GARVER, John Franklin

GARVER, MCGRAW, HAYER, EDWARDS, SMITH, DANIELSON

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 1/14/2016 at 09:39:44

Biography ~ John Franklin Garver
January 28, 1878 ~ March 03, 1949

John Franklin Garver was born January 28 1878 in Bristol, Indiana, the son of Albert Benjamin and Lillian Elzmina (McGraw) Garver. In 1902, he moved to Lamoni and enrolled at Graceland College [present-day Graceland University] at Lamoni, Iowa. On August 11, 1907, he married Minnie Edith Hayer. The Garvers moved to Independence, Missouri, where he acceped a General Church appointment in 1908. There Garver served as stake president until 1922 when he became a member of the Quorum of Twelve. Always a strong supporter of Graceland College, Garver was elected to Graceland's Board of Trustees in April of 1910 [1912 by other records]. He served as board secretary from 1912 to 1932, and chairman of the board from 1933 until 1949.

On October 13, 1922, RLDS Church president Frederick Madison Smith appointed Garver as an apostle of the church and a member of the Council Of Twelve Apostles. Upon this appointment, Garver moved to Independence, Missouri, where the RLDS Church had located their headquarters in 1915.

Garver was a member of the Council of Twelve Apostles until April 1946, when new church president Israel A. Smith selected Garver and F. Henry Edwards as his counselors in the church's First Presidency. Garver served in this capacity until his death on March 3, 1949, in Independence at the age of 71.

Minnie Edith (Hayer) Garver was born in LaSalle County, Illinois, on April 6, 1882, the daughter of Lorenzo and Bertha Ann (Danielson) Hayer. She died in Jefferson, Iowa, on July 2, 1959. Minnie and John's son, Paul Eugene Garver, was born and died on November 25, 1917, Lamoni, Iowa. John, Minnie and Paul were interred at Rose Hill Cemetery, Lamoni, Iowa.

Garver was succeeded in the First Presidency by W. Wallace Smith.

SOURCES:

Edwards, Paul M. "The Hilltop Where . . . An Informal History of Graceland College." p. 150. Venture Foundation. Lamoni IA. 1972.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_F._Garver

John Franklin Garver obituary

Rose Hill Cemetery transcription

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, January of 2016

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