Person:Alexander Wilkins (2)

!ANCESTRAL FILE: #1BL5-PV. OBIT: In the Salt Lake Telegram dated 25 May 1902 found at genealogybank.com - http://www.genealogybank.com/gbnk/newspapers/ Alexander Wilkins, Prominent Provo Man, Dies Suddenly

    Provo, Utah, May 25. - Alexander Wilkins died suddenly at 1 o'clock this afternoon.  He was hoeing in his garden, when he suddenly fell backward and expired before assistance reached him.  Death was due to heart failure.
    Mr. Wilkins was a member of the City Council and one of Provo's leading  citizens.  He was born in Canada in 1864 and had lived here a number of years.  He leaves fifteen living children.

!NOTES: From Ancestry World Tree submission by Val Dalton Dunn. 1880 census living in MonaAlexander Wilkins - 1892Alexander Wilkins, the son of John Gansworth Wilkins and Nancy Kennedy, born in Upper Canada, District of Bath, on the ninth day of July, 1835; lived there two years after my birth, when my father and mother embraced the gospel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and were baptized into the church. I was blessed in to the church at the time of my parents baptism, My parents immediately gathered with the saints at Far West, Missouri, reaching the gathering place of the saints in the winter of 1837, the journey consuming three months. Apostle John E. Page was with our little company, here I was blessed under the hands of the Prophet Joseph Smith. I was with the saints in all the persecutions and mobbings and drivings, and with the church when it went to Nauvoo in 1839. Here my father's family helped to build the beautiful city, my father helped in the building of the temple there while my mother knitted socks which she sold to help in the erection of that holy structure. I helped carry water to the men employed there. A year after we moved to Nauvoo, my father bought a farm about twelve miles from Nauvoo at what was called Green Plains, a place just two miles from Carthage. Here we had a nice home. On the afternoon of the 27th of June, 1844, I was standing on a knoll about half a mile from our home, when all of a sudden I heard the discharge of guns in the direction of Carthage. Almost instantly a peculiar feeling came over me. I hastened home and found my mother leaning against the well curb. She was very pale. I said, "Mother, what's the matter?" She replied that she had heard the guns and was afraid my father was in danger. Just then a usually gentle neighbor flew past on horseback yelling, "God damn you, you've got no more prophet. My mother at once remarked, "That accounts for all of it. "During this time the brethren were gathering in the woods on my father's farm determined to protect their lives against the mob that was assembled bent upon the extermination of the saints. As soon as Joseph and Hyrum were martyred, the mob seemed to be seized with a sudden dread, fearing the Mormons would gather at Carthage and exterminate them, fled from the City and hid themselves. A bright light from heaven shone on the prophet's face as he lay against the well curb at Carthage jail, and after that disappeared, the heavens commenced to darken up and the earth trembled. A most violent storm followed, the rain coming down like a flood. Such a storm I have never seen before or since.One afternoon in October in the fall of 1845, a mob well mounted on horseback, about thirty or forty men, came riding up to my father's house for the purpose of burning our home. The captain of the mob said to my father, "Wilkins, as far as you're concerned, we've nothing against you; we like you as a neighbor and as a citizen. If you'll say that Joe Smith was a false prophet, we won't burn your property." My father made answer and said, "Gentlemen, you can burn and be damned; I'll never say that, I hope, while breath is in my body." He then, seeing they were making preparations to burn the house, requested that he might be allowed to go into the building and get an old family Bible which contained the genealogy of his family. This request was refused, the mob telling him he knew enough of the Bible already. The loss of this genealogy has never been replaced, a link is thus lost in our family records. Two weeks before my father died, he told me that he stood joyfully and watched the destruction of his property, knowing that it was but a testimony of the scriptures. He also said that he had never gone back on his testimony in regard to the divine calling of the prophet Joseph. At the time my father's home was burned, my brother Oscar was a baby just two weeks old.In the early spring of 1846, before the winter broke up, we left Nauvoo for Winter Quarters, crossing the Mississippi on ice. We crossed the plains in President Brigham Young's company. We arrived at Council Bluffs in August, 1846. I well remember the call of the Mormon battalion and the prophetic words of Brigham Young when 500 men were called. Said he, "If you will go and do right, not one of you shall lose your lives." It was during our stay here that I received a most wonderful manifestation of the Lord's goodness to me. I went out one morning as usual with the cows to a place about three miles from Winter Quarters. About ten o'clock in the morning I took out a pistol which I usually carried with me for the purpose of shooting