Sacrifices of Service

 

Joseph Watson Maynes

John Alexander Maynes, Jr.

For many years I have cherished the story of my 2nd great grandfather, Joseph Watson Maynes.  He was born in Hull, Yorkshire, England on Oct. 25, 1856.  He immigrated to Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America, after he had converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  When most of his children were raised, he was asked to serve a mission for this church in his mother land. As he and his mission companion were going to church on June 9, 1912, he stopped to fix a flat tire on his bicycle and had a heart attack, which killed him.  His body was brought back to Salt Lake City.  

Today, as I was doing some family history, I discovered that his brother, John Alexander Maynes, Jr., had a similar experience.  John Alexander was born on Oct. 28, 1859, in East Riding, Yorkshire, England.  He, too, immigrated to Salt Lake City, Utah.  After most of his children were raised, he, too, was asked to serve a mission for the same church in his mother land. Despite his brother having passed away the previous year while on a mission, he accepted the call to go.  His wife was also called to go with him.  They fulfilled their mission; however, it was during WWI, and there was a scarcity of missionaries going to England, so when they were asked to extend their mission in  England awhile longer. During the last part of October, 1915, he came down with pleurisy and died three days later on Oct. 14, 1915, in Hull, Yorkshire, England- his birthplace.

I was stunned, to say the least, when I came across this.  I like to imagine that as the two brothers were close and lived in the same area that their wives were able to draw on one another to strengthen and buoy each other through their sorrows.