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Submitted: 1/21/08 • Approved: 4/22/13 • Last Updated: 3/24/18 • R58097-G0-S3
DR HENRY CHARLES LONGMORE, M.D.
Birth: May 29, 1844
Bridgnorth
Shropshire, England
Death: Oct. 29, 1897
Mesa
Maricopa County
Arizona, USA
OBITUARY and BIOGRAPHY
Oct 31, 1897 Salt Lake Tribune: Phoenix, Ariz., Oct. 30--Dr. H.C. Longmore, one of the best-known resident of central Arizona, died last night at his home in Mesa.
Buried in Mesa City Cemetery, near the East Fence and South of Main Entrance.
Henry Charles Longmore was born 29 May, 1844 in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, England. His parents were Henry Longmore, Born 21 May , 1814 and Jane Bolton, 30 Mar., 1810. Henry was one of 3 children born to them. Henry Charles, George, and Eliza.
Henry received the gospel in early child-hood and in early youth he commenced the study and practice of medicine.
He moved to Bath, England. He immigrated to the United States in time to enlist in the late Civil War, serving as assistant surgeon. He carried scars from Bull's Run and other engagements.
He was married on arriving in Utah to Amelia Ann Jones 5 Nov., 1874. They were sealed in the Endowment House 26th July, 1875. They had one child born to them. George Brooks Longmore. 7th Oct., 1875 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Amelia died at George's birth. (George's early years were spent with his maternal Grand-parents. Henry Jones and Caroline Brooks. When he was 16 he went to live with his Uncle Edmund Howick in West Jordan,Utah).
After losing his sweet wife, Amelia, he met and married Mary Jane Morley. The daughter of Isaac Morley, and the granddaughter of Patriarch Isaac Morley (She was only 16 yrs. old. Henry was picked out for her by her mother). Henry was now 31 yrs of age and was new in the town of Moroni, Utah. Mary Jane and her father had been estranged for a time. She invited him to the wedding but he did not come. But as soon as he heard about the marriage he was furious. He came home, kicked Henry out and threatened to spank Mary Jane! Mary Jane was afraid Henry would not come back, but he did.
Their first home was in Duck Springs, near Moroni, Utah. It was a crudely constructed log cabin having only the holes cut in for the windows and door. Many is the time they had to put a plank up in the door-way to keep the wolves out of the house. Their first baby was born while they were living in the log cabin. They then moved to Mt. Pleasant, Utah where two more children were born. Henry decided to take a little time off and try his luck at farming, but things didn't work out too well, and he went back to his medical practice.
While they were still living in Utah, Henry and Mary Jane were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple.
They then moved to Arizona, hoping it would be better for Henry's health. He had bad problems with Asthma. He volunteered to be the doctor for a group that were called to settle in the Salt River Valley of Arizona. It took them three months travel to Mesa, Arizona. They had many hard-ships while migrating. One time they ran out of water and were forced to use the water from the mud-puddles to mix their bread. They said they never got over the terrible taste of that bread. They had 1 cow with them and the way they got their butter was they would put the milk in the churn in the morning, put the churn on the wagon, and by night they would have butter.
When they got to Lee's Back-Bone, (a very dangerous mountain pass). Mary Jane had to get out of the wagon and take two of the children out to walk, and carry a 3rd child. Henry had to stay in the wagon as he was too ill at that time to walk. It was a miracle that they ever got over that passage. They finally arrived in Mesa and lived there the rest of the winter in their covered wagon. During the spring when the rains came they had to move in with friends. When summer arrived they bought a lot and built a small adobe home.
They later moved east of town on a small ranch where they raised pigs. They homesteaded a hundred acres west of Mesa. It was here the rest of their children were born, ten in all.
In the year 1890, there was a terrible drought. The Mormons prayed for rain, and the rains came It rained constantly for number of days. Their adobe house became so soaked that the water leaked through. It became so wet that the adobe began falling from the roof. They had to move into town and stay with friends again. The Indians were driven from their reservation by the flood waters. The people of Phoenix sent word that they wanted the Mormons to pray to the Lord to stop the rain. Another prayer-circle was held and the rain stopped almost immediately!
Dr. Henry C. Longmore was a true friend to the poor and those needing assistance. As a true Latter Day Saint, he filled all his obligations and was not forgetful of Temple Labors for the dead.
When their youngest child was only six months old, Henry died of asthma that had plagued him for so many years 29th of October 1897 in Arizona, leaving a large family to be taken care of by his wife Mary Jane.
He is located in block 37, lot 3 of the cemetery.
Contributed on 1/21/08 by thecaryn
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Record #: 58097