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Down South, when we want to pay someone a very high compliment we say that
fella's a pretty good ole boy!
In that light, for 13 reasons, I say that JOHN HEINER WAS A PRETTY GOOD OLE
BOY!
- At age 13, he left his family and worked for a neighboring farmer, staying
at that farm and presumably only visiting his family occasionally. He worked
there for 4 years. John gave his family all his earnings for this 4 year
period to be used for the family expenses to travel to Utah.
- During the trip to Utah, when in unfamiliar and strange Nebraska at age
17, John Heiner again left his family, at least partly to ease the expense of
feeding him, moved in with strangers and traveled with another company to
Utah, arriving about 3 weeks before the rest of his family.
- Despite not being able to stay with his family regularly since age 13,
John was very close to his family. When he arrived in Salt Lake City, he
worked for 3 weeks before his family arrived, and he gave his family all the
money and food that he had earned during that 3 week period.
- John and the other 3 oldest children obtained employment with Daniel H.
Wells, working in Salt Lake City for ONLY food and clothes. When not working
for Daniel H. Wells, John volunteered to haul stones with oxen for the Salt
Lake Temple.
- At age 24, John was married in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City in
1867.
- In October 1867, as a newlywed of about 6 months, he and his wife were
called by Brigham Young during conference to settle in Nevada. They left in a
matter of just a few days (less than 30), despite the separation from their
families and friends to live in an undeveloped area.
- While on this 10 week trip, John and only one other man, had teams that
were strong enough to haul a wagon up steep hills. So throughout this trip, he
was constantly unhitching his team from his wagon and using his team to help
other wagons climb hills.
- In December, during one of these times of assisting other wagons up hills,
he got completely soaked in a very cold rain. His friend, Brother George A.
Larkin, was also helping and he too got soaked in the cold wet rain. Both
these men got VERY sick. Brother Larkin asked that John Heiner give him a
blessing, and John Heiner got out of his sick bed and went to Brother Larkin
and gave him a blessing. Brother Larkin improved, but the effort was too much
for John Heiner. John developed pneumonia and after 2 weeks of suffering died
in St. George, Utah. (Just 4 weeks after his death, his only child was born
there.) At the funeral, Brother Larkin said "Brother John laid down his life
for me."
- One proof of being a "GOOD OLE BOY' is how he relates to his brothers. I
find it impressive that John's brother Daniel would marry John's widow, with
the understanding that the children born of this union would be sealed to
John. These children, though born well after John died, were all taught that
John Heiner would be their father, and they were taught to love and respect
him.
- Down South there is a truism that families matter and that family traits
can be a very good predictor of individual character. John's brother, Daniel,
became a long-time stake president (at a time when there were not many stake
presidents in the church) and a stake patriarch, and this speaks volumes about
the family traits and character. Daniel was on a first name basis with several
Presidents of the church and was a very good man. I think this is evidence
that his brother John was also a very good man.
- John, as the eldest brother in the family, was clearly a good influence on
his brothers and sisters. Because his brothers and sisters were good people,
this is also evidence that John was a "pretty good ole boy" himself because of
his example to them!
- THIS WAS ALL ACCOMPLISHED DURING A LIFETIME OF ONLY 25 YEARS.
- He is remembered after 134 years (and his legacy continues in his
descendants to this day).
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