WING FAMILY HISTORY
WING FAMILY HISTORY
ARTICLE
Publication Information
Name of Publication:  The Owl
Date of Article:  June 1917, Vol. 18, No. 3, 
Page of Article:  Page 1679 - 1680
City of Publication:  Kewaunee
State/Country of Publication:  Wisconsin
Article Data
Names found in the article:
Article Text


John William Wing

     At the Chicago reunion in 1912 three stalwart brothers, the youngest of whom was 65, were present. In the June, 1913, number of The Owl appeared the picture of these three reunionists with that of an elder brother, all then living. The first break in the ranks came on October 3, 1916, last, when John William Wing died at his home in Lehi, Utah, at the age of 71 years.
     John William Wing was greatly impressed with the Wing reuion at Chicago and with the need of having a complete record of his branch of the family collected and published. Upon his return to his home in Utan, he rounded up his kinspeople, secured the subscriptions of many of them to The Owl, and prepared a record of himself and immediate family which was printed at page 1174. His own life was one of adventure, many incidents of which he related to the writer at Chicago. He made seven trips across the plains as a teamster employed by the Mormon church in transporting emigrants from the Platte River to Salt Lake City before the days of a railroad, and his adventures as a plainsman would fill a volume.
     The first intelligence of his death came to us from his widow in June of this year, who wrote: "We feel that it is due him to have an account of his death published in The Owl. We know that it would please him." John William Wing was a faithful and loyal kinsman of the tribe, and some of our pleasantest hours in the work have been in receiving and answering his letters.
     The following obituary appered in one of the Lehi newspapers, together with his picture:
     "John W. Wing, one of our early settlers and a leading citizen, passed away suddenly, Tuesday afternoon, while sitting in his rooking chair reading the morning paper. Even his wife who was in and out of the room during his last moments was not aware of what was happening till she was attracted by a slight gurgling sound and as she went to him his paper lay on his lap, his chin rested on his chest and life had become extinct.
     Mr. Wing complained of a slight pain in his chest several times recently but nothing seriously was thought of it. The manner of his death proved that his heart was weakening. He was apparently in normal health in the morning and spent the forenoon working in the garden and after a hearty dinner sat down to read the paper. The doctor pronounced it a case of heart trouble.
     John William Wing was a son of Mathias and Elizabeth Chinoweth Wing. He was born in Newbourgh, Pike County, Illinois, May 25, 1845. He joined the Mormon church in 1862 and the same year with his uncle, Joseph and brother Samuel came to Utah, locating in Lehi, During the next four years he made eleven trips across the plains after emigrants and goods for Utah merchanes. In the early days he also made several freighting trips to Nevada and Montana. When the Black Hawk War broke out he was one of the first to go to Sanpete to protect the settlers, and was one of the leaders at all of the veteran's reunions.
     October 11, 1868 he married Martha Goates and for the following 15 years they resided in Heber, at the close of which time they moved back to Lehi, which place has since been their home. Besides his widow the following children survive: Representative John William Wing and George Wing of this city, Norman Wing, a merchant of American Fork and C. R. and Joseph Wing, Sugar men of Brigham City. Probably no other citizen had more friends or fewer enemies.
     Funeral services Were held in the Tabernacle Thursday afternoon and seldom has there been a larger attendance or a more sincere tribute by the people of Lehi. Bishop John Stoker presided and the Tabernacle choir furnished the music. The speakers were Bishop Stoker who read a biographical sketch, George Kirkman, Elder Higgins of Heber, A. B. Anderson, Mrs. Jane Hatch Turner of Heber, A. J. Evans and George W. Larkin of Ogden. Mrs. F. A. Child sang a solo and George Harrison of Springville lead in singing an Indian war veteran hymn. S. I. Goodwin gave the opening prayer and A. R. Anderson the closing.
     Among those who attended from out side towns beside his children were many Black Hawk War Veterans, Geo. W. Larkin, of Ogden; Mrs. Jane Hatch Turner, Mr. Higgins of Heber; J. E. Ross and S. J. Wing of Brigham and Ray Goates of Payson. About fifteen comrades Indian War Veterans came from other towns in the county.
     The line of descent of our dead kinsman was: Matthias, Joseph, Giles, Joseph, Matthew, Stephen, Rev. John, Matthew.

[The above lineage is wrong it should read: Matthias, Joseph, Giles, Matthew, Joseph, Matthew, Stephen, Rev. John, Matthew - DNW]
Repository Information
Microfiche set owned by Dale Wing
Notes
 Extracted by Dale Wing - Nov. 8, 2002
Submitted by
Dale N. Wing

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