. He was ordained an elder by John A. Woolf, bishop of Cardston, Canada, August 17, 1890, at that place. In the fall of the same year he left Cardston and entered the Latter-day Saints University at Salt Lake City when the school opened in September. He was admitted to the academic department, where he studied for two years, pursuing a business course during the first half year and then taking up the work of the normal course In the winter of 1892-3 he was principal of the Latter-day Saints Seminary at Parowan, Utah, and then returned to the university in September, 1893. completing the normal course by graduation with the class of June, 1894. He was then called to the principal of the district school at Slaterville, where he remained for a year, when he became a teacher at West Weber, and after a year there spent accepted the school at West Kaysville for 1896-7. In the fall of the latter year he became principal of the commercial department of the Weber Academy at Ogden and from 1898 until 1900 he was principal of the district school at North Farmington. He afterward spent a year as principal at Wilson Lane, and another year at Garland. Boxelder county, and a third at Layton, Utah. In 1903-4 he was principal at Bear River City, Utah, and thus concluded eleven years devoted to the profession.  In the summer of 1902 he was a student in the University of Utah and likewise studied medicine there from 1909 until 1911. He was a very successful and able educator and received a five years' certificate to teach in the grammar grades of the schools of the state by the Utah state board of education April 23, 1900; a life diploma in the grammar grades July 15, 1905; and a life diploma of high school grade August 29, 1911.

In 1914. after taking a competitive examination for postmaster at the fourth class post office in Layton, he was commissioned postmaster March 9, 1915, by Postmaster General Burleson. President Wilson reappointed him to the position when Layton was made an office of the third class, April 6, 1917.

On the 29th of August, 1894, in Salt Lake Temple, Mr. Sill married Marietta Welling, a daughter of Job and Marietta (Holmes) Welling. They had become acquainted while they were students in the Latter-day Saints University in 1893-4. . Mrs. Sill was also active in the educational field as president of the East Layton Primary Association from 1905 until 1912. To this marriage were born ten children: Joseph Ralph, born July 17, 1895, at Farmington, Utah; Mabel, born at Ogden, March 23, 1898; Marietta, who was born at Wilson Lane, February 9, 1901, and died August 6, 1902; Sterling Welling, born March 31, 1903, in Layton; Russell Welling, born in Layton, August 24, 1905; Marguerite and Genevieve, twins, born at Layton, November 16, 1908; Laura Louise, who was born at Layton, February 15, 1912, and died January 2, 1919; Alta Mae, born in Layton, February 17, 1915; and Claude Woodrow, born in Layton, October 29, 1918.

The family residence is at Layton and Mr. Sill owns forty acres of irrigated land in Millard county, twenty acres of irrigated land in Layton and forty acres devoted to dry farming in Layton. He also has three houses and a lot covering one and two-thirds acres.

Mr. Sill has ever loyally adhered to the religious faith in which he was reared, and in addition to his activity in educational fields and agricultural circles has done much active church work. On the 25th of March, 1900, when the religion class was first organized in East Layton ward he was set apart under the hands of Stake Superintendent E. A. Cottrel as ward superintendent and his wife was set apart by Bishop D. B.  Harris as an assistant, which positions they held for nearly four years. Mr. Sill has been a home missionary on three different occasions in the Davis stake, was leader of the ward choir at Slaterville during the year of his residence there and was superintendent of the Bear River city religion class during the year in which he taught school in that ward. In January, 1918, he was appointed an assistant superintendent of religion classes of North Davis stake. His life has indeed been an active and useful one and his labors, directed along many lines of work, have been largely resultant.

Gabriel W. Smith, a farmer and stockman of Davis county, was born December 1, 1857, in the county which is still his home, his parents being William B. and Isabel (Burton) Smith, both of whom were natives of England. They came to America in the '40s, being desirous of casting in their lot with the people of their religious faith.  for in their native land they had joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Accordingly they made their way to Nauvoo, Illinois, which was then the center of population for the state, and Mr. Smith acted as guard for the Prophet Joseph Smith at Nauvoo. He came to Utah in the early '50s, crossing the plains with ox teams-a long and arduous trip, which, however, was safely terminated when he reached Davis county. Here he took up farm land and built a log cabin which he occupied for several years and then replaced it with a more modern and commodious residence. He bent his energies to the development of his land, producing good crops as the years passed and won his place among the substantial farmers of the district. Both he and the mother of Gabriel W. Smith passed away in Davis county. They had reared a family of six children, four of whom are yet living.

