Issac Baum

Issac Baum was born on April 7, 1832 in Chester, Pennsylvania. His family lived for short time in Carthage, Illinois and later moved to Nauvoo. At the age of twelve he was one of the witnesses of the Martyrdom of Joseph Smith. he wrote of his experience.
On June 26, 1844, I was helping my father cultivate the corn when shots were heard. I called to Father, saying, “They have killed the prophet,” and Father asked, “How do you know they have killed the prophet?” I said, “I heard the shooting.” Father told me to go to the house and tell Mother to have his clothes laid out, for he was going to town. When I got home, Mother was starting for a bucket of water to start the noon meal, and when I met her I said, “Oh, Mother, they have killed the prophet,” and she said, “My son, I fear they have,” I took the brass bucket and got the water from the well, and as I came back and gave it to her, as she looked in the bucket she said, “Son, there is blood in this water. Throw it out and get some more.” The water was much better this time. A boy like me was too excited to wait for father, and as I put the bucket down, I started away, calling back to Mother, “Tell Father I have gone ahead.” Not taking time to go around by the road, I crawled through the fences, back yards, and arrived at Carthage Jail, where a large crowd had gathered. I heard the militia shouting, profaning and boasting what they were going to do. The body of Joseph was sitting propped up by the old curb. One of the militia took hold of his hair and jerked his head up, and raised his sword which was sharp on both edges. But just then lightning came out of a clear sky and he dropped to the ground. The mob thought he was dead, so they galloped away on their horses, any way to get away quickly.
Issac was also one of the men that volunteered to go to the rescue of the ill fated Willie and Martin handcart companies that were stranded by an early winter storm in October of 1856.
Issac married Mellissa Sessions on 6 May 1856 in Provo, Utah and they became one of the earliest families to settle in what would become Heber, Utah. Together they were the parents of eleven children, the oldest, Louisa Maria is my great grandmother.
Issac was said to always be a man of service to others willing to always lend a hand.
Issac died in Heber 18 November 1920. He is buried in the Heber City cemetery.

John Lee

Home of John and Sarah Lee as it now looks on Main Street in Heber City

John Lee was born January 18, 1822 at Mission, Nottinghamshire, England.
John was left fatherless at age two, at ten years old he went to work, first as a farm hand and then in a foundry for six years.
John Lee married Sarah Roebuck on November 15, 1841. John joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 1846 and Sarah was baptized in 1849. After being baptized John became a traveling elder and baptized some twenty persons.
John and Sarah left England in 1856 on the sailing ship Enoch Train. They arrived in America at Boston, and then went West by handcart. "Travel was slow and dusty, everyone got very tired, many died. June 15 our son William age twelve died and was buried by moonlight somewhere on Moon creek. Three of our children had to ride the whole way (one 6 months, one two years, and one four years old)."
The Lee family, after arriving in Salt Lake went South and spent three years in Spanish Fork before moving the family to what is now Heber City. "There were twenty-eight families here then."
Their home was the first with a fireplace in it when finished. At Christmas they had the first party in the valley.
John and Sarah had twelve children born to them. Sixty-four grandchildren and eighty-six great grandchildren.
John Lee died at home on September 14, 1909. John and Sarah are buried in the Heber City cemetery.