Elmer Willard Wickel

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWZ6-MTB
• Initiatory (LDS): 21 Feb 1957, IFALL

Elmer married Vera Rich on 7 Sep 1920 in Burley, Cassia, Idaho, United States. Vera (daughter of Samuel James Rich and Clarissa Paulina Pettingill) was born on 18 Aug 1900 in Gannett, Blaine, Idaho, United States; died on 13 Aug 1979 in Rupert, Minidoka, Idaho, United States; was buried on 16 Aug 1979 in Elba Grandview Cemetery, Cassia, Idaho, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Blaine Rich Wickel was born on 16 Jun 1921 in Elba, Cassia, Idaho, United States; died on 4 Aug 1994 in Boise, Ada, Idaho, United States; was buried on 8 Aug 1994 in Boise, Ada, Idaho, United States.
2. Harold Elmer Wickel was born on 17 Sep 1924 in Elba, Cassia, Idaho, United States; died on 12 Feb 1997 in Pocatello, Bannock, Idaho, United States; was buried on 15 Feb 1997 in Albion, Cassia, Idaho, United States.
3. Leon R Wickel was born on 26 Jul 1934 in Elba, Cassia, Idaho, United States; died on 8 Nov 1975 in Mountain Home, Elmore, Idaho, United States; was buried on 11 Nov 1975 in Riverside Cemetery, Grand View, Owyhee, Idaho, United States.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Initiatory (LDS): IFALL
• FamilySearch ID: KWZR-5JK

Willard + Sylvia Jane Wake. Sylvia (daughter of James Wake and Eliza Brewerton) was born on 15 Feb 1878 in Willard, Box Elder, Utah, United States; died on 12 Mar 1923 in Elba, Cassia, Idaho, United States; was buried in Elba Grandview Cemetery, Cassia, Idaho, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Initiatory (LDS): IFALL
• FamilySearch ID: KWZR-5JV

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWD9-G2J
• Initiatory (LDS): 4 Jan 1875, EHOUS

Henry married Elizabeth Jane Bigler on 23 Apr 1871 in Farmington, Davis, Utah, United States. Elizabeth (daughter of Henry William Bigler and Cynthia Jane Whipple) was born on 4 Oct 1856 in Farmington, Davis, Utah, United States; died on 24 Dec 1926 in Connor Creek, Cassia, Idaho, United States; was buried on 27 Dec 1926 in Elba, Cassia, Idaho, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: LR72-4LX
• Initiatory (LDS): 4 Jan 1875, EHOUS

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWJ6-64L
• Initiatory (LDS): 26 Jun 1912, SLAKE

James married Eliza Brewerton on 25 Dec 1873 in Almo, Cassia, Idaho, United States. Eliza was born on 16 Sep 1851 in Sneinton, Nottinghamshire, England; died on 4 Dec 1919 in Almo, Cassia, Idaho, United States; was buried in Almo, Cassia, Idaho, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWJ6-642
• Initiatory (LDS): 26 Jun 1912, SLAKE

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: LL99-D4K
• Initiatory (LDS): 23 Dec 1886

Lemuel married Margaret Wickel Buckwalter on 17 Apr 1847 in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Margaret (daughter of John Buckwalter and Sarah Shuler) was born on 12 Nov 1828 in Nantmeal, Chester, Pennsylvania, United States; died on 10 Oct 1918 in Victor, Teton, Idaho, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWVS-44Z
• Initiatory (LDS): 22 Jan 1846, NAUVO

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWJ8-33H
• Initiatory (LDS): 31 Dec 1845

Henry married Cynthia Jane Whipple on 18 Nov 1855 in Provo, Utah, Utah, United States. Cynthia (daughter of Henry Willard Whipple and Betsey Barrows) was born on 14 Jun 1835 in Jamestown, Chautauqua, New York, United States; died on 5 Nov 1874 in Farmington, Davis, Utah, United States; was buried in Farmington City Cemetery, Davis, Utah, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWVS-44V
• Initiatory (LDS): 31 Aug 1855, EHOUS

Notes:

Cynthia Jane Whipple was born June 14, 1835 at Jamestown, Chautauqua, N e w York. Her parents were Willard Whipple and Elizabeth Barrows of Vermo nt . She had two brothers and two sisters, Orrison, Charles, Rosetta, an d El vira.

By the time Cynthia Jane was 15 she was married to a man by the name o f J oseph Dikeman and had a baby boy named Henry Willard Dikeman, born a t Bra dford, McKeen, Pennsylvania June 7, 1950. Not a lot is known abou t her fi rst husband, but it was thought that he was thought to be abusiv e. At som e time she evidently left him and went back to live with her pa rents, wh o were also in Pennsylvania at the time .

It would seem that on November 10, 1852 she arrived on a ship to Califor n ia, via the Panama Canal. Very little is know about this trip, but sh e wa s presumably counted as part of her mother's children on the Winifre d Sco tts boat register.

It was while living in Santa Cruz, California with her parents that th e m issionaries baptized Jane (as she was called most of the time) and he r mo ther into the Mormon Church.

