Find A Grave contributor David Filcher
Sunday, December 9, 2012 8:10 PM


The following was written by Josephine Filcher Delmar at the request of Ralph Emmett Filcher. She states that she relied extensively on records of the Mormon Church, a book titled "The Life of Stephen Washburn Chipman" by his daughter Merle Ralph Chipman. She also relied on "Looking Back", a series of articles written by her grandfather, Joseph Adams Filcher, during 1922-23, which appeard in his former newspaper THE PLACER HERALD of Auburn, CA.
Thomas Joseph Filcher and Eliza Adams Filcher were both born in Hanley, Staffordshire, England. His father was a "prominent brickmaker". He and his three brothers were pottery workers. Thomas Joseph was a large man, tall, broad and weighing well over 200 pounds. When younger he wore a mane of bright red hair. Later in life after becoming bald he wore a heavy beard. He was a brilliant conversationalist, loved music, and as evidenced by his use of English grammar and his excellent penmanship he must "have attended schools of credit".
He and Eliza were married in Burslem, June 11, 1836. The union bore 11 children of whom four died as infants or young children: Sarah, 1842-44; Lucy Hannah, 1848-48; George William, 1854-54; and Charles Henry, 1857-59. Four of their children were born in England prior to their immigrating to America; Elizabeth, John Taylor, Eliza and Ann.
In the spring of 1840, during a Sunday afternoon walk in the park, they joined a group who were listening to two "earnest young men" as they spoke of Mormonism. This was their introduction to the Mormon faith. On Nov. 18, of that year both Thomas and Eliza were baptized. As converts, they began preparatons to move to Zion to assist in building a city. This city was Nauvoo, Illinois. The exact date is not know but sometime around May, 1842 they journeyed to America. In Nauvoo, "on Oct. 8, 1845 Thomas was ordained a seventy and became a member of the second quorom". With the death of Prophet, Joseph Smith, the Mormons were forced out of Illinois. Thomas and Eliza moved west to Burlington, Iowa, sadly leaving behind the body of little Sarah, who was born and died in Nauvoo.
Three more children were born into the union in Burlington, Joseph Adams, 1845; Lucy Hannah, 1848(?); and Thomas Joseph, 1851. Here, before February 1851 a Mormon Church was organized and Thomas was appointed president of the 30 member congregation. In the summer of 1852, the family left Burlington with their six living children and traveled west by wagon train to settle in American Fork, Utah.
On December 28, 1852, Thomas was apppointed chorister of the American Fork Ward. "By now he had become recognized as a musician of accomplishments". In 1855,Thomas was made foreman of the adobe and rock work when a new meeting house was built-an adaption of his old occupation of working with clay. In 1857, his son John Taylor "went to fight in the Echo Canyon War."
The Family lived at the corner of Center and First North Streets in American Fork. Here both Thomas and daughter Eliza, taught school long before the free system was established. Thomas was "prominent in all civic activities. The couples last three children were born in American Fork, George William, 1954-54; William Burks, 1855-1921; and Charles Henry, 1857-59.
In June of 1859, Thomas and Eliza, along with five of their children, John Taylor, age 21; Ann, age 17; Joseph Adams, age 12; Thomas Joseph, age 8; and William Burks, age 4, left American Fork and traveled by oxen led covered wagon, to California. They left behind two older daughters, Elizabeth and Eliza, who were both married just months prior. Both married men of Mormon faith, Elizabeth to John Currie in May and Eliza to William Chipman in April.
There is no record of why Thomas and Eliza moved from American Fork. But family rumor is that Eliza would not "put up with the practice of polygamy" and the family was forced, or chose, to leave the Church. Whether or not Thomas and Eliza were excommunicated is not clear. The trip across the plains is recorded in great detail by Joseph Adams in his articles, "Looking Back". The train encountered Indians, hordes of bison and altogether was a harrowing trek, especially as they crossed the arid desert lands.
Upon arriving at Sloughhouse, southeast of Sacramento, they rested while Thomas went into the city "to make inquiries". He was advised to "go north". A few days later they proceeded north through Sacramento to Marysville. They rented an 80 acre ranch and established themselves there for the first year.
According to Joseph Adams, "We plowed and sowed as long as the season lasted, my older brother John Taylor driving the horses, and a younger brother and I using two yoke of oxen . He drove and I held the plow". By now Thomas was 47, rather corpulent, and not especially given to farm work, so for many years the work fell to his four sons. The next spring their crops were bountiful.
In the fall of 1860, Thomas purchased his own ranch. The cost of the property is not known but the purchase included a note for $2000.00 at 2% per month interest. Paying off this loan was one of the main reasons Joseph Adams was forced to stay with the family for so long. Besides the farm work, he bought in added income cutting wood for fence posts, herding sheep, riding the range for others, working with harvesting crews and teaming supplies to the gold country. As the two older boys left home, (John Taylor, about 1861 and Joseph Adams in 1867) the two youngest boys assumed the farm duties.
Thomas and Eliza lived in the Marysville area the remainder of their lives. They visited Joseph Adams and his family in Auburn often. In 1879 Thomas made a trip to Iowa. This was the year after Eliza died. Here he visited his oldest daughter, Elizabeth Currie, who lived there and on his return trip he stopped by Utah for a visit with his grandchildren.
Letters written from Marysville to his daughter, Eliza in 1870 and to his granddaughter, Lovenis Chipman Booth in 1880, show that he still had a strong interest in the Mormon religion. Rumor has it that he was buried in his traditional Mormom garments. Eliza died in Auburn.

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You can read more about Thomas and Eliza Filcher and their descendents in "Georgia's Story" an account of Georgia Filcher's life by her daughter Lois at http://sdrv.ms/Z2ZSwm