Cache-Salt Lake County UT Archives Biographies.....Spencer, Edmund B. 1884 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ut/utfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 December 29, 2011, 3:33 pm Source: See below Author: S. J. Clarke, Publisher EDMUND B. SPENCER. Edmund B. Spencer, deputy forest supervisor of the Cache national forest, with headquarters at Logan, was born in Salt Lake City, November 2, 1884, a son of E. Burke and Virginia (Thatcher) Spencer. The father, also a native of Utah, is a representative of one of the old families of Massachusetts. Among the ancestors were some of the name who participated in the Revolutionary war. The grandfather of Edmund B. Spencer was Claudius V. Spencer, who in turn was a son of Daniel Spencer, a native of Worcester, Massachusetts, and one of the earliest converts to the Mormon faith. He was among the first in New England to embrace the teachings of Joseph Smith and he became the founder of the Utah branch of the Spencer family. He arrived in this state in 1847 and prior to his removal to Utah was very active in church matters in Worcester, Massachusetts. E. Burke Spencer, the father of Edmund B. Spencer, is connected with the Western Union Telegraph Company. For many years he was a train dispatcher on the old Utah Northern and later on the Oregon Short Line, serving with the latter road for a number of years. He is very well and widely known among railroad men of the west. He married Virginia Thatcher, who was born in Salt Lake, a daughter of the late George W. and Luna (Young) Thatcher, who were among the early residents of Utah. The grandmother of Mr. Spencer came to this state in 1847, while the grandfather arrived in 1850. He later was high counselor of the Cache Stake for many years and not only was a prominent figure in the church but also in financial circles. He became widely known as one of the leading bankers of the state, being the founder of the Thatcher Brothers Banking Company of Logan, an institution which throughout the passing years has remained one of the strong and substantial moneyed concerns of the state and is a monument to the enterprise and business ability of the founder. Mr. Thatcher was also active in the development of other industries which have been of great benefit to Utah. He was superintendent of the Utah Northern Railway during the construction of the road and in many ways he left the impress of his individuality and ability upon the annals of the state. His daughter, Mrs. Spencer, died in Logan in 1886, leaving two children, Mrs. Gladys West and Edmund B. The latter was educated in the public schools of Logan and in the Brigham Young University, also later attending the Utah Agricultural College. When eighteen years of age he was sent on a mission to Germany, where he served from 1903 until 1906. During the last year of the period he was president of the Leipzig conference. On his return from Germany he became associated with the Thatcher Music Company and remained in active connection with the business for four years. He then passed the civil service examination entering the forest service. In 1916 Mr. Spencer aided in raising a cavalry troop to go to the Mexican border. This became H Troop of the First Utah Cavalry and he was made the first captain of the troop. He served for a period of four months on the border and while there held the rank of first lieutenant. In June, 1918, he enlisted in the One Hundred and Forty-fifth Utah Field Artillery but to his great disappointment was rejected on a final physical examination at Fort Douglas. As a consequence and as the next best measure he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and during the period of the war was stationed at Mare Island, where he was honorably discharged on the 15th of February, 1919. In Salt Lake Temple, on the 26th of September, 1907, Mr. Spencer was married to Miss Ella Priday, a native of Logan and a daughter of Thomas S. and Sarah (Fullmer) Priday, the former now deceased. Her mother was born while her parents were en route to Utah in 1847. Mr. Priday was a native of England, and, becoming a convert to the faith of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, moved to Utah. To Mr. and Mrs. Spencer have been born two children: Dean, who was born in Logan, December 29, 1908; and Joy, born October 8, 1916. In politics Mr. Spencer is a democrat where national questions and issues are involved but in local elections casts an Independent ballot. He belongs to the Logan Commercial Boosters Club and is keenly interested in all that has to do with the welfare and progress of the community in which he lives or with the development of state and country. He has always been a resident of Utah and belongs to two of its oldest and most prominent families. His grandmother in the maternal line was a daughter of President Brigham Young, her name being Luna Young. From the earliest period, therefore, his forbears took part in the development of Utah. Additional Comments: Extracted from UTAH SINCE STATEHOOD HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL ILLUSTRATED VOLUME IV CHICAGO-SALT LAKE: THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY 1920 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ut/cache/bios/spencer65gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/utfiles/ File size: 5.5 Kb