Willard Richard Funk was born as Wilart Rikardt Funk in Pedersker, Bornholm, Denmark on Jun 22, 1853 to an unmarried Jørgine Kirstine Funk (Gena Kirstine Toolson, #181426) and a bachelor named Hans Peter Wang. However, Willard never acknowledge that Jorgine was his biological mother and maintained that his parents were the people that raised him - his maternal grandparents. A Danish transcript has him as a foster child in their home in 1855. See: http://www.danishfamilysearch.dk/cid8256554. I have therefore left his ancestry as he believed.

The Funk Family left Denmark on 12/10/1856 traveling to Liverpool, England to find a vessel bound for America. Jorgine and Hans stayed behind in Denmark and later left on March 31, 1957. They boarded the vessel Tuscarora which left May 29, 1857 and arrived in Philadelphia on July 3, 1857. They then traveled to Fairfield, Iowa where then spent two years from 1857 to 1859. They then joined the Captain Brown Ox Train company to cross the country and traveled by ox teams. They arrived in Utah 8/29/1859 . Willard walked most the way bare foot saving his shoes for "best".

The family moved to Cache Valley where the Funk Family received 10 acres of land to farm. His biological mother, Jorgine, died in 1874. He married Sarah Ann Bell May 31, 1875 in the Logan Temple.

Willard and Sarah Ann Bell Funk went on April 6, 1876 to Arizona. The exact location is unknown, possibly Utopia, but "some where along the Colorado River". They spent two years in Arizona on a mission. Because there were no Doctors, the local Veterinary insisted Sarah train to be a midwife.

They went back to Cache Valley to show off their first child, Annie Bell but the baby died November 7, 1878. They never returned to Arizona. Their children Effie, Esther, Willard, Jr and Clara were born in Cache Valley. Although Clara was born in Cache Valley the family lived in Idaho at the time of her birth.

They moved to Wilford, Idaho sometime before 1886 where their children Mary Alice, Chloe, Pearl and Ada were born. Canada beckoned, offering free land - 160 acres for men 21 and older - to homesteaders. Willard and his son Willard, Jr received a total 160 acres in adjacent parcels, for a total of 320 acres.

Willard, Sarah and their children travelled with three other families from Idaho to Sterling, Alberta, Canada. They started July 5, 1902. The trip took 6 weeks placing them in Sterling mid-Sept 1902. Willard Funk 49, Sarah Ann Bell Funk 45, Effemia (Effie) 24, Esther 21, Willard, Jr. 19, Mary Alice 16, Clara 14, Chloe 10, Pearl 8, Ada 4. Their oldest daughter, Effie, traveled with her husband Will Dodson. The family traveled by wagon team through Montana. Brother Willard drove 40 head of cattle, mother Sarah Anne drove a democrat, Alice and her father each had a wagon team. The trip took 6 weeks. The life story of Pearl Funk says that they were camped and a photographer came by and exclaimed that he had never seen a more beautiful camp and asked to take their picture. They treasured the picture. Location: Most likely Montana or Northern Idaho.

Because their wagon train arrived in September it was too late to build a house. Therefore they had to spend their first winter in Alberta in a dug out pit. Willard and his son, Willard, Jr. obtained adjoining sections of land from the Canadian Government which were located east of Clarasholm. The men eventually built a large house on Willard's property. It still stands today (2016).

The children went to school at Starline - a one room school house. Pearl's life story tells about how the family had many parties at their house and loved entertaining guests. The Royal Canadian Mounties were often guests. Sarah was a very famous midwife and worked closely with the local Doctor. Pearl's life story indicates that they had a good life and happy home life in Clarasholm.

Willard, Jr. died in 1909 while on a mission to Portland, OR and was buried in Clarasholm.

Sarah and Willard eventually moved to Cardston in 1926 to be closer the to Cardston LDS Temple. Sarah died in 1929. Richard remarried the widow Rachel Lawson Hinds in 1930 who's husband had died in 1928. My father, William Lester Shafer, (Chloe's son) lived with them while attending high school in Cardston. Willard died in 1939. Their house still stands in Cardston.