Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-08-15
EPHRAIM X. HANKS.
Iu,erssllug Obi uary Notes ola allon
Veteran.

paper, the death Of the well-knowu
md esteemed Utah veteran Ephfaim
X. Hanks, n few lines more, l trust,
will be acceptable to his numerous
friends ana relatives
Another Battalion boy has gone
home to opjoy the reward OF the
righteous. and what q Joyous hand.
AMAZING there was when "Brotber
Enhp (,s he was commonly oslledl
wss ushefsd into tho presence Of
Joseph, Brigham, Heber, and those he
10 dearly loved and respected; for he
loved the Saints and the Gospel with a
uure heart, always lifting warning
voice In the defeuee Of truth, aud i'm.
parting that sweet Influence that char.
actoflEss a ruan Of God.
Like tho Prophet Joseph and Others
he had remarkable faith anu power In
healing the sick. He would rebuke
sickness and disease without ever
touching the athlete a Silent prayer
10 Father, and he could accomplish
almost anything he desired for the
benefit Of others. The sick all over
the country had 20 much faith In him
that N he could only administer to
them, they were healed; even the 10.
dams would bring their sick for hun.
dfed miles for Brother Hanks to adj.
minister to them anu they were In.
yariably made whole.
On one occasion about thirty came
TO be healed. IL was fast day In Fob.
fuary, 1908. He had them all fast
and come 10 meeting. quite a number
Ut them spoke, de,irlng aim to be their
father, ~ tney diJn't have any now
that Brother fhufber was dead. lie
told them That he would, and then he
aud his sons Administered 10 them anu
they were healed.
Brother EphIaim X. Hanks was
born the 2ist OF March, 1890, at Madi.
son, Lake county, OHIO. lie lett homo
at the agr OF sixteen anu became n
sailor on n mhu.oi war, where he was
compelled 10 stay for three years.
After being foleatod no returned
home, only visiting n short time, and
then started OIL again.
After going n short distance on his
Journey aiont he came 90 where tue
road fofked, and where he was stopped
rom iurthor pressing his Journey by
some unecen hand, at the same time
bursting Into tears, a thing he dad not
done Tor year.. He tried three times
TO 20 on 0ut was prevented, 90 ho TO-
turned home egain, where he found
his brother Alvaris Hanks, from
Nauvoo. who had Joined the Mor.
mons.
That evening There was debate be.
tween his brother Alvars and some
minister, thc laitert,lking 20 abusively
that Brother Ephriam ordered them
out OF his molhtt's housr, much TO the
dismay OF tnat good old lady.
Next morning, sitting on the gfanary
doofstOpt, he had n lOug talk with his
Mormon brother about the Gospel, anu
being favoTAbiy Impressed, concluded
to 10 with him 10 Nauvoo. Olo OF the
nrit things he witnessed on arriving
there was the men vOfging GU the
temple, with only pnrchei corn to eat.
He wLh iakob very alex aud the Elders
were called In and no was healed,
which was ~ fulhllment OH dream
he had had previously. He believed
In the Gospei from the FIRST, aud wAa
baptized by Horace b. Eliroigt; tho
unseen hand directing him all tue
time.
Brother Hanks endured the hard
thips Of the exodus from NauvoO AMI
was one OF Ihe volunteers Of the Battal.
lou In 1886, being twenty years Old.
He shared all the hAfdships OF the
Baitalion's tedious journey. After re-
turning from Caller ia he married
Harriet Decker, by whom no had
four sous ana three daughters.
Hale and hearty, tearing nothing
hut the displeasurs VI his God, he EN-.
tered into the contract with +. Little
aud q. n. Decker 10 carry tho u. =.
mail from Salt Lake City 10 Laramie,
at that tins u very trying and danger
Gus undertaking. Ho also carried mail
10 California afoot on snow shoes when
tho snow was six feet deep and more,
In the perilous times OF indian
troubles, passed right by Lake Tahoe.
At tho time the handcart companies
were In such trouble, hs was
employed In nshipg ON Utah Lake.
An angel came 10 him one
night and told him TO 40 10 tho
aid of handoArt company. Next
morning ho was ready to start. The
great work he accomplished on that
mission, those OF the company alone
know ana appreciate.
There seemed to be nothing impossi.
bic ior him 10 do, on occasions Of heal.
ing. God gave him power 10 raise the
dead, heal the alex, cure frozen limbs,
etc. On HE way 10 aid the handcart
companies he killed some buffalo ana
alter distributing tho meat among the
suffering SainiP, went TO work healing
the ttn ,oled aud cheerlng the down
cast. 30 wonderful were his healings
that they gave him the title Of DR..
Hanks.
He was also ono that was sent 10
meet Johnson's army, whom President
foung's orders were not TO shed a
drop OF blood.
lie married Jane Capener, by whom
be had four sons and three dauRhtete,
aud Thisbe Read, by whom he had
nye sons and seven daughters.
lie has been falling little nil winter
and was very DESTROYS Of having all Of
bis children together. They wrote 10
some OF them to come tnd spend holt
days with himj but ctrcumslanoes pre-
vented their doing 40.
His wife, Hhisbe Read Hanks,
aud children here arranged ~
surprise him on his 70th hnnivef-
sary. On March Goth all gathered al
Tue dear old homo except one daughter
Aud two sonn.in-law. A nice program
was arranged for thu evenings enjoy.
menli tongs, recitationp, music, toaats,
elc., wero rendered ia a cTelitable
manner. Refresh ments were served,
aler which Brother Hanks exhoIted
oil 10 DO honest. vlTluOun, and live