William Derr

William Derr, the great grandfather of Marian Bricker Bird (my grandmother), was born 194 years ago today (October 28, 1813).  He married at least three times, though I only have records of his having children from one wife,  Elizabeth Lippincott Burr.

He married Eliza Ann Bright on April 11, 1839, just more than a year before he joined the LDS church on May 12, 1840.  It is possible that he and Eliza split over his joining the church as I have no record of her bearing children or coming to Utah.

William served in the Nauvoo Legion in Nauvoo, apparently playing in the Third Regimental Martial Band of what was quite a large military force.

By 1849, William was living in Utah and was serving actively in what was still called the Nauvoo Legion, though now it was organized to defend the Territory of Deseret.  The photo at left has the following caption:  L. to R.: Dimick B. Huntington, Andrew Gray, Ebenezer Beesley, William Derr, Edwin
Rawlings, John Mattocks, Peter Worthen, Charles Hardy, James Glade, Joseph Rawlings,
Henry Grow, Charles Halley, James Woods, Richard Collett, Joseph Hicks, Milton Hardy and
Charles Tester.  It appears, however, that there are more men in the photo than names on the caption, begging the question, which one is really William Derr?

On April 20, 1852, at age 39, he married Sarah Ann Gardner, who was 45 years old.  Sarah had previously been married to Samual H. Burr.   Burr apparently did not join the LDS Church or come West to Utah.  William and Sarah had not children together.

By the late 1850's, William's connection to music led him to the earliest efforts at theater in Salt Lake City.  He did the lighting for the shows at the old Salt Lake Theatre (1st South and State Street) using oil lamps.  In 1872, a transition to gas lamps in the theater was completed.  Later, his son George would take over as the electrician to help install electric lights in 1880.

William was a tradesman.  After the start of the American Civil War, Utah sought to prove its allegiance to the United States by celebrating Independence Day, July 4, 1861, like never before.  Among the celebrations was a parade, in which William marched.  He was part of a group of tradesmen representing their respective trades.  William represented comb-makers.

On February 10, 1865, William married Sarah's youngest daughter, Elizabeth Lippincott Burr, who was 33 years old at the time.  Together William and Elizabeth had four children, Sarah, George, John and Ann.

William died on October 25, 1897, just three days before his 84th birthday.