Gabriel W. Smith pursued his education in the common schools of Davis county and when his schooldays were over took his place in the fields, where he soon performed a man's task in the work of tilling the soil and cultivating the crops. He thus had good experience along that line when he took up farming and stock raising on his own account. He has always continued in this business and the thoroughness with which he does his work, the systematic manner in which he develops his fields and the enterprise which he displays in marketing his crops have been potent factors in the attainment of his present day success. He is now the owner of one hundred and eighty acres of land, part of which is irrigated and is very productive, bringing forth rich harvests. He has also improved his farm with good buildings and has a splendid grove of trees which he planted upon the place.

In 1888 Mr. Smith was married to Miss Elizabeth Bailey, a native of England, who came to America when thirteen years of age. By her marriage she has become the mother of eight children: John B.; Ivy, the wife of S. Martin; Bessie B., the wife of Robert Young; Ina, the wife of Carl Craig; and Zella B., Lucy B., William B. and Wilford G., all at home.

Mr. Smith is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While interested in community affairs and giving his aid to projects and plans for the public good, the greater part of his time and attention has been concentrated upon his agricultural interests and through the careful management of his business affairs he has won a creditable position among the substantial farmers of Davis county.

GEORGE W. SMITH.

George W. Smith, who is engaged in farming and stock raising in Davis county, his home being near Kaysville, where he was born August 21, 1869, is a son of William B. Smith, who is mentioned elsewhere in this work in connection with the sketch of his son, Gabriel W. Smith. The youthful clays of George W. Smith were spent under the parental roof and his education was acquired in the common schools. He worked In the fields when not busy with his textbooks and early obtained experience which has been of great value to him since, he started out in life on his own account. After reaching adult age he took up farming on the old homestead, which he now owns, having an excellent property of two hundred acres, of which thirty acres is under the ditch. He carries on general farming, raising diversified crops, and he is also successfully engaged in raising stock. He is likewise a stockholder in the Kaysville Milling Company and enterprise and diligence characterize all of his business interests. 

On November 14, 1901, Mr. Smith was married to Miss Melissa Jane Guthrie, who was born in West Virginia, a daughter of L. A. and Louisa (Eden) Guthrie, who were also natives of the Old Dominion. Leaving the east, they became residents of Utah, where the father is still living, but the mother has passed away. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have become parents of six children but only two survive, namely: Golden Earl, who was born December 30, 1908; and Howard G., born December 24, 1915.  Mr. Smith holds to the religious faith in which he was reared, that of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and in 1897 he went on a mission to the south, his labors covering Alabama and Mississippi, where he remained for a period of eighteen months. He is much interested in the welfare of his community and cooperates in all plans and measures for the general good.

MORONI D. STEWART.

Moroni D. Stewart is the owner of an excellent farm property of twenty-one and a half acres in Davis county, all under the ditch, and is very successful in the cultivation of his fields and also in stock raising. He is one of the native sons of Davis county, born January 22, 1885, his parents having been William and Susanna (Mancel) Stewart, both of whom were natives of England. They came to the new world in 1853 and at once started for Utah, traveling across the country to Omaha, where they outfitted with ox teams and wagons for the long journey across the plains and over the mountains to their destination. Reaching this state, they settled in Davis county and were among the colonizers of this district. Mr. Stewart was for many years a high priest in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He died in 1905 and is still survived by the mother, Mrs. Susanna Stewart. In their family were seven children, all of whom are yet living.

In the common schools of Davis county Moroni D. Stewart obtained his education while spending his youthful days under the parental roof. He was reared to the occupation of farming, which he has always followed as a life work, and he displays unfaltering diligence and enterprise in the conduct of his farm of . twenty-one and a half acres. He has carefully irrigated the place, and being able to control the water supply, keeps his fields in excellent condition at all times and annually gathers substantial harvests. He is likewise meeting with success in the raising of stock and in all business affairs he displays sound judgment and indefatigable industry. 

