I Heber Charles Oborn was born in Bristol, the oldest city of Old England 20 May 1865.
My home was close to the cliffs and downs which skirted the river Severn.
My eyes are blue in colour and I have always had good eyesight. My hair in early life was medium brown and very straight and not much inclined to gray at the age of 60 years. My teeth were very white and quite large. In my youth I lost several of them from Neuralgia and a fall striking the front of my mouth on a curb stone while delivering goods for the midland RR Co. in Bristol England, but at the age of 36 years had dental work done which has endured until the present time 60 years.
My hearing has always been very good.
Height about 5-7 weight 140 lbs waist 36
I have been blessed with very good health although at the age of 35 I suffered a severe attack of Typhoid fever which confined me to my bed 10 weeks.
I remember my father (John Joseph Oborn) taking me to the Russell town British school when of Bristol England when I was four years of age, which school I attended until I was eleven years old, and then to the Ratcliff School also in Bristol which I attended one more year.
I also attended school at St. Charles, Bear Lake Valley the winter of 1881 – 1882, also the Central School of Ogden the winter of 1883 – 1884.
My first work was at the age of 12 years of age. When my parents apprenticed me for 2 years to Mr. Slip Bristol England to learn the making of oxford picture frames and other Mill work. The steam powered Mill for planning sawing and turning for we made the moldings as well as putting them together right there at the mill. The mill stood close to the Froome River in Bristol.
I then worked for a Singer Sewing machine establishment in Bristol about 1 year and for the Midland RR Co. car repairing about the same length of time.
My father always to bring his family to America or Zion for which I have always been very thankful having sent my older brother 2 years previous about this time was enabled to start me on my way, so on my birthday of 16 years, I set sail on the good old steamship Wyoming from Liverpool to America or Utah all alone as far as friends and acquaintances were concerned. I remember my Mother could not come to the Depot to see me off on the train at Bristol.
But I soon commenced to get acquainted on board ship especially with six boys from Wales, for whom I wrote letters to their mothers and sweethearts.
Being young and not used to traveling, I allowed my feather bed to be stowed away in the hold of the ship also my bedding and it was buried so deep with other luggage that I never saw it again which made sleeping very uncomfortable on boards without covers. However, one of the Welsh boys alternated with me so that I got along alright. When I reached Ogden I made an effort to find it but they told me it had been taken to Salt Lake City so that never found it.
I expected to find my brother Joseph in Ogden, but to my surprise, I found he had gone to the Bear Lake country to work for Mr. Jacobs who had visited our home a lot while in England on a mission for LDS Church.
After I had been in Ogden two days, I found an opportunity to ride to Bear Lake Valley on a load of freight with Mr. Duffin who was traveling that way which I appreciated very much. We traveled through Blacksmith Fork Canyon and Danish dug way, the Logan canyon road was not open at that time.
I was again disappointed when I arrived in the Bear Lake Country, that was the year Short Line Railroad was being built from Wyoming to Pocatello and all the boys had gone out to work on the RR, my brother with them of course, but my good fortune, over on the East side of the Lake, I got acquainted with Bishop Willcox who was organizing a group to go out on the RR to work building the grade, so the Bishop asked me to go along on horseback and drive the cows and extra horses following the company.
This was a new experience for me never having been on a horse’s back before, of course the first day I was sometimes on and sometimes off, but I had a gentle horse and got along alright.
I was delighted to find my brother out in Wyoming; it was a surprise to him, as he had not heard that I was on my way. You can imagine how we enjoyed each other’s companionship that afternoon.
I stayed with them and tried driving a scraper team on the grade but found I was not big and strong enough to handle those big scrapers so I found work helping the cooks and finally took a cooking job myself and stayed out in that country until the snow came in the fall and then returned to Bear Lake and found work with a cattle man named Marvin who had made a contract with the LDS Church to take care of the Church herd and needed a boy to help him with the cattle so I lived in St. Charles that winter and went to school, did chores and chopped wood , went to canyon for wood on Saturdays.
The folks were very kind to me especially Mrs. Amanda Alfred who I appreciated as my second mother.
Early in the spring of 1882 we drove the Church herd out on the summer range and I was in the saddle most of the summer excepting the milking of quite a number of cows. When the folks went to town for a vacation, they always found plenty of cream with which to make butter on their return with all the milk pans full ready for skimming.
I did not keep very good track of dates, but we stayed at the ranch at Nounan Valley until late in the fall when we drove the herd back to the Bear Lake Bottoms close to Montpelier for winter feeding.
We fed them course grass hay on which they did not get very fat. It was a severe winter the thermometer reaching forty below some of the time.
My brother Joseph joined us at this time and helped in the feeding the herd through the winter.
In the spring early in April we returned to Ogden to meet Father and Mother and brothers and sisters who had in the meantime arrived from England which was a very enjoyable occasion to us all.
That summer 1883, I worked at different occupations in Ogden attending the Ogden Central School the following winter.
