Henry Wintsch, a son of Heinrich Wintsch and Anna Burkhard Wintsch, was born on November 28th, 1852, in Ausersehl, Zurich Canton, Switzerland. "The Elders go from door to door and offer tracts that tell the story of the Gospel plan, the one we love so well." And so it was that Henry, Jacob, and Charles heard and accepted the gospel in 1862.

This family lived in Volketschweil, Zurich, Switzerland where they owned a lovely home and a farm, which made them a comfortable living. After receiving the gospel, however, they wanted to go to Utah, so they sold their property at a sacrifice, and by April they were ready to leave their native land. In school, Henry had learned a little verse that went something like this:

"God loves all of his chldren and watched over them, where ever they may be.
He will protect them whan they travel upon the land or on the sea."

When the boy told his teacher, who was an old man, that he was going to America, the teacher reminded him of this poem and told him to always remember it.

Henry Sr.'s father, Kaspar Wintsch, his stepmother, Anna Wyliman Wintsch, and their seven children: Jacob, Magdalena, Hans Heinrich, Hans Ulrich, Elizabeth, Louise, and Anna also accepted the gospel. The other relatives were grieved because the family had joined the "dreadful Mormon Church", feeling that they were lost. An uncle took them to the railroad station on his hay wagon. When their baggage was all unloaded he turned and went home as fast as his horses could go, and without saying goodbye, because his heart was full of grief.

They traveled by rail to Le Havre, France, and then to Paris, where they lived in a hotel for 3 weeks while waiting for the ship to sail.

A river ran past the hotel, and on the other side of the river was a park in which there was a zoo. The children took delight in crossing the river and watching the animals and birds in the zoo. Most of all, they enjoyed a cage of monkeys. One day as they played near the monkey cage, a very stylish lady passed by wearing a bright red dress with a full hoop skirt. One of the monkeys reached out and tore a piece of cloth out of her dress, which frightened her very much and made her angry. However, this amused the children very much!

On another occasion, each of the children was given money enough to ride on the Merry-go-round in the park. They were so anxious that it was hard for them to wait until the ride opened. They each climbed upon the animal that he liked best on the Carousel. Before long, a man stepped up, collected all their fares, and went away again. They sat there waiting, and soon a different man came and asked them for their money. They told him that they had already paid. It turned out that the first man was an imposter who had skipped with their money. The second man was the manager. Whether he believed their story or not, he made them all get off, and these disappointed children stood watching the Merry-go-round instead of riding it, knowing full well that there was no more money for a ride on it!

May 1st, 1862, they set sail and found another disappointment. Through some misunderstanding, they did not get the comfortable quarters they had paid for, but were placed in the bottom of the ship in the poorest class. Father's grandmother was sick and they made a bed for her under a workbench. One day out in the middle of the ocean a great whale came in sight and seemed to follow the ship for a while. Another day a great deal of excitement was caused by a fire which broke out in the hold, but it was soon brought under control. Shortly after this, a little child was missing. Everyone helped in the search, while his mother wept frantically. Finally, just about nightfall, they found him sleeping between two boxes.

Most of the food on board ship was very salty, and toward the end of the voyage the drinking water became so scarce that it was necessary to ration it. Our aunt, Annie, who was eleven years old, said she really suffered from thirst so much that she actually became ill. The cook who had been in charge of the drinking water gave her an extra drink of cool water. This made her feel better, and it did taste so wonderfully good to her that the next day she pretended to be ill again, but the cook was wise enough to understand. He took it as a joke and the little girl did not get any more than her fair share.

The company landed on July 4th, at New York, having spent 65 days on the ocean. From there they went by train to Nebraska. Several members of the famiy became ill. When the train stopped by a stream, Jacob's brother, John, who was among the sick, jumped off the train with some bottles to get water. He was so slow that the train started without him. He had to run to get back on board. He also had to drop the bottles, so poor Jacob had to wait until the next stop before he could have a drink.

When they reached Florence, Nebraska, Kaspar said, "Now I can make my sick comfortable." It was night when they arrived and rain was falling. A man was there to meet them with a lantern and a wagon to haul their luggage. They put Jacob and another sick passenger on board, and dragged them along. The poor sick grandmother was able to walk, so they helped her along as best the could.

This was during the Civil War, and the government had built large barns in this locality for their horses. It happened that on this night one of the barns was empty, and so it was in that barn that this group of immigrants found refuge. Some of them grumbled, but one dear wonam said, "A stable was good enough for our Savior, and so it is good enough for us." They laid their blankets on the straw and had a peaceful night's sleep.

