Memorials › William Thomas Stewart Sr

William Thomas Stewart Sr

18 Oct 1853 – 22 Aug 1935

Birth	18 Oct 1853
Death	22 Aug 1935
Cemetery	Alamo Cemetery Alamo , Lincoln County , Nevada , USA
Added by	SMS on 13 Apr 2007
FaG	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/18922083

Bio

Son of Levi Stewart and Margery Wilkerson Married Rachel Tamer Hamblin, 22 Sep 1873, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah Married Fannie Maria Little, 29 May 1879, St George, Washington, Utah Married Mary Ann Udall, 16 Aug 1880, St George, Washington, Utah Biography. William Thomas Stewart was a stalwart pioneer, a man of courage, great dedication to the Church, a loving husband, father, and grandfather. He had a lively sense of humor, a hearty laugh, a studious mind, and a poetic nature. He was a powerful speaker and loved nothing better than a good debate. He enjoyed horse racing and loved fine animals. William Thomas Stewart, known as Tommy, was the first child of Levi Stewart and his second wife, Margery Wilkerson. He was born on 18 October 1853 at Dry Creek, near Salt Lake City. He lived there with his family until 1870, when Brigham Young called his father to go to Kanab to establish a permanent settlement there. William knew much of tragedy, but it did not affect his faith or his cheerful nature. When he was about 16 years of age, his mother, all three of his brothers, and two half-brothers perished in a tragic fire at Fort Kanab on 14 December 1870. On 22 September 1873, William married Rachel Tamar Hamblin, daughter of Jacob Hamblin and Rachel Judd. They were sealed in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City. To them were born two children: Maud Rachel and Thomas Hamblin. When little Thomas was but nine days old, his mother died, and he followed her in death a few days later. In May 1879, William married Fannie Maria Little in the St. George Temple. They had two little girls: Tamar and Fannie. Again, tragedy struck in the life of this good man when his second wife died of childbed fever a few days after Fannie was born. William had met Mary Ann Udall before he married Fannie when she came to Kanab from Nephi with her father to visit her brother David King Udall, who has married William's sister, Luella. He saw her in Nephi as he hauled freight to and from Kanab to Salt Lake City for the mercantile business he operated with his two brothers-in-law, David K. Udall and Lawrence Mariger. After quite some time, he convinced her to marry him. They were married in the St. George Temple on 16 August 1880. They had two sons: William Thomas, Jr. and Sumner Udall. Sumner was born just three days after Fannie and Mary Ann had almost lost her life to the same fever that took Fannie Maria, but the faith of this good man remained strong. William was a self-educated man. He was able to attend school only about 3 months out of the year, as a child, but he said, "I made the most of it, for I surely loved my books." He was an avid reader with a marvelous memory. He read every good book he could get his hands on, church books, law, history, and English, which led to many appointments. In 1878, he was a recorder in the St. George Temple for four months. His penmanship was superb. In 1880, he was elected prosecuting attorney for Kane County and was re-elected in 1887. He served as president of the town board of Kanab and as assessor and collector of Kane County. In 1876, he filled a short mission to the Zuni Indians with Ammon M. Tenney. He also served on a council that met with the Navajo Indians to establish peace, under the direction of Jacob Hamblin. In January 1883, just after he had lost his wife, Fannie, and his newly born son, and while Mary Ann was still very weak, he was called to go on a mission to New Zealand. This was very hard at this sad time in their lives, but with faith in the Lord's promise, through Joseph Smith, that his family would be cared for, he left in April. Shortly after his arrival in New Zealand, he was called to preside over the Australian Mission. He quickly mastered the Maori language and served faithfully for three years. (1883-1886) Five years later, he was called again to preside over that mission. (1891 -1893) During the time between the missions, three more sons had been added to his family: David Levi, Raymond, and Carlos. He was released from this second mission two years later on 14 October 1893. He returned to Kanab and built a comfortable home where Margery, Paul Edward, and Marion King were born. Soon, he was looking for "greener" pastures and, with Michael Botts and Albert Riggs, loaded their families and belongings in wagons and drove their cattle over the long, dusty road to Pahranagat Valley, Lincoln County, Nevada. Pahranagat, an Indian name for "many waters," was a pleasant valley with lakes, cold and warm springs, streams, and trees, but it was far from anyone, with no houses, church, or schools. Here, their last child, Mary, was born on 24 November 1902. William laid out a town called Alamo, with wide streets running north and south and east and west, like he had been taught by Brigham Young. He organized schools, helped organize a branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1901, and was presiding elder until 1906, when a ward was organized. He then served as a counselor to Bishop James Allen. He served as Ward Clerk for many years. They freighted their beef and farm produce to the mining town of Delamar, forty miles away, but it was soon a ghost town. William and his sons bought and moved houses from Delamar to Alamo. William gave each of these children one-fourth of a city block for their homes, gardens, and domestic animals, and a field below the town to raise hay and grain for their livestock. In civic life, he was authorized to solemnize marriages. In 1909, he became the Commissioner of Lincoln County. He was Alamo Justice of the Peace from 1909 to 1932 and Registrar of Alamo Precinct from 1926 to 1932. His judgment was highly respected, for he was known for his fairness, and he was affectionately called "Uncle Tommy" by numerous people who knew and loved him. He and his wife served as temple workers in the St. George Temple, 1922-1924, at the same time keeping their youngest son, Marion, on a mission in Old Mexico. His family will always revere this kindly, reverent, faithful man. They will remember his love of books, his tenderness, and pride in his family, the jokes he told so well, the way he spoke the Maori language and demonstrated the dances and chants of this gentile people he loved and served at such personal sacrifice. He was truly a life to emulate. He passed away on Thursday, 22 August 1935, at his home in Alamo, at the age of 81. History. William was mayor of Kanab, Utah, 1889-91, and a Representative to the Utah Territorial Legislature in 1887 & 1889. William was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He moved to Kanab, Utah, in 1870 when his father was called by Brigham Young to create a new settlement there. A few months later, his mother and several of his siblings were killed in a fire. He married Rachel Tamar Hamblin, daughter of Jacob Hamblin, in 1873. He became a polygamist in 1879 when he married Fannie Maria Little. He took a third wife, Mary Udall, in 1880. She was the sister of David King Udall, who was already married to William's sister, Eliza Stewart. In 1887 and 1889, he was elected to the Utah Territorial Legislature, and in 1889, he was also elected mayor of Kanab. He was called to be the mission president of the Australian, New Zealand, and Tasmania Mission. He served three years. He served again for two years, starting 13 Sept 1891. In 1901, he was called by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to help settle Alamo, Nevada.

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