March 2026

Tim's Manti Temple Experience

Many years ago while at the Manti temple, I was visited by a large number of people from the other side that wanted their work done. I told them I would do it (on two different occasions), but I didn’t know who they were. While at the FHL in SLC I was going down an aisle with Massachusetts records on one side and Canadian records on the other. The Canadian records began to be very blurry except for one thin book with no title on the spine. I grabbed the book, opened it, and found that it was Farr Cemetery Records of Wainsfleet, Welland, Ontario, Canada. I checked the IGI and none of the names had been done. I called Joe Reimann to go to the FHL and get the book and extract the names. When Joe got to the FHL, he couldn’t find the book. A young man told him that the book he was looking for was at the end of the aisle on the red shelf. Joe hadn’t asked the young man where the book was! Joe found the book and turned to thank the young man but he was gone.

Joe extracted all the names from the typed manuscript of the book and checked them against the IGI. All of the names needed their work done. My wife, Lisa, went to the cemetery and took pictures of all the graves. We checked the pictures of the graves with the manuscript of the book and found two more children that were not in the book. After the names were submitted and the baptisms, confirmations, and initiatories were done, we took the names to the SLC temple during a family reunion and did the endowments along with Elder Richard G. Scott. At the end of the endowment session, Elder Scott felt impressed to take us to a sealing room and do the sealings. We were there until nearly midnight. At the end of the sealings everyone stayed in the room because all the lights were out in the hall. Elder Scott was walking across the room, stopped, looked up and paused for a moment. Elder Scott then asked for our attention and said that the people we had done the work for that night wanted us to know how thankful they were for us doing their work. At that point I knew that these were the ones that approached me in the Manti temple earlier.

OBJECTIVES
· Confirm or disprove the identity of the parents of Jonathan Farr. Jonathan Farr was born about 1739 and married Persilla/Priscilla Smith on 21 October 1770 in Shirley, Middlesex, Massachusetts. It is believed that he was the son of Dr. William Farr and Jemima Farr. Jemima Farr died 18 Nov 1739 in Stow, Middlesex, Massachusetts.
According to previous research, Mary Hooker was reported to be the aunt of Jonathan Farr. She was the sister of Jemima Farr, his proposed mother. One theory is that Jemima died in childbirth and it is a possibility that Jacob and Mary Hooker took in the infant Jonathan because his father was unable to care for him upon Jemima’s death. To that end, this family was researched more fully. One record previously cited appears to link the couple to William Farr through a court case brought against the administrators of Nathaniel Russell’s estate. As was mentioned previously, this is very likely the father of Abigail Russell and the two administrators, Isaac and Nathaniel Russell, were her brothers. Other records were found to link Jacob and Mary Hooker to Wiliam Farr. In a deed dated 17 June 1754, Jacob Hooker, of Littleton, sold to Salmon Whitney, of Littleton, land on the pine plain southerly of Beaver Brook in Littleton. Neighbors included: Samuel Porter, John Russell, Nathaniel Porter, and Samuel Porter. Wm Farr was a witness to this deed. This record was also cited previously. If Jacob and Mary Hooker took in the infant Jonathan, did Mary serve as a wet nurse to the baby boy? Birth records for their children were located. In one record, the children listed were a few years younger than Jonathan Farr. This would seem to indicate that she might not have been a nursing mother at the time of Jonathan’s birth and the death of his mother, if it were Jemima. The children were born in 1750, 1752, 1755, and 1758. The birth of a daughter Mary, born in 1742, was also located. Interestingly, the birth of a child of William and Abigail Farr was listed right before the birth record of Mary. Her age is closer to that of Jonathan. Some deed records were found for Jacob Hooker. They included the following that also included individuals with the Farr surname. • 12 September 1768. Jacob Hooker and Mary, his wife, to Joseph Bellows of Lunenburg, Worcester County. Borders the land of Paul Hayward, formerly belonging to Stephen Farr, Jr. • 4 June 1770. Joseph Bellows, of Lunenburg, Worcester County, to Jacob and Mary Hooker, of Stow. Neighbors include Paul Hayward. • 27 August 1772. Jacob Hooker to Paul Hayward. “land situate in Stow and Acton … being formerly the estate of our hond father Stephen Farr of said Stow deceased.” • 16 February 1775. A deed of sale between Samuel Hayward and Paul Hayward. Jacob Hooker owned land formerly owned by Stephen Farr, Sr.

The next two documents were found grouped together and involved not only members of the Farr family but also Jacob and Mary Hooker. • 13 March 1722. Jonathan Farr, of Stow, to Stephen Farr. Jonathan’ wife Elizabeth gives consent. Neighbors include Jonathan Farr and Samuel Farr. Not recorded until 1 January 1740. • 1 January 1740. Stephen Farr to Stephen Farr, Jr., Joseph Farr, Jr., Jacob Hooker, and Wm Farr agree to let each pass through the land. Jacob Hooker also served in the French and Indian War. He was found on a couple of muster rolls. On one he is found on the same page as Jonathan Farr. He is listed as Jacob Hooker of Littleton and Jonathan is listed as being from Stow. Mary Hooker nee Farr was found in the FamilySearch Family Tree as a sister to Jemima. Although her birth record wasn’t found to confirm it, a deed record does. On 30 May 1766 Stephen Farr, of Stow, sells land to his daughter Mary Hooker, wife of Jacob Hooker, of Stow. Stephen’s wife is Sarah. Witnesses: Elias Farr and Henry Gardner. Mary must promise to pay some bills, including a doctor’s bill. She must allow him and his wife, Sarah, to live there during their natural lives. Jemima Farr Among the military records was one for a Jemima Farr, of Littleton. She received compensation for nursing Salmon Whitney. This may be the same Salmon Whitney who bought land from Jacob Hooker that was witnessed by William Farr. This record was dated 1 May 1756 and therefore could not be the proposed mother of Jonathan. Another Jemima Farr was a witness to a bond by Jonathan Powers to Stephen Farr of Stow, dated 3 December 1733. Stephen Farr, Jr. was also a witness. This may be the mother of Jonathan based on her age and the fact that she was the daughter of a Stephen Farr. Jemima Farr, the daughter of Stephen Farr and his wife, Sarah, was born 29 November 1713 in Stow. The death of Jemima Farr, wife of William, was also located. She died on 18 November 1739. Her age was reported as 25 years, 11 months, 28 days. This calculates to 20 November 1713, very close to her actual birth date. Therefore, this record also confirms that Jemima Farr, the first wife of William Farr, was the daughter of Stephen Farr and his wife Sarah. Conclusion Based on the available evidence, it is highly probable that Jemima Farr was the mother of Jonathan. Jonathan was warned out of Stow in the company of Jacob and Mary Hooker and their family, indicating a close association with that household. He also served in the military alongside Jacob Hooker. Jacob Hooker had numerous documented interactions with members of the Farr family,

Including William Farr. His wife, Mary, was the sister of Jemima Farr. Both women were daughters of Stephen Farr and his wife, Sarah. No evidence has been identified to suggest an alternative candidate as Jonathan’s mother. Although the case rests on indirect evidence, the cumulative weight of the associations and documented relationships supports the conclusion that Jemima Farr was Jonathan’s mother. It is further reasonable that she died in childbirth.

Tim Farr