Heinrich Carlos Ferdinand Eyring

Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel, 1847–1868

Eyring, Henry

Birth Date: 9 Mar. 1835 Death Date: 10 Feb. 1902 Gender: Male Age: 25 Company: Jesse Murphy Company (1860)

Pioneer Information: Henry was a returning missionary.

SOURCE: http://lds.org/churchhistory/library/pioneerdetails/1,15791,4018-1-...

---

Biographical Summary:

"...Eyring, Henry, first counselor to Anthony W. Ivins, president of the Juarez Stake of Zion, was born March 9, 1835, in Coburg, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Germany. The following is a brief sketch of his life from his own pen: “My parents were in good circumstances and socially well connected. My father owned an apothecary business, which had descended to him from his father and was quite lucrative. My mother was the daughter of the Viscount George Louis von Blomberg, who was at the time of my mother’s marriage employed in the service of King William III of Prussia, as counselor of the king’s domains. He was a man of considerable ability and well liked by the king. My mother died when I was eight years of age. Soon after, my father met with heavy financial losses, and when he died I was left an orphan at the age of fifteen years, without means, but not entirely without friends. When I was quite young, my father (having then ample means at his command) employed a private teacher to give me a good start. Later on, an eminent professor in my native town started a private institute of learning, which I attended several years, and when I was ten years of age I studied the following branches: Reading, writing, composition, arithmetic, geography, grammar, history, Latin, French, natural history, natural philosophy and singing. After that I was sent to a higher institute at Gotha, where I remained for four years.

When fifteen years old, I became an apprentice in a wholesale drug business in the city of Vienna, in Austria. Not admiring the despotic rule of Austria, I made up my mind to leave for America at the end of my apprenticeship, which I did in the year 1853, at the age of eighteen, taking with me my sister Bertha, some fifteen months younger than myself. We arrived in New York Sept. 8, 1853. On the 1st of March, 1854, I started for Saint Louis, Mo., where I found employment in a wholesale drug establishment. 

During this year I heard more or less about the ‘Mormon’ people, but not a word that was in their favor. Hearing that they held regular meetings, I was led by curiosity to enter their meeting-house, for the first time, on the evening of Dec. 10, 1854. Elder Milo Andrus, who was president of the Saint Louis Stake of Zion at that time, preached that night and made quite an impression upon my mind. From that time on, I investigated very closely, and on the 11th of March, 1855, I received the ordinance of baptism. Apostle Erastus Snow, who then presided over the Saints in the Mississippi valley had me ordained to the office of a Priest, and on June 17, 1855, I had the great joy and satisfaction to baptize my sister Bertha.

At the October conference, held at Saint Louis, I was called to perform a mission to the Indian Territory. Oct. 11, 1855, I was ordained an Elder and set apart for the Cherokee mission, as it was then called. Four other Elders were called at the same time, and we arrived in our field of labor on Spavinaw creek, in the Cherokee Nation, on Nov. 10, 1855. I labored among the Cherokees and Creeks and some little among the Choctaws. The Lord was very merciful to me and by his aid I raised up some branches of the Church and baptized quite a number. The country being subject to the chills and fever, I was sick a great deal, in fact, the greater part of the time I remained there. In May, 1860, after having labored in the Indian Territory four and a half years, I started for Utah, where I arrived Aug. 29, 1860. At that time the Cherokee Mission was under the direct charge of the Presidency in Utah, but it was very difficult in those days to get any news from there. I had had charge of the mission for over two years, and altogether had been in that field nearly four and a half years; hence I began to think that possibly my mission might come to a close before long. Getting no news of any kind from Utah, I inquired of the Lord and He answered me in a dream, as follows: I dreamed that I was in the President’s office in Salt Lake City, and that I addressed Pres. Young, saying: ‘I have come of my own accord, but if I have not stayed long enough, I am willing to return and complete my mission.’ The president answered: ‘It is all right, you have stayed long enough.’ On the strength of this dream I started for Utah; and when I met the President, I said to him: ‘Pres. Young, I have come without being sent for; if this was not right, I am willing to go back and finish my mission. He answered pleasantly: ‘It is all right, we have been looking for you.’

A call for volunteers to go to our Utah Dixie was made at the October general conference, in 1862, and I volunteered to go to the sunny south. Dec. 14, 1860, I had married Mary Bonneli, with whom I had become acquainted, in crossing the plains, and after living at Ogden till March, 1862, I moved with my wife to Salt Lake City. In November, 1862, we reached Saint George and located there. Nov. 1, 1863, I was called to be the Bishop of the Second Saint George Ward, and on November 29th was ordained under the hands of Apostle Erastus Snow and Pres. Jacob Gates. I had previously belonged to the 60th Quorum of Seventy, being ordained a Seventy March 9, 1861 when I lived in Ogden.

Aug. 1, 1874, I was called to take a mission to Germany and Switzerland, where I arrived in October of that year. I labored with moderate success in Germany, baptizing a few. Later I was mostly occupied in the office in Berne, where I worked on the “Stern,” translated the book of Doctrine and Covenants into the German language and attended to other office duties. I returned home in July, 1876.

At the general conference, which was held in the Saint George Temple in April, 1877, I was called to be a counselor in the Saint George Stake presidency, which position I held for nearly ten years. During my stay in Saint George, I occupied the position of adjutant to Brigadier-General Erastus Snow, and was mayor of Saint George City for two years. I also held several minor offices.

After the settlements had been started in Mexico and the deputy marshals became somewhat solicitous about my welfare, Apostle Erastus Snow, who was then in Mexico, directing the location of places of refuge for the Saints, wrote to me, inviting me to cast my lot with the people of Mexico. Taking his advice, I started with a portion of my family, Feb. 10, 1887, for Mexico, arriving at Colonia Juarez April 8th, following. Soon after arriving, Apostle Snow gave me a mission to lower Mexico, with a view to learn the Spanish language, become acquainted with the customs, some of the laws of Mexico, some of their commercial manner of doing business, and also to cultivate an acquaintance with the leading men of the nation. After locating my family and making them as comfortable as possible in so short a time, and under rather trying circumstances.

I started for the city of Mexico, reaching there the latter part of July, 1887. Soon afterwards I took charge of the mission and labored in that section until the end of the year 1888. Our success in lower Mexico at that time was rather limited, as the people appeared to be very indifferent in matters pertaining to the gospel. I was only able to convert one man, and I fear that the Lord never converted him, as he soon after left the Church. After returning to Colonia Juarez, I took charge of a co-operative store which up to this date has done a successful business. Apostle Teasdale located with us in the spring of 1891, and in the same fall the Mexican mission was organized with Apostle George Teasdale as president, and Elder Alexander F. Macdonald and myself as counselors.

In December, 1895, the settlements of the Saints in Mexico were organized as a Stake of Zion, called the Juarez Stake, with Anthony W. Ivins as president and myself and Elder Helaman Pratt as counselors. After many privations, the Saints, who located here in Mexico have seen the hand of the Lord in their marvelous protection and prosperity, until from a very small beginning we now number eight prosperous Wards and a population of about 3,500 souls." ..."

SOURCE: Andrew Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, vol. 1 (Salt Lake City: A. Jenson History Company, 1901), 311-13. Retrieved from: http://www.turley-eyring.org/ABriefAutobiographicalSketch.php