crows. It was an old revolutionary horse pistol, carrying an ounce ball. It was very musty never having been used since we left Nauvoo. I aimed the pistol at the crow but it would not go off. I laid it across my left knee, and pulled on the trigger with my right hand, pushing down on the hammer with my right hand. It went off with damaging results. The ball entered under my kneecap, severed the main ligament of the thigh, tore out the calf of my leg and blew out a part of one of the bones, splintering the balance of what was left. The ball finished its work by tearing outside of my foot. The force of the discharge knocked me to the ground. I sat up and found my pants (a pair made from a cotton wagon cover) on fire. I put out the fire and then started for home. I could not walk for in my condition such a thing was impossible. I managed to get home the whole three miles by resting my body on my hands with my foot elevated. The journey consumed over five hours and I got home about four o'clock. My mother saw me first and she almost fainted at the sight. I was at once put to bed and the services of a man by the name of Martholeuen summoned. He took an old sheet and scraped from it sufficient lint to fill up the wound, first soaking it in camphor. My leg was bandaged and he instructed my mother to let it stay in that condition for five days. On the morning of the third day after the shooting I was out of my mind through the intense pain I was in. My sister Jane was the only person in the room and I asked her to hand me a butcher knife that was lying on the table which she did. I took it and ripped up on the bandages, digging deep into the flesh at the same time. I then tore up on the bandages and threw them off. The dead flesh fell offin lumps, leaving the shin bone perfectly bare. My sister screamed and soon the house was filled. It was the general opinion that I would die, that it was impossible for me to recover. I told my father I would not die if he would go to Winter Quarters two miles below where we were staying and get Patriarch Morley and let him administer to me. I knew if he would do this I would get well because I realized the promise made to me by Joseph Smith the Prophet thatI would live long upon the earth, and see my prosperity become numerous, and my sons and daughters teach the Lamanites.My father hitched up our only yoke of cattle, and went to Winter Quarters and brought Father Morley. Immediately upon his arrival I was administered to. I went to sleep when he was midway through his administration, something I had not done or enjoyed since I was shot. I slept fully 24 hours. The folks could not wake me and only knew I was living from the fact that I was breathing. I never suffered the least pain from that day to this. In three months I was able to use my leg again and could not detect anything ever having been the matter with it only for the scar .After my recover my father went to Missouri and succeeded in procuring an outfit to cross the plains to come to Utah. We left in the spring of 1850 and arrived in Provo City the same fall having been on the plains four months. We unhitched on the very block we not live, and have never moved. We helped to survey and layoff Provo and have assisted in every way to make her the town she is today. I have been in three Indian wars, the Walker War, the Tintic War and the Black Hawk War and although I have been in many hot engagements I am thankful to say that I never sustained any injury.I was married on the 11th of December 1853 to Alice Malena Barney to whom nine children have been born, and on February 1856 I was married to Elija Barney, sister of my first wife to whom eight children have been born, sixteen of my children are living today and 40 grandchildren. I was ordained a high priest in 1890 and set apart as second councilor to Bishop Evan Wride of the Provo Second Ward of the Utah Stake of Zion. I was in Salt Lake City in 1853 and witnessed the laying of the first corner stone of the Salt Lake Temple and was there also on the 6th of April 1892 and witnessed the laying of the capstone which finished the outside of that beautiful building. This is a synopsis of my life. I am enjoying good health, am 57 years old and a firm believer in Mormonism.From your Loving Father and Grandpa,Alexander Wilkinsp.s. Those persons who receive this please let all my living relations read it's contents.Written by my daughter Susie -Age 18 (Susan Ann Wilkins born 1873) ANCESTRAL FILE: #1BL5-PV. CHURCH OFFICES: Set apart as 2nd councilor to Even Wilde in the

                2nd ward bishopric, June 1889 and served 9 years.
                Then was made 1st councilor to Simon T. Eggertoon.

NOTE: In 1856 he was sent to meet the hnadcart company that was so late in

      starting across the plains that they were snowed in in the mountains.
      Provisions and clothing werre taken in the wagons drawn by teams from
      Salt Lake City.  The handcart company was rescued but many died from
      hunger and freezing.  Alex returned 1 Dec 1856.

OCCUPATION: Did some farming. RESIDENCE: Near 5th West on 2nd South in Provo. PHYSICAL FEATURES: He was a tall man about 5 ft 5 1/2 inches but weighed

      200 pounds.

DEATH: Died of apoplexy in 1902.

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