William A. Garner

Son of David Garner & Jane Stephens

Married Sarah Workman, 4 Sep 1838, Adams, Illinois

WILLIAM GARNER, one of the early pioneers of Pottawatomie County, was born in Davidson Co, North Carolina, June 22, 1817, son of David and Sarah (Stevens) Garner, also natives of North Carolina. The father lived to the age of 104 years, and the mother died at the age of 90 years. Our subject was but seventeen years of age when his parents moved to Quincy, Illinois, where he remained 11 years. He was married in 1846 to Sarah Workman and they then joined the Mormons at Nauvoo, Illinois, and some years later came with that colony to Pottawatomie County, Iowa. Mr Garner was one of the first settlers in this county, and Garner Township was named in his honor. He served in the Mexican War, and marched through to Mexico, thence to Lower California, after which he returned home. He now owns 350 acres of find land in Garner Twp and has also given each of his 11 children a good farm He has lived to see his children grow to maturity and is a well-to-do and honorable citizen of Pottawatomie County. He built the woolen mill on Mosquito Creek, and has been an important factor in many other improvements.

Mormon Battalion, Company B

W. A. GARNER. (Tyler's list, WILLIAM A. GARNER) Private. Mustered out with Company July 16, 1847, at Los Angeles, Cal. Returned to Pottawatomie County, Iowa, and became a large land proprietor, and highly respected citizen. (Hon. D.C. BLOOMER, in Annals of Iowa, Third Series, Vol. III, page 594)

• Mormon Battalion members

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• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Nov 12 2016, 4:39:25 UTC

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April 18, 1847, "A sailor named Beckworth from the ship Congress was baptized in the ocean, probably the first Mormon convert in California. He was baptized by William Garner of Company B." Ricketts, Norma Baldwin "The Mormon Battalion, U.S. Army of the West 1846-1848", Utah State University Press, Logan Utah, 1996

Wed. 14th. This evening William Garner one of my, messmates, baptized a marine by the name of Beckworth; he belonged to the U. S. frigate Congress, commanded by Commodore Stockton. This no doubt is the first baptism in California ever performed by an Elder in Israel in this dispensation. By this time we had become very short of everything and no money to buy more and everything we had in the clothing line was in rags. We were forced to cut up our tents to make shirts and pants and this too, contrary to the wishes of our Captain. ~from the Journal of Henry W. Bigler

Tues. 22nd. The ship Vandalia sailed for Boston, taking mail with her, on which I have mailed letters to friends in Virginia. William Garner and I worked at digging a well for Mr. Fitch of San Diego.~from the Journal of Henry W. Bigler