The Snowflake herald., 1914-07-11
18TH BIRTHDAY OF
PIONEER RESIDENT

10Th birthday of William j..
Flake, Sr., and his many rela-
tives gathered at Social hall on
that day in honor of the event.
A nice program had been ar
ranged, all taking part being
members of the Flake family.
A special invited guest and
one who knew Mr.. Flake when
they were "boys together" was
Bishop John Hunt.
The Sketch of the Life of
William j. Flake" was read at
the gathering by his son, Osmer
D., and is as follows:
William ]. Flake, son Of James
Madison Flake and Agnes Love,
was born in Anson Co., North
Carolina, on July 3, 1889. At
the age of three his parents NOV
ed to Mississippi, where they
lived two years in Kemper county
on a small branch of the Tombig-
bee River. There the Gospel
found them. His father and
mother gladly accepted it, while
all his relatives turned a deaf
ear and when they had accepted
the truth, the entire family cast
them out, and refused to even
associate with those lawful Nor
mons. They soon found that
they could have no peace there
and the only thing they could do
was to move to the home of the
Saints. Starting out with a largs
pair of white mules hitched to a
wagon they found their way to
Nauvoo in the spring of 1874.
Grandfather Flake received a
patriarchial blessing under the
hand of the patriarch, Hyrum
Smith, fifteen days before the
martyrdom, and Grandma, from
patriarch. John Smith, a few
months later.
| When they came to Nauvoo
they brought with them two ne
gro slaves, given them by their
parents at their wedding. These
were afterward given their free
dom.
One of the sights that impress
ed itself ubon his mind was the
temple, the picture of which has
remained with him. He got his
fathers powder horn and taking
out a handful of powder threw it
into the fire to see it burn. 1t
burned but he did not see it, nei-
ther did he see anything for a
long time. He wore a black
cloth entirely over his face until
the skin grew again.
With his parents he was in the
exodus from Nauvoo, and with
three other small boys and his
mothers negro girl, drove all
the COWS belonging to the COM
paay to winter quarters, walk
ing the entire distance. They
lived for a year and a half
at Council Bluff. When the
pioneer outfit was fitted out his
father sent his negro servant,
Green Flake, with his big white
mules and outfit, to help them
through. 1t was in this rig that
Pres. Young made most of the
journey, and was riding with
the negro when he first saw the
Salt Lake Valley. The team and
driver were soon sent back,
reaching Council Bluff late in
the fall of 1847. While there
William had his first taste of
chills and fever. 1t did t
taste good to him. Three of his
brothers died on the road from
Nauvoo, leaving but one child,
Charles, beside himself. Early
in the spring of 1848 they broke
camp at Council Bluff, starting
for Salt Lake, his father being
captain of the second company.
While on the way he was bap-
tised in the Elkhorn River. AS
he walked, driving the COWS, ne
saw thousands of buffalo on the
plains. They reached Salt Lake
in September, 1848, and settled at
Big Cottonwood.
In 1850 his father was called
to California to escort a com
pany of Saints back to Utah.
He took the white mules. One
day he loaned his cinch to man
who was with him and put a
circingle around his saddle. The
mule got scared, jumped SIDE
ways. the saddle turned, and ne
was thrown from the animal,
the fall killing him. He was
buried in his blankets near the
JOAQUIN Valley. Thus at the age
of ii years William was left with
a widowed mother, a brother and
I4a1> n Co..