Our Family Genealogy Pages

Home Page  |  What's New  |  Photos  |  Histories  |  Headstones  |  Reports  |  Surnames
Search
First Name:


Last Name:



William Prince Ostler

William Prince Ostler

Male 1861 - 1932  (71 years)  Submit Photo / DocumentSubmit Photo / Document    Has 38 ancestors but no descendants in this family tree.

Personal Information    |    Notes    |    Event Map    |    All    |    PDF

  • Name William Prince Ostler 
    Birth 11 Oct 1861  Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Initiatory (LDS) 15 Dec 1886  LOGAN Find all individuals with events at this location 
    FamilySearch ID KWNB-7BR 
    Death 26 Oct 1932  Nephi, Juab, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Burial 29 Oct 1932  Nephi, Juab, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Headstones Submit Headstone Photo Submit Headstone Photo 
    Person ID I164352  mytree
    Last Modified 25 Feb 2024 

    Father John Charles Ostler,   b. 5 Jun 1838, Bridport, Dorsetshire, England Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 17 Aug 1913, Nephi, Juab, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 75 years) 
    Mother Mary Ann Prince,   b. 29 Feb 1840, Redlynch, Wiltshire, England Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 28 Feb 1913, Nephi, Juab, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 72 years) 
    Marriage 10 Apr 1861  Southampton, Hampshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F12480  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBirth - 11 Oct 1861 - Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsInitiatory (LDS) - 15 Dec 1886 - LOGAN Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDeath - 26 Oct 1932 - Nephi, Juab, Utah, United States Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBurial - 29 Oct 1932 - Nephi, Juab, Utah, United States Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 

  • Notes 
    • William Prince Ostler was born in Salt Lake City, Utah 11 Oct 186 1 . T h e first Child of John Christopher and Mary Ann Prince Ostler. Hi s m oth e r and father walked across the plains and William was born abou t si x we ek s after they arrived in Salt Lake City. He was born in a du g out.

      William was a very delicate and weak Child. For many days his mothe r h o p ed and prayed and worked with all her might to save him. Her effo rt s a n d prayers were finely answered and he began to grow.

      William’s grandparents and some of his uncles persuaded his father a n d m o ther to move from Salt Lake to Nephi as they were sure the chang e w oul d b enefit him, this they did. William did improve and grew int o a st ron g an d healthy Child.

      Those long ago days of pioneer times were hard for everyone. The Chil d r e n had very little schooling or play, but they were always willing a n d r ea dy to help in any way they could, and in the Ostler family ther e w as n o e xception, each one had to do his share. Food was scarce, man y ti me s ther e was nothing to eat but greens and milk with just a ver y littl e b read. However, through the efforts of everyone in the famil y and ye s i n th e community, the conditions improved.

      When William was only 12 years of age, his father had gone in the moun t a i ns east of town to bring back wood to burn. He and two or three ot h e r bo ys had gone along to help. In those days the Indians were non e t o o frien dly and some times they went on the warpath. While gettin g ou t t he wood, a large party of Indians were sighted all decked out i n wa r pai nt. Th e men quickly and quietly gathered together and calle d all t he bo ys to th em, and as they felt they were greatly outnumbere d they de cide d to send t wo of the boys for help. Dan Miller and Willia m were cho sen. They wer e told to walk but after they got out of the sig ht of thei r p arents, the y began to run and they ran as fast as they co uld from th e ca nyon to th e north east gate of the old fort wall whic h surrounded t he to wn. Here M rs. David Cazier, being on guard for th e day, quickly op ene d the gate fo r them and after hearing their stor y quickly dispatche d a b and of men t o help the wood gathers.

      Many times he saw the men in the fort bury the dead at night and som e t i m es they have had to swim the big hollow with caskets of the dea d o n a r af t this also at night to keep the Indians from firing upon th em w hile t he y buried the dead.

      When he was quite young, he helped his father with his father’s freigh t i n g business from Nephi to Pioche, Nevada. Driving six and eight he a d o f h orses and mules. His dad had this business run for a few year s th e n he e xtended it from Salt Lake City to Pioche. After stopping fr eight i ng, hi s father opened a tannery business and later a harness bus iness.

