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Note: Crawford, William Robinson, Bishop of the Springdale Ward (St. George Stake), Washington county, Utah, was born on an island in the Illinois river in Cahoon county, Ill., Sept. 29, 1842, the son of John Crawford and Marilla Terry. While quite small his father died, leaving a widow and two small boys (William R. and John); the later died while quite young. The widow married John A. Hanson to whom she bore seven children, namely, Martha Jane, Andrew Jackson, Amy, Lafayette, Sarah, Hannah, and Julia. Mr. Hanson, not wishing to gather with the Saints to Utah, fitted his family out for the trip, while he himself went to California with his son Andrew Jackson. William R. took charge of his mother's outfit, together with his own, when he was only nineteen years old, and led them from their home at Glenwood, Mills county, Iowa, to the Great Salt Lake valley. While spending the winter at Draper, Salt Lake county, Wm. R. was converted to "Mormonism" through the influence of his uncle Joshua Terry, and was baptized when about twenty years old. In 1862 he made a trip to the Missouri river as a Church teamster after emigrants, and in the fall of the same year located in Rockville, Southern Utah, being among the first settlers at that place. Here he became acquainted with Miss Frances Lewis, whom he intended to marry, but she took sick and died. Later (Nov. 1, 1868) he married Cornelia Gifford of Shunesburg, who has borne her husband thirteen children, namely, John Robinson, Wm. Louis, Samuel Kendall, James, Daniel, Annie, Jacob, Fannie, Mary, Marills, Emma, Lora and Joseph. In 1878 Bro. Crawford endeavored to establish a home for himself and family at Deseret, Millard county, Utah, but not succeeding, he returned to Southern Utah in November, 1878. In May, 1879, he located at Springdale, where he was made Bishop Nov. 6, 1887. He served in this capacity seven years. Bishop Crawford died suddenly Oct. 29, 1913, of heart failure, while at his work as a wheelwright.
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