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To this couple was born a son on December 27, 1821, James Simister, who married in the year
1845 Mary Ann Openshaw, who was born December 5, 1824. James Simister died at the age of
29 years and 8 months on August 16, 1851. Mary Ann Openshaw died in Coalville 1903.
This couple were the father and mother of John W. Simister, who was born at Evers Knoll,
Derbyshire England on June 16, 1846, when at the age of 5 years his father died and 9 years later
his mother married toThomas Beard.
John W. Simister emigrated to Utah and located in Coalville, Summit County, Utah in September
1862. On June 27, 1869 he was married in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City by Daniel H.
Wells to Elizabeth Barber, to this marriage were born 8 children, 4 of whom are now alive, 4
having died in infancy. Upon arriving at Coalville he went to work in Echo Canyon, where later
he helped to build the railroad grade for the Union Pacific. While doing so he walked to and
from his work from Coalville each day.
After this was completed he was a store clerk for the Crismon Store. This store being located about where the residense of Joseph Summers now stands. Later he went to work as a clerk in a store owned by Geo Sweeting, this store being located where the Boyden Drug store now stands. In the year 1884 he entered into a partnership with the Wright Brothers. Frank H. And William J. Wright and started a business of selling musical instruments; but the store was burned down in November 1887, everything being lost not one thing was saved. His first home was located a little west of where the home of Lizzie Farnsworth now stands and later a home at the mouth of Dry-Hollow, part of the farm now being covered by the Echo Reservoir.
After the music store was burned out he went to work for the Coalville Co-op where he remained until his death. He fell from his stool at his desk, was taken home and died 24 hours later. His first for the Co-op was as a clerk, then he was promoted to bookkeeper transferring all of the sales from the Day book to the Ledger and all the other work by pencil or pen without an aid of any machine whatever. He did this work alone for 15 years. When he died his books were audited for the first time during his handling of them. As the Co-op manager said they were found not to be one penny short. A record that was never beaten before nor since, now it takes 2 to 3 to do the work with the assistance of electric adding machines and typewriters and the sales are not anywhere near as large now as they were then. He also put in many days helping build the Stake Tabernacle and took good a care that his children helped clean the same building. This being the way we were taught to pay our tythings. During his long period of employment at the Coalville Co-op he walked to and from his home in Dry Hollow to the store in Coalville each day. The estimated total distance being close to twenty five thousand miles and it has been said by many that met him on the way that he was always whistleing or humming a tune. He bore up under many misfortunes, for early in his married life that dread disease Diptheria carried away three of his children in the brief space of a few days.
He acted as a deputy under Sheriff Alma Eldredge being a guard during all of the Indian troubles in around Coalville. He was baptized in the Mormon church by Elder Thomas Beard, May 7, 1861 rebaptized May 7, 1965 by Thomas Beard, confirmed by H.B. Wilde, ordained an Elder June 29, 1969 by H.B. Lawerence in the Endowment House at Salt Lake City, ordained a Seventy of the Twenty Seventh Quorum on the 23 day of December 1883, by Thomas Beard, ordained President of the quorum of the Seventys by Seymour Young (no date given).
John W. Simister was a self made musician never having taken a music lesson in his life yet he could play many different musical instruments. He was the leader of the Coalville Choir and the Summit Stake Choir for twenty seven years and his record shows that he was always there both to the meetings and practices on time and never once did he shirk these duties, bringing the choir to a high standard and was complimented many times by the high authorities of the church for his devotion to this work. He was a man of sterling integrity and honesty, gruff and outspoken, he was well liked by every one that knew him for the longer you knew him the better you liked him and his passing away grieved the whole communtiy sincerely.
His children are now scattered to the four corners of America only two of them remaining in the
town where they were born.
This short history of John W. Simister was gathered together by his daughter Mrs. Margaret A.
Simister Lee and was written in the interest of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers.
Transcribed from original copy compiled by Rhea Simister Massey and currently in possession of
Marcie Simister Palmer. All spellings and punctuation from original.