      On December 15, 1886, he married Mary Ann Weeks, daughter of Thoma s a n d B etty Bates Weeks of Fountain Green, Utah, formerly of Kewauee , Hen r y Coun ty, Illinois. They were married in the Logan Latter Day Sa ints T e mple b y Elder W. C. Edlefsen.

      From 1886 until 1892, he did farm work. Then in 1892, he and his broth e r , John Stephen, went down to Albuquerque, New Mexico and purchased t h e i r first herd of sheep. They were the first herd of Marino sheep i n t h e s tate of Utah.

      While herding sheep one time in the desert, William found the skele t o n o f a man. The clothing when touched crumbled but there was a pock e t b oo k containing some money and papers. He turned these findings ov e r t o th e proper authorities and they found the family of the man. H e wa s a n eld erly man that had been going from his daughters home in Ut ah t o th e hom e of another daughter in Nevada. They had been searchin g for h im f or ove r a year. They thought he had been the victim of robb ers.

      In November 1896, William was called to serve a mission for the Chu r c h o f Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He sailed from New York o n t h e Amer ican Line Steamer Pennland. He arrived in England, 6 Novembe r 18 9 6 and w as appointed to the labor as a traveling Elder in the Live rpoo l C onferenc e. Here he labored for twenty-six months. Part of the t ime , h e labore d with Elder William Grace and Elder Robert Winn. The ot he r miss ionarie s in the mission called them the three Nephites as the y we re al l from Nep hi, Utah.

      William had many interesting experiences in the mission field. On e o f t h e most impressive being, Elder Grace and William were in and ou t o f th e c ities of the district where they were laboring at that time . The y ha d go tten a room in a hotel to spend the night. After they wer e bot h i n bed, William could not sleep or rest and it seemed as if som e one k ep t calli ng his name. Finely he dozed off to sleep and in thi s sleep , a m an stoo d by the bed and commanded him to get up. William w oke hi s compa nion an d got out of the hotel. This seemed rather foolis h but af ter wak ing Elde r Grace and telling him of the incident, he sai d, “Wel l he could n’t slee p either.” So they got up, dressed, took thei r baggag e and check ed out o f the hotel.

      They tramped around for a while and finely found another hotel some di s t a nce away from the first one. In the morning they bought a newspap e r a n d the first thing to catch their eyes was a story about the hote l k eep e r of the first hotel being found dead in the bath tub in the ve ry r oo m th ey had rented. Probably if they had remained there, they wou ld ha v e bee n charged with the murder.

      Just five months after William left Nephi, his sixth Child, Thoma s , w a s born. His dear wife had all she could do to take care of thei r li tt l e family. William hauled enough wood for Mary to burn while h e was g on e. William had sold his sheep and leased his farmland and th e machine r y u sed to run it. One of the things he had left for her to s ell was h i s hor ses and team to a fellow townsmen whom we both though t to be an h o nest a nd upright man; but he wasn't. She never receive d a tenth of t h e money.

      This setback to our financial circumstances was a blow to her. I ca n n o t imagine how she managed for those twenty-six months and send fina nc i a l assistance as often as she did.

      He received an honorable release from his mission November 17, 189 8 a n d s ailed from Glasgow, Scotland on Anchor Line S.S. Furnessia. Wh e n h e go t home his son Thomas cried because he did not know him becau s e he w as bo rn while he was on his mission.

      On returning home from his mission, he purchased some more sheep a n d f o r a few years, he remained in that business. Then he sold the she e p a n d bought farmland. 101 acres of ground with 30 shares of water fr o m Ja k e Gibson and Jacob Bowers and he also bought some cattle.

      Their home was a happy and contented one. He and his wife Mary try i n g t o teach their children the principles of the gospel and teachin g th e m t o be honest worthwhile men and women. In all his life he coul d trut h full y say not one of my sos did I ever see become addicts of to bacc o o r alco hol. The children were sent to school and they did thei r bes t t o see the y went to high school and Frank and Rulon to college.

