Son of Ephraim Knowlton Hanks and Thisbe Quilley Read

Married Martha Elizabeth Huber, May 21, 1902, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

Children - Samuel Hadley Hanks, Blanche Hanks, Sydney Alva Hanks, Martha Hanks, Ruby Hanks, Elda Hanks, Mae Hanks

OBITUARY - HANKS, Sidney Alvarus, Patriarch to the Pasadena Stake, born April 4, 1875, in Parley's Park, Summit, Utah. Father, Ephraim Knowlton Hanks, born March 21, 1826 in Madison, Lake, Ohio; came west with Mormon Battalion in 1846, thence to Utah in 1847, gave major portion of adult life to missionary work and was ordained a patriarch before his death. Mother, Thisbe Quilley Read, born April 26, 1846, in London, England; walked across the plains from Florence, Nebraska to Salt Lake City in 1856 pushing a handcart all the way.

At the age of five years, his father's family was called by the president of the church to move south some two hundred miles and help colonize new settlements. The family was loaded into a large prairie schooner, drawn by four yoke of oxen, and wended their way by slow tedious marches to a new wilderness, but soon were located in a newly built log cabin.

His early schooling was received at home under the tutorship of an older sister; she was so thorough in her instructions that when he had an opportunity to attend school he finished grade school in one winter at Bicknal [Bicknell, Wayne, Utah]. Later spent one year at Brigham Young University (then Academy) at Provo.

When the Wayne Stake was organized he was chosen president of the Elder's Quorum; was later made one of the seven presidents of seventies. Also served as counselor in the Sunday School Superintendency of Wayne Stake. Filled a mission to the Eastern States, 1899-1901, and served as president of the West Pennsylvania Conference. Returning from his mission he remained in Salt Lake City for two years where he worked on the city street cars. Here he married Martha Elizabeth Huber whom he had met while attending school in Provo, and married her in the Salt Lake Temple, May 21, 1902.

Soon after marriage moved to Hayden, Idaho on a 160 acre farm. Was offered a position with the government as a forest ranger, so the family moved to Kilgore, Idaho, where they also ran a country store. Here, he was a counselor in the bishopric for several years, also scout master for the first troop in that valley. Later moved to Salt Lake City where the children might attend high school. In the fall of 1927, came to California to visit oldest son and recuperate in health. After a few months sent for the family and made a home in Monrovia where he started to work for the Monrovia School Board which position he held until his death.

Until 19_7, Monrovia was included in the Baldwin Park Ward where he was counselor to Bishop Horace Harlan. With the organization of the San Bernadino Stake, he was ordained patriarch to that stake by President Heber J. Grant. When the Pasadena Stake was organized in 1939 it embraced Monrovia and he was called to be Patriarch over this stake. He gave hundreds of blessings to the saints of these two stakes. He was a man of humble spirit, of undaunted faith, and possessed of a firm conviction and testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

He died April 1, 1949.

Descendants Of Ephraim Knowlton Hanks, Compiled by Golden Leone and Teton Hanks Jackman.

Authored the books, "Scouting for the Mormons on the Great Frontier," "The Tempered Wind" and "Time of Ripening".