In the morning Grandfather went to find a place where his family could live while he made the necessary preparations for crossing the plains. The only place he could find was an old house down by the river with no windows or doors. It was plenty warm and the flies were terrible, especially for the sick.

Jacob died on the 27th of July at the age of 25, and he was buried near Omaha, Nebraska. Preparations for continuing the journey were finally completed. They bought a wagon, one steer, and two cows. On August 31st, 1862, they left Omaha by ox team. On September 4th, the Grandmother died and was buried two days travel from Omaha where the Platte River runs straight east.

Back in Switzerland, while this company of Saints was making preparations for their journey, Magdalena Wintsch, the oldest daughter of Kaspar and Anna Wyliman Wintsch, had a chance to go to Utah with another family who offered to pay her way if she would help care for their children. She was 23 years old at this time. Consequently, she left at an earlier date than the rest of the family. They were anxious to reach Utah to be reunited with her again, as well as to be with the body of the Church.

While the Wintsch family was still in Nebraska, they received a letter from Utah saying that the sister, Magdalena [Mattie] had died. They did not tell her two little sisters, Louise, 13, and Anna, 11, nor Kaspar, her father, because they had been longing to see her so much all during the journey, especially because of the grief of losing their mother, Anna Wyliman Wintsch. Anna and her two oldest children died in America within a short time of each other. The family spent many long and weary days traveling over deserts, mountains, and plains, stalwart men and women with ox teams and handcart trains.

One day in the mountains near the end of the journey Henry, age 9, and his aunt, Annie, dropped behind their company. They stood watching another company that was headed for Provo, while their own group was headed for Salt Lake. When it was nearing dusk, someone said to them, "You two children had better find your parents. You do not belong to this company!" They began to run in the direction their parents had gone. They quickly tired and as it grew darker they held each other's hand, for they were frightened as well as tired. Anna would say, "There is a big bear after us!" but Henry would say, "No, it's nothing but a shadow." Then Anna was sure she could see a big Indian ready to pounce on them, but Henry would say, "No , Anna, it is only a tree!" Anna used to love to tell about this. She would say, "Even though Henry was younger, he was braver than me!"

Their fear was so great they decided to pray about it. And there, in the darkness, they did pray! Very soon they saw two campfires and decided to go toward the larger one. When they reached it, it was the right one! Their folks were getting ready to form a search party for them.

About this time, John Matthis came to meet them to tell them of the death of Madgalena, and also that he married her before her death. This, of course, was very sad news for the family...more especially for her little sisters, who had looked forward so much to being with her in Utah. They had seen their oldest brother die and then their mother, and had seen them buried on the plains. Now to hear of their oldest sister's death was a great blow to them. I remember hearing Aunt Anna tell how bitterly they wept and mourned over it.

The family stayed in Salt Lake only three days and then went to Lehi and made their home. Kaspar Wintch married Margareta Kuhn, a woman who came over in the same company. To them was born one daughter, Mary. After Kaspar's death in October, 1866, Margareta married Ulrich Bryner of Price, Utah. Her daughter, Mary, married a Nageli of southern Utah. Kaspar died and was buried in Lehi, Utah.

Henry Wintsch, Sr., son of Kaspar and Dorothea Wyliman Wintsch, worked at the grist mill and saw mill in American Fork cnayon. In his spare time he made a carpet loodm, garden implements, and many other useful things from wood, including a rolling pin carbed from a piece of maple. It was used for 63 years, and is now a family relic. In 1865, Henry Sr., with his wife, Anna Burkhard and their three sons,Henry Jr., Jacob and Charles, went to Richfield in response to a call by President Brigham Young. Because of Indian troubles, flour could not be obtained so Anna ground wheat through a coffee mill to make bread. Even though they lived in a dug-out, she was a very particular housekeeper. She had her boys bring rabbit brush from which she fashioned a broom. When it was worn out, it didn't cost any money to get another. Clothing was made from the precious linens brought from Switzerland, colored with dye made from burned greasewood ashes. The children gathered wild flax which was stripped and used for thread. The sewing would last until washed and then the articles had to be sewn over again.