      Then came the great world war of 1914 to 1918 which brought so many ch a n g es into the lives of everyone. Frank who had been preparing to ent e r His second year of college was drafted into the United States Army o n S ep te mber 17, 1917. He was sent to Fort Lewis, Washington where he r emai n e d until the following spring. William and Mary visited Camp Lewi s t o s e e their son Frank, but to their grief he was quarantined with s carl e t f ever.

      They visited in Seattle with Mary’s niece and family and had quit e a n i c e time considering their disappointment. In February 1918, Fran k ca m e ho me on a two week furlough. It was the last time they saw him . I n J une h e was sent east and then over seas. He was killed in actio n Sep tem ber 29, 1918. His body was brought home and buried in the famil y plo t i n the c ity cemetery in Nephi, Utah.

      He was a corporal in Company I, 362 Infantry, 91 Division.

      Thomas married Ethel Flygare of Provo, Utah on October 3, 1917. Thei r f i r st grandchild, Donna Louise was born to them August 25, 1918.

      Thomas was called into service and was sent to governments officers tr a i n ing school at the University of Utah. The flu epidemic was on at t h i s ti me. After standing in the rain for two days drilling hundreds o f b oy s an d then waiting on those who were sick, he took the blankets o ff o f h is be d and put them on other boys who were suffering chills. Ab ou t a we ek lat er, he was sent to the government hospital at Fort Dougl a s where o n Decem ber 8, 1918, he di of pneumonia. He was brought hom e t o Nephi an d burie d in the family plot. Donna was four months old wh en h er fathe r died.

      On the 21st of July 1919, Zola married Emron Miller Johnson of Sal t L a k e City and moved to Salt Lake to live. She lived there for abou t tw o y ea rs. Their second granddaughter, Ruby Marie Johnson was born 2 1 Jul y 19 21. She was 3 months old when they moved to Venice, California .

      Rulon (Dick) joined the United States coast to coast geological surv e y a n d went to Arizona and Mexico. While working there one day as he w a s cl ea ning his gun, he accidentally discharged it and the bullet stru c k hi m i n the leg. After the wound healed he came home and the followi n g win te r he attended the University of Montana School of Forestry a t Mi ssoula, M ontana. After finishing his schooling there, he obtaine d a posi tio n wit h the United States Forest Service. On 21 June 1922 Ru lon marri e d Floren ce Helen Riches. They were went out to the Stockmor e ranger st at ion wher e he was assigned as head ranger. While working t here he h a d a very seri ous accident in which he had his back broken i n three pla ce s and his rib s broken also. For the next eighteen month s he was i n a pl aster cast fro m his hips to his neck. In June of 1924 , the govern ment s ent him to th e government hospital at San Francisco , California w here h e underwent a n operation in which they grafted a p iece of bone ta ken fro m his leg to h is ribs and back bone. After he re covered, he wa s transfe rred to the Ogd en, Utah office of the forest se rvice.

      On June 26, 1924, Ellen married Charles Kenneth Blackett. The next f e w y e ars saw but little change in their lives. William quit farming f o r him se lf and leased the farm out on shares. He went to work for hi s br other, J ohn Stephen, taking charge of his farm and feeding his ram s an d lambs.

      Their grandchildren were now nine in number.

      William and Mary had visited with Zola in California 3 times.

      Rulon and his family were living in Ogden, Utah and on March 26, 193 1 t h e y received the shocking news that Rulon had died suddenly of a he ar t at ta ck. Mary Ann and Horace were quarantined with scarlet fever a t th e ti m e and could not attend his funeral. This made six of their te n chi ldr e n that they had buried. He was buried at the side of his brot hers i n t h e family plot in the city cemetery.

      William continued working for John Stephen also helped Horace buil d h i s h ome.

      William Prince Ostler celebrated his 71 birthday on October 11, 19 3 2 a n d a few days later he suffered a heart attack which caused his de at h Oc to ber 26, 1932.

      William was a kind, gentle man. He was loved and respected by all w h o k n ew him. He was a honest and upright citizen. He never sought publ i c o ff ice, but lived a quiet life. His main interest being his wife a n d fam il y and his work. He was always true to his church and lived a s ne ar a s h e could to its teaching.

      The world needs more of his kind of men to make it a better place in w h i c h to live.