In 1910 Mr. Stewart was united in marriage to Miss Lucy Priest, a native of Morgan, Utah, and a daughter of John W. and Berta (Weaver) Priest. Her father has passed away but her mother is still living. Mr. and Mrs. Stewart have become the parents of five children: Lawrence M., Dora L., Norma, Garden W. and Myron J. All are living with the exception of Norma.

Mr. and Mrs. Stewart have always taken an active part in the work of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His political endorsement is given to the democratic party but while he keeps well informed on the questions and issues of the day he has never sought or desired office. His concentration upon his business affairs has made him one of the prosperous farmers and stock raisers of Davis county.

DAVID STOKER, Jr.

An excellent farm property of sixty-two acres in Davis county pays tribute to the care and labor bestowed upon it by David Stoker, Jr., recognized as one of the representative agriculturists of his section of the state. Besides his Davis county property he has other holdings and in his business management displays keen judgment and unfaltering enterprise. He was born in Davis county, April 6, 1869, and is a son of David Stoker and a grandson of John Stoker, who was the first bishop of Davis county, having been ordained by Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball on the 20th of January, 1851.  He continued to serve as bishop for more than a quarter of a century or until July 9, 1877, and a life of great usefulness was ended when on the 11th of June, 1881, he passed away, honored and respected by all who knew him. David Stoker, Sr., was but four years of age when brought to Utah by his parents in 1848. He was reared and educated in Davis county and became a man of prominence and influence there, serving as county judge for one term, while in 1896 he was ordained bishop and filled that position until his death, which occurred on the 1st of April, 1911, at Bountiful. He married Regena Hogan. a daughter of Eric G. Hogan, a native of Norway, who came with his family to Utah in 1848 and continued a resident of Davis county until his demise. Mrs. Stoker was also born in Norway and she still survives her husband at the age of seventy-five years. By her marriage she became the mother of eight children, seven of whom are yet living.

David Stoker, Jr., pursued his education in the common schools of Davis county and after attaining his majority turned his attention to merchandising at Bountiful, with which he was connected for a number of years. In November, 1899, he was sent to England, where he filled a mission for sixteen months, after which he returned to Utah, and then, changing his vocation, took up the occupation of farming. He is today the owner of a fine farm property of sixty-two acres in Davis county, upon which he now resides and which is all under irrigation. In addition he owns one hundred and sixty acres in Idaho. The home property is splendidly improved with all modern conveniences and accessories such as are found on the model farm of the twentieth century. In addition to cultivating the cereals best adapted to soil and climatic conditions here, he also successfully engages in the raising of stock and likewise has a fine orchard upon his place.  As the years have passed Mr. Stoker has continued in the work of the church and for seven years he served as bishop's counselor, after which he was ordained bishop on the 14th of January, 1917. and is filling that office in the North Davis stake. He also spent two years as a member of the high council. His political allegiance is given to the democratic party and he is now serving as a member of the school board. He has also been trustee of the Bountiful district for seven years and filled the same position in Clearfield for six years, and is now a member of the Davis county school board. Every public duty that devolves upon him has been faithfully performed and his record of public service is indeed commendable.

On the 23d of December, 1891, Mr. Stoker was united in marriage to Miss Emma L.  Stahle, a daughter of John and Susan (Bauman) Stahle. Mr.. and Mrs. Stoker have become the parents of ten children: Sylvia M., who was born February 13, 1893. and is the wife of Le Roy Smith; Alvin D" who was born September 30, 1894, and has served two and a half years on a mission to Denmark, being there when the great war began; Iva Leona, who was born June 8, 1896, and is the wife of Ervin R. Page; Delila S., who was born May 16, 1899, and is now engaged in mission work in California; Vera S., who was born May 3, 1902; Bertha S.. who was born December 13. 1903, and is attending high school; Clarence J., born February 27, 1906; Golden L., December 31. 1908; Lola Lucile, August 20, 1910; and Mary, January 30. 1915.

Mr. Stoker is a self-made man who by capability in business and indefatigable enterprise has become the possessor of a handsome competence and is now the owner of excellent farm property. He is widely known throughout his section of the state, where practically his entire life has been passed. The sterling traits of his character are many, and all with whom he has come in contact speak of him in terms of warm regard.

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