In 1867 the Indians became so treacherous that the white settlers moved to Manti for safety. Here the Wintsch family made another dug-out. In the diary kept by Charles, it was described as being 12x16 ft. They lived in that while they made enough adobe for their three room house, which they built themselves, with Henry doing the mason work. They all lived there until Henry and Jacob married and built homes of their own. Charles being the youngest, inherited the old house, where he lived and raised his family. After the Indian war was over, Chief Black Hawk, with his brother and other Indians, came to Manti to meet with the white leaders. They ate together and made peace at the old Council House, which stood where the Carnigie Library now stands. At that time Henry was 15 years old [1867].

Charles used to tell about an old white horse they had when they were boys. They loved to ride and the horse was willing to go just so long, and then if they were not ready to quit, the horse would head for the shed. The shed was just high enough for the horse to go under with no boy on his back, which they had learned by sad experience, so when the horse headed for the shed they slid off "quick". At one time they had a pair of mules which had strayed away, so Henry being the oldest boy, went to fimd them. He followed their tracks north along the Sanpitch River for miles when he met a man he knew who told him he might as well go back, because there were no mules anywhere in that direction. But the boy needed the mules and besides, he felt impressed to go on. So, on he went until he reached the vicinity of Fountain Green, where he found the mules in a corral. It was the next day before he got home, a very tired but satisfied young man!

In those days most of their supplies were hauled by wagon from Nephi, and many times Henry accompanied an old sailor on this trip. The old seaman made the trip interesting telling him stories about his voyages, and explaining the stars, as only a sailor could.

In January of 1873. when Henry was 20 years old, his father died. Soon after that he had a very serious sick spell. He was so ill that he and his mother thought he was going to die. He felt that his mother and yuunger brothers needed him, and he prayed very earnestly, promising the Lord that if his life was spared he would do his best to take care of them. His recovery seemed miraculous to his mother, and he did fulfull his promise to the best of his ability.

In the fall of 1874, Henry was called to work on the St. George Temple, and he stayed until the Temple was finished in 1877. Later in that same month of April, 1877, he stood at the site of the Manti Temple when it was dedicated by Brigham Young. He did his share in the work of building this temple, also.

Later, he worked on the railroad between Colorado and Ogden. He used to sing to us the songs he had learned while working on the railroad, and tell how the men joked about their monotonous diet of beans. It was on the railroad job that he earned the money to buy his first wagon, which he bought in 1881. It was the first wagon in Manti, and was still in use in 1930!

On April 9th, 1879, Henry was married in the St. George Temple to Sara Jane Luke. They had two children: Charles Henry, and Maggie May. The little boy died when he was two years old. Sara Jane died when Maggie May was born, November 8th, 1885. The little girl lived only a few days, and then he was left alone.

Two years later he was called on a mission to his native Switzerland. He had long felt bowed down by the loss of his family. Also, the memories of the log, hard trip from Switzerland to Utah in his childhood were not pleasant, so he was not happy about the mission call at first. However, he felt he should honor any call made by his church, and therefore, he went without argument. He soon found out that it was the greatest blessing that could have come to him at that time, because he was filled with comfort and happiness in fulfilling this mission. While he was on his mission he visited his relatives in Switzerland. They remembered him and treated him well, but did not want any of his religion.

One day with his companion he visited an aunt of his. She was churning when they arrived, and as they talked she went right on with her churning. She molded the butter with her hands and tossed it on the table. Then she invited them to lunch. She was very cordial, but she, like his other relatives, did not want to hear anyting about religion.

When he first tried to preach, he was afraid of the sound of his own voice, and to overcome this he would take long walks out in the country all by himself where he could talk aloud until he became accustomed to hearing his own voice. He filled an honorable mission preaching the gospel to many willing listeners. Before leaving the mission field, he was able to gather many names of his kindred for whom the work was later done in the temples he had helped to build.

On his way home when he stopped over in Salt Lake City to make his report, he was invited to dinner, and in the home where he ate he met Louise Garbe, a young German convert who had been in America only a short time. It seemed to be 'Love at first sight', and in less than a year they were married, February 4th, 1891. To them were borne 9 children. Three died in infancy. Six grew to maturity, married, and had families.

Back row, L-R: Fred & Emma (Hedrick) Garbe, Ferdinand & Hattie. Ferd's holding Frank Front: Henry & Louise (Garbe) Wintsch, Children are Sarah by G'ma's L knee; Martha by G'ma's R knee; G'pa is holding Leah; Henry is standing by Leah Far R: sitting is Ferd's Dad & Mom with Arnold. The old couple are Johan Gottlieb Garbe & Louise Amalie Schink