History of Richard Nephi Brunker
Written by Grace Louisa Brunker Nicholas Brough

My father, Nephi Brunker, was the son of Thomas and Elizabeth Simpson Brunker. Was born July 8, 1850 near Liverpool, England. He was named Nephi because his parents joined the church when he was a baby. They read the Book of Mormon and his mother thought Nephi was such a wonderful boy so she gave him the name. His father was a stone mason and a stone cutter. He used to build stone arch bridges and on account of his trade, he moved around a lot. When father was old enough to go to school they were living in France and all the schooling he got was in France. His parents moved back to England and he and his sister Jane immigrated to Utah. The family did not have means for them all to come together and the elders counseled them to send part of the family first; they said they would be well taken care of here so on the 14 May 1862 his sister Jane age 21 and Father 11 years of age sailed from Liverpool on the ship Wm Tapscott. After many hardships, walking most of the way across the plains, and a severe case of Mt fever in which his life was despaired of he arrived in Salt Lake # October 19, 1862 in Capt. Harton D. Haights train. On the way across the plains is sister and a teamster widower with 2 boys one about fathers age and one a little older and they were mean to father and is sister was so taken up with her husband she didn't pay much attention to him. His life was so miserable he felt he couldn't stay there, but he was a stranger in a strange land and no place to go. On morning they beat up on him so he started out and made up his mind he wouldn't go back. He started north not knowing where he was going; after several days travel, sleeping in straw tacks at night and getting a little something to eat along the way he arrived at Willard. The first year he lived with John Jones; after that he lived and worked around where ever he could earn a living for himself. When he got old enough he spent several summers freighting to Montana, worked in canyon getting out logs for sawmill, worked on telegraph line, always coming back to Willard for the winter. On January 3, 1876 he married Mary B. Cook in the Endowment House and that spring started to work on the Utah Northern railroad as a section hand. He worked on the railroad for 16 years first as section hand, then section foreman, and part of the time foreman of a work train.
In 1891 he quit the railroad and went to farming in Willard and selling coal. They bought and paid for a home and farm which working on the railroad.
He held responsible positions in civic affairs and was a faithful church member. Father was musical inclined. Although he never had a music lesson in his life. He used to play the guitar and sing. He played the violin in the Willard orchestra for dances for years and he played by not by ear. He was the father of 11 children 3 boys and 8 girls. Seven still living. Father always enjoyed his home and family very much and always wanted to make things comfortable and happy. Died May 28, 1919.