Individual 106: Staheli, Johannes (John)

Individual Record 106

Name} Staheli, Johannes (John)

Family History} Olson

Title}

Race} White

Sex} Male

Birth: Date} Exa 25 May 1857*

Place} Amriswil, Thurgau, Switzerland

Marr.: Date} Fam 18 Jan 1882

Place} St. George, Washington, Utah (Link)

Death: Date} Exa 25 Dec 1942 C

Place} Enterprise, Washington, Utah

Burial: Date} Exa 28 Dec 1942

Place} Enterprise City Cemetery, Enterprise, Washington, Utah

Grave Marker} Yes &

Source 1}	81 = Genealogy
Source 2}	711 = Family hstry
Source 2}	1749=Baptism rec
Source 3}	177 = Passenger ls
Source 4}	902 = Passenger ls
Source 2}	1748=LDS history
Source 5}	1114=Geog history
Source 6}	75 = Geog history
Source 7}	356 = Church recrd
Source 8}	80 = 1870 USA cen
Source 9}	83 = 1880 USA cen
Source 10}	255 = IGI
Source 11}	1896=Church recrd
Source 12}	84 = 1900 USA cen
Source 13}	167 = 1910 USA cen
Source 14}	774 = 1920 USA cen
Source 15}	1176=1930 USA cen
Source 16}	154 = Family hstry
Source 17}	1113=Biography
Source 18}	1125=Death certif
Source 19}	157 = Cemetery rec
Source 20}	759 = Cemetery rec
Source 21}	963 = Cemetery rec

Parents: } Johann George Staheli & Sophia Barbara Haeberli
Relationship No.} 9

1st Household No.} 143 = Amriswil, Thurgau, Switzerland

Occupation 1} Farmer
Occupation 2} Musician

Religion/Church} Latter-day Saints

Spouses: Prime} Tobler, Barbara
Total Number of} 1

Notes: Johanns Staheli was born 25 May 1857* in Amriswil, Thurgau, Switzerland. Known as John, he was the sixth child of Johann Georg Staheli and Sophia Barbara Haeberli. He was baptised 1 Jun 1857 in the Evangelisch church, Amriswil.

His older siblings were Wilhelmina, born in 1849, Jakob, born 1859 and died 1851, Elizabeth, born 1851, Johann George (George), born 1854, and Maria (Mary), born 1855. His younger siblings were Sophie, born 1859 and died 1859, and Sophie born 1860.

*Source 356 and Source 1125, both secondary sources, give 28 May 1857 as a birthdate.

John's father, mother, and paternal grandparents had become members of the Church of Latter-day Saints, and on 3 May 1861, the family left Amriswil for America. His oldest sister Wilhelmina had left the previous year with his grandparents. They set sail from Liverpool on the Monarch of the Sea on 16 May 1861. His youngest sister, Sophie, died 28 May 1861, and was buried at sea. They arrived in New York on 19 Jun 1861.

A few days after arrival, the Mormon contingent left by train for the outfitting post at Florence, Nebraska (now Omaha). In Florence they joined the Sixtus E. Johnson Company for the journey across the plains by covered wagon. About 200 individuals and 52 wagons were in the Company when it departed 14 and 15 Jul 1861. They arrived in Salt Lake, Utah ten weeks later, on 27 Sep 1861. Here they joined John's grandparents and sister Wilhelmina.

At the October conference of 1861, President Young called 109 families, including the Staheli families, to the the Dixie mission in Southern Utah. They left in November 1861, for the 300 mile trip south. Daniel Bonneli, a native of Switzerland who could speak both Swiss and English, was appointed captain of the company. They arrived in Santa Clara, located about 5 miles northwest of St. George, between 24 and 28 Nov 1861. The family took up residence in the Old Fort.

John's youngest sister Barbara was born 26 Dec 1861. Then the rains began, and on 17 Jan 1862, the little settlement of Santa Clara was washed away. The settlers rebuilt a short distance away. His father George became ill with Mountain fever, now recognized as typhoid, and was sick for six weeks. Then his mother Sophia came down with it and died 3 Jun 1862. His father George married Barbara Meir Bliggenstorpher, a recent widow, to help care for the children.

About the age of 10 years, John became a member of the Staheli band, which had been founded by his father. His brother George also became a member of the band. On 9 Nov 1871, the band was present for the ground breaking of the temple in St. George, which was presided over by Brigham Young. In the years that followed, John and his brother George helped build the temple by hauling rock from a quarry on the nearby black ridge to the temple site. Both John and George played in the band on the top of the temple when it was dedicated 6 Apr 1877.

In the 1870 U.S. census, John was living with his father, step-mother, and siblings George, Mary, and Barbara, in Santa Clara. John had little schooling until, at the age of 22 years, he went to Spring Valley in Nevada to work. Here he was able to attend school (with the younger children) for three months. He returned to Santa Clara. His father George had married Rosina Reber in 1871, and their household in the 1880 U.S. census included George, John, and the three younger step-siblings, Franklin, Rosena, and Georgiana. Both John and George were farming. John's father George died in April 1881.

John married Barbara Tobler on 18 Jan 1882 in the Saint George LDS Temple, with President John D.T. McAllister officiating. His wife was the daughter of Jacob and Barbara Staheli Tobler. This Barbara Staheli was the cousin of his father, which made he and his wife second cousins.

Within a year of their marriage, they were able to buy a lot and a small home. Their first son John Henry was born in 1883 and died when a year and a half old. George Jacob was born in 1885, and daughter Ida Barbara in 1886. In Oct 1887, John left for his first mission to Switzerland. Their son William Charles was born in 1888 while John was away. He returned 27 Jun 1888, his mission lasting only nine months due to ill health. Their son Franklin was born in 1890 and died as an infant. Their son Clarence was born in 1893, and son Jesse Leroy in 1895. When Jesse was only ten days old, John left for another mission to Switzerland. Again he returned in nine months, as his lungs could not withstand the damp climate. Their second daughter Laura Sophia was born in 1897, and son Raymond Albert in 1899.

In the 1900 U.S. census, the family was living in Santa Clara, and included the seven living children. Two more children were born. These were daughter Vilate in 1902, and son Lafayette in 1905. John was active in the LDS Church. He was a ward teacher, superintendent of the Sunday School in Santa Clara for several years, and then superindendent of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association. After his father George died in 1881, he took over leadership of the Staheli Band for many years. He was also a member of the church choir.

In the 1910 U.S. census, the family was still in Santa Clara. George Jacob and Ida Barbara were no longer living at home. William Charles, Clarence and Jesse were all working on the family farm. In 1917, the family moved to Enterprise, Washington, Utah. The 1920 U.S. census lists William, Clarence, Vilate and Lafayette as living in the home. No occupation was listed for John, evidently having retired from farming. William was a district school teacher, and Clarence was hiring out as a laborer. Later in 1920, John and Barbara moved to St. George in order to spend their time working in the temple.

In the 1930 U.S. census, John and Barbara were living in St. George, Utah. None of their children were living with them, but they had a boarder, Norman E. Johnson. He was a clerk in a dry goods store. They owned their own home, which was worth $3,000., and did not have a radio. In 1932, they celebrated their 50 year Anniversary in Enterprise, where most of their children were then living. When John wrote his life story, about 1938, he states that they had sixty-one grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

John's wife Barbara died 19 Sep 1941. John died 25 Dec 1942 of coronary occlusion in Enterprise, Utah. The death certificate gives Enterprise as his usual place of residence, so he was probably living with one of his children at the time of death. He was 85½ years old. Both he and his wife are buried in the Enterprise City Cemetery, Enterprise, Utah.