David Williams
David Williams, the first Bishop of the Pleasant Valley Ward, Utah county, Utah, was born Dec. 16, 1827 at Blaenavon, Monmouthshire, Wales, the son of David and Sarah Williams. He became a convert to "Mormonism" in 1847 and was soon afterwards ordained a Teacher; later he was ordained a Priest and in 1849 he was ordained an Elder and called to the ministry. He taveled as a local missionary four years, principally in North Wales, with marked zeal and success.
He married Miss Sarah Williams May 29, 1847, emigrated to St. Louis, Missouri, in 1855, being president of the Welsh Saints who constituted a large part of the company on the trip. After remaining at St. Louis about one year, he went to Kingston, Ill., and located more permanently at Canton, Ill, in 1856. At this time he was in very poor circumstances financially, but he went to work with a will as a coal miner and was successful. After a while he purchased a tract of coal land in the town of Canton, which subsequently became valuable property. He also acquired two other tracts of coal land near the same town. In November, 1875, Elder Benjamin F. Cummings, jun., who at that time traveled as a missionary in Illinois met him and revived his interest and faith in "Mormonism", and at his request he was re-baptized by Elder Cummings Jan. 8, 1876. He immediately took an active part in extending missionary work in Canton and vicinity and owing to the facilities which Bro. Williams had for furnishing employment, a number of scattered saints gathered into Canton, where a branch of about fifty members soon sprang up with Bro. Williams as president.
At the opening of the year 1876 he was a wealthy man, using his means generously to forward the work of the Lord, but business reverses overtook him in rapid succession and in a short time he was left with only a little means. Still with his scanty funds he generously assissted a score of members of the church to emigrate to Utah, where he himself wended hiw way, arriving at Ogden, Aug. 5, 1877. A few days later he landed in Salt lake City without a dollar, but he and his family were happy and cheerful. He began the business of a retail coal dealer in a small way and was again successful.
In 1878 he filled a short mission to the Southern States. He was an excellent geologist and an experienced coal operator. Soon after his return from his mission he became a contractor of the D. & R.G. coal mines at Pleasant Valley. The mines were rapidly developed under his control and soon quite a community of miners and their families were gathered in Pleasant Valley. Many of these being Latter-day Saints, a branch of the church was organized, of which he was made president. In 1883 the Pleasant Valley ward was organized, he being ordained a Bishop and set apart to preside over it.
He presided in Pleasant Valley as Bishop till December, 1885, when he was called on a mission to Wales. After laboring a short time as traveling Elder he became president of the Welsh conference with an energetic corps of missionaries under him. During his administration that conference assumed an activity which it had not known for many years. He spent his own money freely to forward the good cause and labored with great zeal and energy. During his presidency in Wales, the Jarman excitement prevailed in that country. Bro. Williams was repeatedly surrounded by howling mobs, who apparantly [sic] thirsted for his blood, but physical fear was an emotion unknown to him and he never shrank from either danger of duty.
During his three years' mission the asthma, a disease from which he had long suffered more or less, became deeply seated and he never obtained relief from it. He returned to Utah in November, 1888, but though broken down in health he could not stand inactivity; hence, in May, 1889, he opened a general mercantile busienss at Price, Emery county, Utah. From that time until his death he suffeered terribly at frequent intervals. He passed away like a child falling to sleep Dec. 6, 1889, at Price, Utah. At the time of his demise a long obituary was published in the "Deseret News", from which the following is extracted: "Brother Williams was a good and a remarkable man. He was a natural leader, and gifted with rare abilities in some directions. To look into his clear, blue, earnest eyes and doubt his honesty, was impossible. He decided the most important matters instantly, and was generally guided by a corect intuition. In his business plans and enterprises it was nearly always a leading object to provide employment or aid for others, and he has planned for and helped to feed thousands. Ingratitude, which is so often the reward of the philanthropic worker, never swerved him from his purpose to labor for the welfare of others. He was a father to his employees. As a parent he was solicitous for and devotedly attached to his children; as a husband he was tender and affectionate; as a business man he was intelligent and throughly reliable; and
as a Latter-day Saint he lived and died faithful to the obligations of the gospel, having a firm assurance of his election to a glorious resurrection. He leaves two wives and was the father of fourteen children, seven of whom survive him. He also had a large number of grandchildren. These, with hundreds of his ccountrymen living in this region, and a host of other friends and acquaintances, will cherish his memory as that of a man worthy of their esteem and affection. Peaceful be his rest."
