His early life was spent on a small farm with his parents. Later he became a blacksmith in a foundry where he learned to make the many tools and implements of both the house and farm, that was so useful to him and his many associates of his pioneer life.
In 1839 he accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and was baptized by Elder Sisson Chase, December 27, 1840. He not only spoke in tongues and interpreted the same but he enjoyed the spirit of prophecy. He was an elequent speaker and lost no opportunity in proclaiming the gospel whenever presented.
While attending services at Northfield, Vermont, a nearby town, he met his future wife, Louisa Pool Alexander. She also was a convert to Mormonism. They were married on December 25, 1842, at Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois. They, his parents, and their family had moved to Nauvoo September 1842.
In 1846 he moved from Nauvoo, to Sugar Creek, Iowa. From here he moved to Mosquito Creek, which was near Winter Quarters, in 1847. Some time near the end of 1848 or the beginning of 1849, Jeremiah and his two brothers, Lorenzo and Abram moved to St. Joseph, Missouri, where they opened a blacksmith shop and from the proceeds of this enterprise they purchased cattle and supplies for their long weary migration across the plains. They crossed with the David Evans Company, arriving September 15, 1850 in Salt Lake City where he made his first home in Utah.
Jeremiah was called from Salt Lake to the Eastern States Mission for the second time, having filled one mission to the East, where he was laboring at the time of Joseph Smith's death.
He was a man of influence among the Indians and most of his moving from one section of the country to another was due to his calling, from the Church authorities, to work among them. He was appointed Indian Agent at Manti, Utah or Twelve-Mile, by Brigham Young who was governor of the Territory of Utah.
From here he moved to Lehi, Utah, in the fall of 1859. In the spring of 1863 he left Lehi for Smithfield, Utah. While here his first wife, Louisa, died April 13, 1869. She had been a Methodist before her conversion to the Mormon Church and Jeremiah himself had been a Quaker. They had eleven children, namely:
Hezekiah...................Born 1843......................Nauvoo, Illinois...............Died 1843
Phoebe......................Born Sept. 1, 1847.........Mosquito Creek, Iowa
Aldurah......................Born Sept. 1849.............Winter Quarters, Iowa.....Died young
Alva Alexander...........Born March 6, 1851........Salt Lake City, Utah
Jeremiah.....................Born Sept. 28,1852.........Lehi, Utah
Lorenzo.....................Born Sept. 17 1854.........Nephi, Utah
Louisa Marie...............Born May 21, 1856..........Manti, Utah
Arabella Jane...............Born April 2,1859............Manti, Utah
Abram.........................Born March 25, 1860.......Lehi, Utah
Theodotia...................Born March 10, 1863.......Lehi, Utah
Josephus.....................Born June 20, 1866.........Smithfield, Utah
Immediately after his wife's death he spent one year on a
mission to the state of Vermont. While on this mission he met and converted the
entire family of Archie Hadlock, and they returned to Utah with him or they
came near the same time. He married Archie's daughter, Aurilla, October 10,
1870 in Salt Lake City.
Aurilla Hadlock, Jeremiah's second wife, was born May 26,
1852 in Troy, Vermont and died January 29, 1926 at Vernal, Utah. They were the
parents of nine children, namely:
Fannie.............................Born August 3,
1871........Smithfield, Utah
Etta Aurilla.......................Born May 21,
1873...........Smithfield, Utah
Archibald Milo..................Born August 27,
1875......Smithfield, Utah
Solon Franklin..................Born October 22, 1878....Heber,
Utah
Pamelia Jane.....................Born January 29,
1880......Vernal, Utah
Olive Myrum.....................Born November 26, 1881..Vernal,
Utah
Florence Lorraine.............Born December 28, 1883..Vernal,
Utah
Orpha................................Born March 3,
1866..........Vernal, Utah
Curtis Legrand...................Born April 21,
1888..........Vernal, Utah
With his sons, Alva, Jerry, and Lorenzo, Jeremiah was called on
a mission to Mexico in the fall of 1876. Jerry and Lorenzo left immediately for
the mission field, but Jeremiah and his son Alva were allowed another year in
which to dispose of their holdings. In the fall of 1877, they came to Salt Lake
City for the fall Conference with intention of continuing on to Mexico, but
they were released from this mission.
Having sold all of their property in Cache Valley, they
continued on to Heber City, Utah, to stay with his brother Abram. Here they
heard the many praises of the Ashley Valley, sung by A.C. Hatch, son of Abram.
So in the spring of 1878, Alva traveled on horseback in company with A.C. (or
Heat, as he was called), to inspect the country. He was joined here by his
father before any actual locating had been accomplished.
Here
he was Bishop for a period of four or more years and he was also visited by
many Indians and was their friend at all times.
He returned to Vernal in the year 1897, and there spent the
remainder of his life in the beautiful Ashley Valley. He was active in the
Church work until the day of his death having been appointed to the office of
Patriarch years before his death.
Jeremiah's third wife, Henrietta, was born September
7, 1862 in Logan, Utah. She died September 10, 1908 in Vernal. He was the
father of ten children by his third wife, na
Jeremiah and Alva built two houses upon the bench land and in the fall of 1878 they returned to Heber City and moved their families out, arriving in the valley around November 17. Prior to his leaving Cache Valley he had entered into polygamy by his marriage to Henrietta Augustine Clark, who had spent the summer with him while he was building and preparing for the moving of the families. They were married March 29, 1877 in Salt Lake City.
The small town that followed this meager start was at first called Jericho and later Hatchtown, both names as an honor to him, but he did not like these names so he changed the name to Vernal. Here Jeremiah became the leader of the entire section in all Church activities, having been appointed as the official head by the Church authorities. He performed many marriage ceremonies and spoke at many funerals.
He was also a man of influence among the Indians and on many occasions his home and yards were full of his many Indian friends. They were the same tribe, and in many cases the same Indians to whom he had been agent at Manti, having been transplanted by the Government. Often was the conference held by the Indians at his place, at the time of the Meeker Massacre.
He left Vernal to go to Moab sometime around the year 1892. mely:
Justice Alva........................Born June 1,
1879.............Vernal, Utah
Henrietta Odile............Born August 15, 1881.....Vernal,
Utah...died May 5, 1983, Salt Lake
Erskine Henry.............Born February 18, 1883....Vernal,
Utah...died June 28, 1968, Vernal
Clifford.......................Born April 7,
1885............Vernal, Utah..died Nov. 28, 1968, Vernal
Orletta Alice......................Born August 30,
1888.......Vernal, Utah..died Aug. 24, 1984
Monroe.....................Born August 26, 1891......Vernal,
Utah..died Sept. 18, 1967, Vernal
Clarence Albert.............Born May 11, 1894............Moab,
Utah..died July 30, 1977, Moab
Emily Bernice.......................Born October 26,
1896.....Moab, Utah.....Died Jan. 24, 1897
Ruth Fontella........Born December 5, 1897....Vernal,
Utah...died Oct. 15, 1953, Bagdad, Fl
Sisson Chase......................Born March 10,
1902.........Vernal, Utah..died Feb. 17, 1968
Jeremiah Hatch died May 2, 1903 in Vernal, Utah.
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