Appendices

Appendix A: Monument

The following section was taken directly from the account sent to Florence Cheney in 1948 by Louisa (Cox) Tatten, a cousin to Florence Cheney.
In June 1921, in a meeting of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, we had been singing this hymn, when one of our older members-sister Lucy (Allen) Cox (Albert Allen's sister) made the remark that the man who wrote that hymn is buried in our cemetery. Mrs. Louisa (Cox) Tatten being her daughter, asked if she knew where the grave was. She said not exactly. President [Louisa ]. Tatten and her counselors made inquires and found [it through] Mrs. George Bench. Mrs. J. Madsen knew about where it was. We kept on until we found it through he cemetery records. We then bought a small marker and Mrs. Tatten asked these ladies to accompany her to the grave, and placed the marker. The following decoration day 1922 in connection with the city program, we had the hymn sung. General Brown had the orator Morney Lewis Larsen tell some of his life, and that we had placed the small marker.
[about this time] A time came when the Relief Society throughout the church were studying the LDS hymns about 1920. Mrs. Madsen's niece, tells of Kate C. Snow of Salt Lake City coming to her [wrote to her] for the story of William Fowler's life. This story was told at the Ensign stake meeting of the Relief Society. Mrs. (Dr. ) Roberts made a motion that Mrs. Snow put the matter before President Grant to see if the Relief Society might have the privilege of soliciting subscriptions for a monument for brother Fowler. Dr. Roberts accompanied Mrs. Snow to see Pres. Grant, Penrose, and Ivans and they agreed that the Church should take the matter in hand. [President] R. L. Anderson was asked to [take the matter in hand and]superintend the erection of the monument. He secured the services of E. L. Parry to execute the work. It was finished May 30, 1923. It was made of Utah granite and cost two hundred dollars. Mrs. Jorgen Madsen's granddaughter was asked to unveil it. (None of the relatives were present) Pres. Lewis Anderson of the Manti Temple and Bishop Peterson [were standing] to the right, Pres. JB Jacobson [was standing] to the left of the monument as it was unveiled. .
Appendix B: A Sketch Of William Fowler
(Read at the unveiling of the William Fowler Monument
on Memorial day 1923 at the Manti Cemetery. )

William Fowler, author of 'We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet, was born in Auburn, Australia, May 9 1830 . He first heard the gospel of the LDS church in 1848, was baptized July 29, 1849, was married to Ellen Bradshaw in 1854, in England; having gone there when a young man. With his wife and three children he emigrated to Utah, leaving London England June 4, 1863; arriving in Salt Lake City Oct. 3 1863. Soon after arriving they located here in Manti. He contracted a cold crossing the plains and never fully recovered. Tuberculosis set in, which caused his death.
He was a cutler by trade, very proficient, but like most people in the church, pioneers for lack of tools and machinery; this coupled with ill health caused them at times to suffer for the necessities of life. The neighbors and friends helped than as much as their limited means would allow. Mrs. Jorgen Madsen has told us that, when she was a child, her mother being a near neighbor sent her many times with food and other things for their comfort. One day when sent on one of these errands, Brother Fowler was playing his violin and his wife was singing the words of his hymn, they were trying to fit it to the melody he knew 'The Officers Funeral’. This incident stands out in Mrs. Madsen's memory. This hymn became one of the most popular in the church gatherings, and how we all love to sing it today. Summing up the contents; 1st verse; Thanks to God. 2nd verse; consolation and hope. 3rd verse; song of praise.
There were two brothers who came from England in the early 60's, one William and the other Henry. William was the one who composed the hymn. 'We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet. ' An officer in high rank was killed in battle between the English and French allies at the close of the war between the Russians (or against them). This song was sung, called 'The Officers Funeral' on that solemn occasion.
The hymn William wrote is immortalized in the memory of the saints in the Latter Day Saint Psalmody by the name of Fowler. C. Fred Schade, first assistant Superintendent of Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Association of Ogden Stake.
Brother Fowler died August 1865 here in Manti on the corner where William B. Lavery built his home. Mrs. Madsen helped us find the grave. Not many of the Manti people of the last decade knew that he was buried in Manti.
Appendix C: Descendancy of William Fowler
and Ellen Bradshaw

CHILD # 1 Harriet Adeline married-(Charles A. Allen)
William Albert
Clara Diantha
Charles*
Ellen Lenora
Florence Harriet
Ammon*
Jane*
Hyrum*
Grace Ethel
CHILD # 2 Henry Ammon
(1)- (Mary S. Frackrell)
David Arno
William Rey
Joseph Eben
Laura Ellen
Henry Asa
Susanna Mary
Fanny Harriet
Bertha Elizabeth
Harry Cyrenus
Carl Fernando
Fred Milton
(2)- (Eliza Norwood Simpson (a widow- she had two children sealed)
Leo
Ralph
Florence
Heber

Ellen Simpson
Carl Simpson
(3)- (Emily M. Cowley Bench-widow of Wm. Enos Bench)

CHILD #3 Florence married-(Jedediah G. Adair)
Lovern
Orson
Elisa
William
George
Randolph
Miriam
Bertha
Leila
Harriet
Rolls
Ethel

ELLEN BRADSHAW- (2) William Bench Sr.
William Enos Bench
(Emily M. Cowley)
Grace Ellen
Melvin Enos
Millen Orvil
Clara Vivian
Delbert Ambrose
Wesley Merrit
Myrtle Venecia
Stella Emily
William Cowley

*had no children
Appendix D: MEMORIES FROM GRANDMA From Helen Cheney
“Grandma said that William Fowler served a mission for seven years. She was cross because people altered records saying that he could not have been a missionary that long and that he could not have been a missionary while he was married. They did things differently then. Grandma also said that William did most of his missionary work after his marriage in the evenings after work and on weekends, so he could still support his family. Grandma added a post script that people didn't keep very good records back then, or sometimes they got destroyed.”
“She said further that [William] preached while on board ship. . . that the captain attended the first meeting he had while at anchor. William was afraid they would be put off. Some said they ought to have gotten out to sea first. But the captain talked to William and told him it was all right, that he was always glad to have the Mormons on board for he had a safe journey when he took them over. They had no trouble having meetings on the way over.”
[side note] “Grandma would write in notebooks with lined paper and find pictures from magazines and glue them in. I remember one she wrote about William because of the picture she cut out of a tall ship. I [Helen] do not recall reading it. I was fairly young then, maybe ten.
“Keep in mind that a “Grandma history” if typed, may have been altered by mom[May Cheney] or Aunt Eva [Eva Cheney Tyler] according to what they thought was correct. If it is in her own handwriting and is very legible, believe “that” one. If you can find out when she wrote the history it might help to decide it's accuracy. If she was writing in a notebook it was before Aunt Afton died and extremely accurate. If on the back of genealogy sheets, the dating is harder to establish but it may be compared to other writings. Also see collections of her poems, for they were frequently actually stories of happenings in her life or her ancestors. They were also written in the forties or fifties or even earlier. Accuracy was more important to her than rhyming or rhythm.”

Appendix E : The name FOWLER
The name Fowler originated from an early ancestor who tended the Kings Fowls. Surnames often derived from occupation or place of residence, or sometimes from a physical appearance. Originally people only had one name. There is a story that in the earliest days of England, the King invited all the people around for a dinner. So many had the same name, that he decided they must take a second name to differentiate between them.