- Henry Mathis, son of Hans Heinrich and Marie Dorthea Myers Mathis, was born at Weidekon, Zurich, Switzerland, September 10, 1834. He was the fourth child of six children: viz., Jacob, who died single at the age of 27, [ he was a clerk in a Zurich bank at the time] Anna Maria Dorthea, who married Hans Ulrich Bryner, Jr; Henry, who married Elizabeth Hubschmeid: Lucette, who married a Mr. Kneushle [his name not known]; and Pauline, who married Julius Bosshard.
Henry's mother was a milliner by profession. She seldom did housework, always keeping a hired girl. She was strict and precise in raising her children. and impressed upon them "that anything worth doing at all is worth doing well."
His father, a very kind hearted man, worked in an office during most of his life, doing in addition to farming. The family was well to do financially and lived on a large estate in Weidekon, near Zurich.
Henry grew to manhood in Weidekon. When he was about 25 years old his brother and sister Marie joined the L.D.S. church and emigrated to America. About a year later he accepted the Gospel and followed them. On reaching America he joined the William H. Dane Company and camr to Utah in 1862. He had his own new wagon and two yokes of oxen that he had bought in Omaha. He brought a load of English immigrants with him to Salt Lake City.
The only other Young people in the Dane Company, besides Henry, were three young Swiss emigrants names Ferdinand Zollinger, Louise Myers, and Elizabeth Hubschmeid. Near Sweetwater in Wyoming, Ferdinand Zollinger and Louise Myers were married by Bp. Dane. Later [May 20, 1862] Henry and Elizabeth were marries by Bp. Dane also.
Elizabeth Hubschmeid was born October 30, 1893, the daughter of George and Elizabeth Stahli Hubschmeid of Hedigen, Zurich, Switzerland.
In Aprin, 1863, Henry left Elizabeth in St. George with his brother John and wife Barbara, and went back to the East with Captain McArthur and James Andrun and other "Dixie" boys to bring some emigrants to Utah.
During the homeward journey of the trip Henry missed his revolver. He thought he had lost it somewhere on the trail they had passed, so he went back to look for it. He found the revolver and turned around to catch up with the company again, when he saw a dust in the distance. It proved to be about 500 Indians, who ransacked his wagon and took all of the provisions, except a sack of flour that he was sitting on. They left him, and then 500 more Indians, who were after the first lot, came along but did not molest him. The Chief of the last company of Indians held up a small statue of Christ and the Virgin Mary and pointed to the sky. Henry was late getting into the camp that night. Captain McArthur was alarmed and asked him what he had been doing. When Henry told him, he said "You had better lose your revolver, than your life".
Henry's father joined the L.D.S. Church soon after his children had emigrated to America. As his wife had died, he sold the estate and started for Utah, in 1864, to join his family. He paid the ocean passage for several Swiss emigrants and helped them to purchase outfits for their journey across the plains. He died at Winche's home in Lehi soon after reaching Utah. His children were in St. George at the time.
For some time after they moved to St. George, Elizabeth and Henry lived with Henry's brother John and wife Barbara. They were often hungry, as bran and molasses was their only diet. THey had not been in St. Georgre long when they journeyed back by ox team to the Salt Lake Endowment House, but it was closed for repairs, so they went to Logan, where they remained for the two weeks' time it took for the repairs to be completed. THey returned to Salt Lake City and were sealed by Daniel H. Wells, then they went back to "Dixie". They moved from St. George to Toquerville, where they lived for a few yeard, and from there they moved to New Harmony, where they spent the remainder of their lives.
Elizabeth was well educated and studied constantly. It took her only a shory time to learn the English language. She was a good musician; she played the organ and posessed a beautiful alto voice. She spent a great deal of time teaching the children of New Harmony to sing. When the Primary Association was organized in New Harmony Ward, May 6, 1882, she became the first President, with Mary Pace, first counselor; Caroline Pace, second counselor; Della Reid, secretary; and Granville Pace, treasurer. She held this position until 1888.
She was especially good in dramatics and trained the children for operettas and plays. One of the first plays to be staged in New Harmony was "The Virginia Mummy", under her direction. She had a great faith in the Gospel and the colonization scheme of the church. Wneh her husband became despondent because of hardships incident to pioneer life, she used to say, "If other people can make good, we can".
To this couple were born six children: George Henry, born December 5, 1863, who married Louise Pace; Louise, born in 1864, who died when two years old; Mary Elizabeth, born March 28, 1866, married James F. Pace; James Samuel, born Feburary 10, 1870, who married Mary Ann Robb; John Arnold, born May 3, 1875,married Rachel P. Cottam,who died about a year after their marriage--he later married Lilly Pearl Morrison; Albert Fredinanr, born April 27, 1877, who married Lula Jane Whipple.
In the early days, material to make clothing was difficult to obtain, as they were a long way from factories and money was scarce. Henry had brought with him from Switzerland a chest full of white linen shirts, numbering 40 in all, Elizabeth felt very fortunate in having these to make clothes for her first babies. She was a rapid knitter, averaging a sock a day.
Before emigrating to America she wove silk in the silk factories of Switzerland. She brought with her some of these silk articles and when Francis and Elizabeth Prince [pioneers of Utah and New Harmony also] were married, a silk handkerchief given by her was their only wedding present.
She died August 29, 1888 and was buried at New Harmony. Henry lived in Harmony until a few years before his death. He went to visit his children at Price, Utah, and while there he died at the home of his daughter, Mary. His remains were brought back to New Harmony to be buried. He never became weaned from his beautiful Switzerland and always had a longing to return.
This story was among my grandmothers papers, was typed as it was.
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