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Show 6 THE ACORN ber business, cutting timber from the mountains. His first foreign mission was to Europe in 1867. While on this mission he was traveling elder for one year in the Nottingham Conference. He presided over the same one year, and over the London Conference till 1870, when he returned in August. He was first made president of Plain City and became bishop when that ward was organized, which position he held till 1883, when he was made President of Weber Stake, a position he still holds, President Shurtliff has done much business to aid in the welfare of Ogden, and at present has control of the Shurtliff Coal Co. He has held many responsible positions, of which the following are a few: He was president of the American Falls Canal Co., a County Commissioner till 1883, when he became a Probate Judge, which he held until 1886. He was a member of the Constitutional Convention at Salt Lake City and also a member of the Legislature at the same time, and held both positions till 1889. He was again County Commissioner till 1894. He was a delegate to the first two National Irrigation Congresses and was chairman of the committee from Utah at the third at Denver in 1894, also a delegate to the Trans-Mississippi Congress at Ogden in 1893, and a member of the National Committee at San Francisco in 1894. He was vice-president of the Utah Loan & Trust Co. from its organization till 1888, and president of the first street railway company in Ogden. President Shurtliff is President of the Academy Board of Directors, and in this position stands ever ready to advance the interests of the institution. Whatever he tries to do he accomplishes, for into his work he throws the energy of his soul, making success assured. Through the varying scenes of his busy life he has had the companionship and assistance of two women. Miss Louisa C. Smith became his wife on January 4, 1857. He was deprived of her company by death in 1866. Several years later he married Miss Emily Wainwright, whose appreciation of her husband's public life has been a great help to him in his many duties. Charles F. Mindletou was born in Washington County, Illinois, February 24, 1854. Here the Middleton family had settled upon farms, and in 1834 became interested in Mormonism, and joined the Church. They moved to Fan-West, Missouri, in order to be with the body of Saints, and were driven to Nauvoo, at which place they arrived in 1840. When eighteen years old President Middleton was baptized by the Prophet Joseph Smith at Nauvoo. He still retains vivid recollections of the persecutions of the Saints during his early life. In 1846 he moved with his parents to Council Bluffs, and then to Utah THE ACORN 7 in 1851. He was just sixteen, the same age as President Shurtliff, when he crossed the plains. He came to Ogden to live and in 1853 married. The next year he took a squatter's claim of 160 acres of land, which he made his home until lately. He was very industrious and has improved and cultivated this laud till it has brought forth abundantly. He has held many offices of trust in both State and Church. He was a member of the Nauvoo Legion and soon rose to the position of Captain. In 1867 he began his official career in Utah and one office has followed directly after another. He was Constable, Justice of the Peace of Ogden twelve years, Police Judge, and member of the City Council. He made more arrests than any other officer. Brother Middleton has also taken active interest in numerous enterprises. He was director of the Utah Loan & Trust Co , also of Zion's Co-operative Mercantile Institution. He is a director in the Davis and Weber Counties Canal and Reservoir Co.,and Weber Canal company, and in all matters of irrigation he has taken great interest. Since his baptism he has been a faithful member of the Church and has held a number of ecclesiastical offices. In 1873 he was ordained a High Priest and was set apart as a member of the High Council of Weber Stake. He has been on, two missions, one to Salmon River, the other to Illinois, where he presided with headquarters at Canton during 1876-77. In 1877, upon his return to Utah, he was set apart as Second Counsellor to Stake President D. H. Peery; and in 1882 was made First Counsellor to President L. W. Shurtliff. His later life has been spent in home missionary work. He is well known and much beloved by all the people in the Stake because of his association with them. His versatile character is shown by his interest in organizing the "Ogden Junction," the first paper in Weber County. His life since 1851 has been closely associated with the history of Weber County. To him we owe much for our present position as a school. On many occasion he has proved our staunchest friend in time of need. Nils C. Flygare, another member of the Weber Stake Board of Education, has spent forty years of his life in Utah, and has during that time witnessed its growth into one of the garden spots of the Union. He was born near the City of Ystad, on the south coast of Sweden, Feb 3, 1841. When he was but two years old his father died and it soon became necessary for the boy to make his way in the world. At the age of seventeen he became a convert to the teachings of Mormonism, and at once became an ardent worker for the same. He spent six years as a missionary in his native country. |