Then worked three years at the Scoville Broom Factory in Ogden. In the spring of 1887 I excepted employment with the Stratford & Sons Furniture Co. at Ogden where I remained three years driving their team on their furniture wagon at first, and then sewing carpets, hanging shades, etc.
In May 1890 I engaged with the Boyle Furn. Co. as City Delivery Clerk remaining in that position until 1893 when my brother and I decided to go up into the Bear Lake country to try our luck at farming, he being the owner of quite a lot of land in that country. He and some others having taken the water out of Bear River on the Dingle Bench besides proving up on a homestead of a hundred and sixty acres in Cherry Hollow, which was on the south side of Dingle. Somehow our luck was against us, we buried two little boys in the Dingle Cemetery one for each of us with measles, whooping cough and complications, which set us, back financially.
The second year I could see our crops could not meet our obligations so I said we would go back to Ogden and try to find a job. I was in Ogden only two weeks when the Boyle Furn. Sent for me to go to work on my old job.
This I readily excepted with appreciation and worked in this position until June 1900 when Mr. McLaren Boyle, President and manager of the firm took me up stairs and placed me as foreman of the carpet and floor coverings work shop measuring, cutting, sewing, and laying carpets, rugs, linoleum, etc.
I took great interest in church work and while living in the Fourth Ward Ogden in the year 1886; I first met my wife Emily Millgate, being associated in the Fourth Ward Choir under the leadership of Joseph Adams Senior also in other church activities of the LDS Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
We were married on the fourth day of April 1888 in the Logan Temple and for a while lived at what is now known as Madison and 24 streets. The next year built our home at 1141-23 st. where we still reside on a building lot 4 x 10 rods given us by my father Joseph John Oborn which is part of a 2 acre tract he had previously bought of Ogden City.
Eleven living children were born unto us six of whom are still living at this time, 1949, two sons and four daughters.
I have taken much pleasure in caring for a nice flock of chickens and developing them for exhibition purposes. The Plymouth barred Rock strain being my favorite fowl and when possible a good garden and one or two good cows.
I have enjoyed very much my associations with Ogden Tabernacle Choir in which I sang tenor about 25 years under the leadership of Wilford Hinchcliff, Squire Coop, Joseph Ballentyne, and others. Visiting the Lewis and Clark exposition in the year 1905 in company with my wife and son Ernest Franklin Oborn.
Also in the year 1907 with my son Ernest Franklin and sister Ellen S. Oborn, visited the Irrigation Congress at San Francisco as tenor and contralto singers with the Ogden Tabernacle Choir.
The privilege of being ordained to all the offices of the Holy Priesthood has been mine.
I was ordained Deacon when 12 years old at Bristol England in the Aaronic Priesthood and helped to take care of the Kerosene lamps and sacrament set belonging to the Bristol Branch at that time, also an up stairs room used as a meeting place for the saints.
About three years later I was ordained to the office of Teacher at the same place.
I was ordained Elder in the Melchizedek Priesthood by Bishop Thomas J. Stevens in May 1886.
A Seventy under the hands of President Fred Foulger 24 Oct 1909.
A High Priest by counselor to Stake President Charles C. Richards in May 1914
Charles Richards was ordained High Priest by President Charles F. Middleton
Who was ordained by President Franklin D. Richards
Who was ordained by Joseph Smith the Prophet
Who was ordained by Peter, James, and John.
This information was given my by Rachael Middleton Jensen from her father’s diary 421 – 26 st. Ogden Utah.
My father and mother were both born in Bristol England and were baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when 8 years of age and had been taught the gospel in early youth and had been raised to man and womanhood under its influence.
My father at the age of seventeen years was set apart for a mission in England by Robert F. Neslin and labored in England until released.
My father and mother both took great pleasure in feeding and caring for the missionaries and supporting the Bristol branch of the church which was discontinued for a period at the time when our family left for America in 1883 to join the saints in Zion for a lack of numbers to support it.
My father worked for the Midland R.R.Co. of England twenty years first as checking clerk, then switchman foreman, and guard, and when passing in his resignation to go to America the President of the company at Bristol told him he was a fool to quit and lose all his credits with the company.
He also worked for the UPRR Co. at Ogden 7 years after he came to America.
My ancestry as far as I have been able to trace are of English decent on both sides.
My grandfather Samuel Oborn was born in Wilts England Dilton. I think where his father (William Oborn 1765), my great grandfather owned his first flour mill, he later moved to Midford Somerset where he again set up in the milling business and in the year 1931 my son Ralph W. Oborn while on a LDS mission in England visited Bath and not finding any genealogical information there went out a village called Midford about five miles from Bath and there found the old grish mill originally owned by my great grandfather William Oborn still running and being operated by Thomas Victor Oborn of the fourth generation with the name Oborn still on the sacks of flour.
My great grandfather William Oborn had 7 sons and 2 daughters namely, William, Thomas, George, John, James, Joseph, Nancy, Sarah. They were religious and industrious people and united as a family. He was a miller and at his death left property and a flour mill which was improved upon by some of the sons, two or three of whom came to America and settled at Senecca Falls, Oswego County, New York, and set up a flour mill and bought farms and went into the milling business.
