Tuesday, May 19, 2009

More on George

Another section from George's son- "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."

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

George, the man

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."
In the next post I'll share some personal experiences that George had.