David Patten Kimball

David Patten Kimball
Born	August 23, 1839(1839-08-23) Nauvoo, Illinois
Died	November 21, 1883(1883-11-21) (aged 44) St. David, Arizona
Spouse	Juliette Merrill Caroline Marian Williams

David Patten Kimball (August 23, 1839 – November 21, 1883) was an early Mormon leader, one of the three young men of the Sweetwater handcart rescue, and the son of Heber C. Kimball.

Kimball was born on August 23, 1839, in Nauvoo, Illinois. His father was an Apostle in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In the winter of 1856, Kimball helped a company of handcart pioneers stranded near the Sweetwater River,^[1] in response to a request from Brigham Young. Several accounts of the event imply that Young promised Kimball and others a guaranteed place in heaven for their efforts, although no direct evidence attributing this statement to Young exist.^[1]

Kimball served as president of the Bear Lake stake in Utah before moving to Arizona in 1877. He was a teamster, and when he died he was first counselor in the St. Johns Arizona stake.

In November 1881, Kimball was making a freight run between Maricopa railroad station and Prescott when he was caught in a snowstorm near Prescott and contracted pneumonia. On the return trip, he became separated from his traveling companion and wagon and got lost in the Salt River valley south of Wickenburg.^[2] He spent four days in the desert with no food or water. During this time, he reported seeing a vision in which his deceased father warned him to get his life in order, and that he had only two years to live. Kimball had doubted Mormonism for over a decade.^[3] His traveling companion assembled a search party, and they found Kimball near present-day Surprise.

Kimball died at the age of 44 on November 21, 1883, in St. David, Arizona.

Notable descendants

• Spencer W. Kimball, president of the LDS Church, nephew
• Quentin L. Cook, Apostle in LDS Church, great-grandson

See also

• David W. Patten, Kimball's namesake
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Arizona

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} Orton, Chad M. (2006). BYU Studies 45 (3): 4–37. http://byustudies.byu.edu/shop/pdfsrc/45.3Orton.pdf. Retrieved 2009-02-03. ^{[dead link]}
2. ^ Kimball, Solomon Farnham (1918) [1918] Life of David P. Kimball, and Other Sketches Salt Lake City, Utah: The Deseret News p. 52 http://books.google.com/?id=EHEEAAAAYAAJ&printsec=titlepage 
3. ^ Whitney, Orson Ferguson (1888) [1888] Life of Heber C. Kimball: An Apostle, the Father and Founder of the British Mission Salt Lake City, Utah: The Kimball family p. 516 http://books.google.com/?id=jdkRAAAAIAAJ 

Persondata
Name	Kimball, David Patten
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	August 23, 1839
Place of birth	Nauvoo, Illinois
Date of death	November 21, 1883
Place of death	St. David, Arizona

David Patten Kimball (wife: Caroline) befriended Chief Washakie during the Sweetwater Handcart Rescue. Chief Washakie's great great great grandson (born: Anthony William Roberts. BD: 5/17/89) was adopted into the David Patten Kimball's family through David's son Quince Kimball's his son LaVon and his son Elden's daughter Lynda Kimball Richards (husband: David Carl Richards, Jr.) in 1989) His name was changed at his adoption to Michael Anthony Richards. His Indian name is Wamblii (meaning "Eagle")