Samuel Oborn, my grandfather was of medium height and size with light complexion, blue eyes, he was married at the age of 31 years to Lydia Rapson 30 Sept. 1824 in the Church of St. Michael in the city of Bristol England. One year later a child was born, the mother and child both died. This was a great trial to the father who was unable to work to any extent for 2 years afterward.
About six years afterward, he met Mary Ann Freeth, a splendid character and lovable disposition. They were married in the parish church of St. Martin in the fields, county of Middlesex, 27 May 1831.
From here, they moved to Bristol and went to work in the Postal Service in this service he remained 26 years at which time he was superannuated or pensioned until his death.
They had five children named Samuel, Emily, Emma, Mary Ann, and John Joseph. All were baptized into the LDS Church likewise the mother who was a true believer, but their father Samuel, though a true friend to the Church and all missionaries, never joined the Church in life. At one time when some of the missionaries were at the home and one of them was ill, Grandfather’s reply was just send for a good beef steak, that is what he needs most. Samuel Oborn died 2 January 1872 at the home of his son John Joseph Oborn in Bristol England, and his wife died 2 years later at the same place.
My grandfather, John Hackwell, on my mother’s side, and his brothers were in the flax-dressing business in Devonshire England.
My grandfather was baptized into the LDS Church on the 11th May 1845 by Richard Raul.
My great grandfather (John Swaffield 1766) and mother (Edith Mills 1779) Swaffield on my mother’s side were farmers at Shipton Gorge, Dorset, England. The family were very religious and active in the village church. Grandmother sang in the choir, and my great uncle Richard Swaffield, was clerk of the Church. It was at this church my grandfather and grandmother were married in 1833.
My mother was born in a seashore town at Burton Bradstock, Dorset, England on a very rough night in November. There were three ships wrecked under the cliffs near our home the night I was born. A few years later, the family moved to Bristol where they made their home.
My grandfather kept the first conference house in Bristol. When my mother was about 8 years of age, she remembered President John Taylor coming to their home. He was very tired and stayed over night and in the morning showed my grandfather the scars on his leg which he received when in Carthage Jail at the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum.
After this time, the church grew rapidly in Bristol.
About this time, a woman by the name of Elizabeth Bounsill came into the church who had a child that had been born blind. Her faith was so great she felt sure her child could be healed by the power of God. My grandfather being branch president was called upon to anoint and bless the child and her eyes were opened by the heavenly power through the priesthood.
Each week the congregation met at grandfather’s home and went to the Baptist Mills river for Baptisms.
My mother was the 2nd child in the family of eight and when eighteen years old her mother died and she was left with the care of the family.
Three years later she was married to my father, John Joseph Oborn, her brothers and sisters remained with them until they were married.
The greatest desire of my parent’s was to gather to America or Zion with the saints and desire was granted when they sailed on the liner Wyoming from Liverpool England and settled in Ogden Utah, setting sail 2nd Sept. 1882, which has been their home since that time.
My mother gave birth to 10 children, five of whom are living at present, 1949, Heber Charles Oborn, Mary Elizabeth Oborn, Alfred Albert Oborn, Ellen Swaffield Oborn, and Lydia Oborn.
My grandparents on my father’s side was Ralph and Mary Heath. His parents were Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Freeth all of England. The Freeths were from Warwick England, born about 1760, died 18 Oct 1927. Ralph and Mary Heath were from Stock Edith Hereford born about 1760, Ralph died 1833.
My first church work after I arrived in Ogden on my return from the Bear Lake country was secretary for six years for the 1st and 9th Quorums of Elders beginning 1886 until 1892. I was released so that I could move to Idaho which stay was of short duration.
I also led Ward Choirs 14 years, 7 in the sixth Ward Ogden and when the Wards were divided, which left me in the 13th, they prevailed on me to take the 13th Ward Choir which I did for seven more years, and was released at my own request that I might take a more active part in genealogical work. I was also Stake High Priests Chorister for a number of years, and Sunday School Chorister for about 25 years.
I was set apart as chairman of the Genealogical Committee of the 13th Ward Ogden to succeed Charles H. Taylor in 1923 and acted in that capacity seventeen years, was choir leader and chairman part of the time.
When about 21 years of age, I was asked to teach a class of boys in the Fourth Ward Sunday School which work I enjoyed very much and continued with the class four years.
Then taking up chorister work for Sunday Schools for about 25 years with the old Fourth Ward, the new Fourth Ward, the sixth Ward, and the Thirteenth Wards all of Ogden, and under Joseph Ballantyne was the first to take part singing into Sunday School work.
I have acted as ward teacher sixty two years.
After being retired by the Boyle Furniture Co. at the age of 73 years which was in the year 1938, I went into business for myself for 8 more years and sewed and laid carpets for Wilmer Barlow at Clearfield. I then sewed and bound carpets and rugs for CC Anderson Co., South Washington Furn. Co. & Sears Robuck Co. all of Ogden until I was more than 80 years of age (eighty).