I hope your faith is strengthened because of what Henry did and that perhaps you even view the temple a little bit differently because of his work and sacrifice.
He was just, 22, when he crossed the plains.
Faces- Ancestral Quest
How I met Henry
It was on my ancestral pilgrimage that I found myself kneeling before Henry's headstone.... I had begun my quest in search of my ancestors who first joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints- and then I met Henry (the maternal father of my paternal great grandfather- hence my great, great, great grandfather).
As the son of Henry Alanson Cleveland and Anna Slade Rogers, Henry was born into the Church of Jesus Christ in its infancy and his. His parents were among the first 150 members of the church of the restoration. Henry was born in Clay County, Missouri on October 8, 1834. His faith brought hardship and persecution-- he grew in the church during perilous times. A time when mobs in search of Mormons ran freely.
At Age 22, Henry crossed the plains. Having been in the valley nearly four years, he joined a number of young men who were sent back to help a group of saints still crossing the plains. It was during this adventure that Henry met the young Scotch girl, Margaret Boyack who was a member of this company of saints. The two were sealed in the Endowment House in Salt Lake upon its completion. Henry and Margaret were the parents of ten children.
Henry was known for his stone cutter skills. He worked on the Salt Lake temple for a $1.25 a day. He would walk from his home in Centerville on Sunday Evening to the temple carrying his food for the upcoming week. He rented a room with a fellow worker in Salt Lake during the week. After working a full 6 days, Henry returned home to Centerville on Saturday evening only to repeat the route the following day.
My parents standing in front of
Henry's handiwork.
It was during his work as a stone mason at the Salt Lake temple that Henry lost his sight t in one of his eyes. Unfortunately, while chiseling away at the hard granite a bit of stone went flying and struck his eye.
