John P. Wimmer 1807-1876

Peter Wimmer__________Elizabeth Shirley

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John P. Wimmer 1807-1876
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Susannah Wimmer 1834-1918
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Myron Newton Crandall 1865-1903
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Grant LaSalle Crandall 1800-1970
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John David Crandall

John P. Wimmer was born March 1, 1807, in New Castle, Henry, Indiana. His parents were Peter Wimmer and Elizabeth Shirley. He was the third child from a family of eleven, his siblings being: Jacob, Robert S., Polly, Jemima, Susannah, Peter, Ellen, Martha, Elizabeth, and William.

John P. married Elizabeth Hendricks on February 5, 1828, in New Castle. They had eight children: Margaret, May 24, 1829; Elizabeth, December 22, 1831; Martha Ellen, December 20, 1832; Susannah, December 20, 1834; William, January 6, 1840; Peter, March 23, 1842; Julietta, December 23, 1845; and Rebecca, November 1, 1850.

The family was introduced to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and Elizabeth was baptized in August of 1836. When the word got out that they were "Mormons," their neighbors began to shun and persecute them.

One morning (exact date unknown), as the family was having breakfast, a loud knock was heard at the door. When they opened the door, they saw a group of rough-looking men, with handkerchiefs tied over their faces, so the couldn't be recognized, and pointing guns at them. The mob told the family that they didn't want and "Mormons" living in their town. They used profanity and vile language in explaining why they didn't want the Wimmers to remain there. The mob said they had until nightfall to get out, or they would burn their house down with the family in it. John knew this mob meant business. When the mob left, the family started packing all that they could take with them in a wagon. They worked feverishly all day, taking the essential items, and leaving the rest of their earthly possessions behind.

It was just sundown, when the family pulled up to the top of a hill overlooking their farm: the house, barn and sheds. They waited to see if the mob would carry out their threats. Much to their horror, they saw these same men, who they thought were friends and neighbors, set fire to every building that was on their property. Everything that they had left was completely destroyed.

The only thing for the family to do was to join the Saints in Columbus, Illinois, they went on to Nauvoo in about 1843. John was baptized on July 1, 1843. They experienced the persecutions in Nauvoo and the terrible sorrow at the time of the martyrdom of the prophet, Joseph Smith.

John and his his family were driven out of Nauvoo, and went to Winter Quarters, where they stayed until 1850. They traveled west with his parents and arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on November 1, 1850.

John and Elizabeth took out their endowments and were sealed on March 23, 1852, in the Endowment House.

They moved to Springville, Utah and they took good care of his parents. They stayed in Springville until after the deaths of his parents, his mother died in 1862 and his father in 1864.

In 1865, John and Elizabeth moved to Parowan, Utah, to be with their son, Peter. Later they moved to Fairview, Utah to be with their daughter, Margaret.

John P. Wimmer died April 22, 1876, in Fairview, Sanpete, Utah. He is buried in the Fairview Pioneer Cemetary, next to his wife.


This record was compiled from the Daughters of the Pioneers Archives in June 2001 by Louise Crandall Huefner and Rebecca Huefner Chapman.