They were baptized by Elder William McBride on October 2, 1854 at Sant a C lara, California.

In August 1854, Henry William Bigler had returned from a mission in th e H awaiian Islands to San Francisco and was advised by Parley P. Pratt t o st ay in northern California until Spring, when a Mormon company woul d leav e for Salt Lake.

Bigler had been a veteran of the Mormon Battalion and was working at Sut t er's Mill when gold was discovered. He had worked for Sutter until Jun e 1 848 when he started for Salt Lake City by way of the Salt Lake Cutoff . Bi gler and others arrived in Salt Lake 28 September 1848. Bigler was s ent b ack to California on a "gold" mission in the fall of 1849. He was c alle d to serve a mission in the Sandwich (Hawaiian) Islands in late 185 0 an d returned to San Francisco in 1854 .

In 1855 he returned to San Francisco, where he was told that William McB r ide was leading a party of Mormons to Salt Lake City by way of San Bern ad ino. The party left on April 23, 1855. It was a sweet journey for Henr y B igler and Jane Whipple - not only a homecoming, he had not seen is fa the r for nine years, but also a courtship. The object of his attention w as o f course his future bride. In Bigler's diary he writes the wagon tra in ro lled out on 30 April 1855 with Captain McBride in front and in hi s wago n Sister Jane Whipple holding a banner with these words, "Latter D ay Sain ts." This is the only mention of her at this time in his diar y - but late r he carefully penned. "I married Cynthia Jane Whipple on th e 18th of Nov ember 1855 at brother Edson Whipple's house in Provo." Edso n Whipple wa s Jane's uncle. Henry was almost forty years old by now an d Jane was clos e to twenty.

The young couple then moved to Farmington, where Henry's father and fami l y were living. He had not seen them for nine years. So, the family wa s ov erjoyed to welcome Henry and his new bride and young five year old a dopte d son. They lived with his father, Jacob, and his family for a fe w month s and then settled into their own home. Henry's father gave the m a cal na med "Lil" for a wedding present. They lived close to his fathe r and othe r members of the Bigler family. There were about 68 families l iving in th e Farmington area at this time. They were farmers and very po or at this t ime and he records in his diary that Jane's parents sent he r some money f rom California and later a wagon loaded with food and supp lies and more m oney. He also said how grateful they were .

In May of 1856 Henry and Jane went to the Endowment House and were seal e d and in October she gave birth to her first daughter, a baby girl whi c h they named Elizabeth Jane Bigler. The baby weighed a healthy 9 poun d s 8 ounces. By now her half brother Willard was seven years old. In Feb ru ary 1857 they had their baby girl blessed and given a name. Just abou t th ree weeks later, while driving to Salt Lake, Henry met Brigham Youn g an d was told that he was going to be called on another mission to th e Sandw ich (Hawaiian) Islands.

With bitter-sweet feelings he used his priesthood authority to dedicat e a nd bless his little family in the care of the Lord. In his diary he s tate s that as he was leaving little Willard caught him and said "Pa, ho w lon g will you be gone, whagt if you die and I never see you again?" H e say s he told him to be good and pray and help his mother. He left wit h a pra yer in his heart that his family and others would help his littl e family.

Some time in 1857-1858, when Johnson's army was heading for Utah, Jane ' s father came in the winter and moved her and the little family close r t o Provo, where she stayed with her folks until he (Henry) could retur n ho me in October 1858. Jane had been able to return home the summer bef ore h e returned and was overjoyed to see him .

They settled down once more to a family life of farming and of servic e i n the Church. Henry and Jane continued to have children. In 1859 thei r so n Charles William was born, and in 1862 another son Henry Eugene wa s born . Then three years later in 1865 Jacob Edward was born. These wer e all he althy children, but in December of 1867 a little stillborn boy w as born . Then, later, on the 23 of April 1869 a baby girl was born and t hey name d her Emeline Elvira. She died when she was three months old .

During the 1870s life went on and the family was growing up. They were s t ill farming and doing church work. Henry was asked to write of his expe ri ences as a convert and missionary for an article in the Juvenile Instr uct or and a historian from California wanted him to copy his journals ab ou t finding gold at Sutter's Mill. While he was doing this Jane was bus y ta king care of the family and the winter of 1874-1874 she developed a n incu rable cough that grew steadily worse. She suffered greatly durin g the spr ing and the summer having great pain in her side. Although sh e was take n to the best doctor at Farmington, it was clear that nothin g could be do ne for her and she was dying. Jane died on November 5, 187 4 just thirtee n days before their 19th wedding anniversary. She was 39 y ears old, leavi ng behind her husband and children, Willard who was now 2 4, Elizabeth Jan e 18 and living in Idaho, Charles 15, Eugene 9 and Jaco b 7. She was burie d beside her baby daughter Emeline Elvira in the Farmi ngton Cemetary .

This story comes from research compiled by Edna Mae Wickel (Cahoon) Ja n e and Henry's great granddaughter. It was typed as is from the record s no w in the possession of Amanda Wickel, a third great granddaughter.