John Aylor Mikesell

                  (Excerpted from  Meiyssel Meixel Mikesell by Ardella M. Rhode - http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~reynaud/mikesell_history.htm)

JOHN AYLOR5 MIKESELL was born 08 Feb 1784 in Hagerstown, Washington, Maryland, and died 02 Dec 1858 in Payson, Utah, Utah. His parents were John Mikesell and Catharine (Catherina) AHLENTZ.  He married Catherine MIKESELL on 12 Dec 1807 in Bourbon Co. Kentucky, at Catherine's parents home. Catherine Mikesell & John Mikesell were 1st cousins.  She was the daughter of JACOB MIKESELL and MARY BAST. She was born 11 Oct 1784 in near Franklin City, Frederick, Maryland, and died 19 Jul 1851 in Salt Lake, Salt Lake, Utah. 

He married (2) ISABEL SYMPSON 16 Aug 1850 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, UT.. She died Unknown. 

He married (3) JEANETTE SYMPSON 16 Aug 1850 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, UT.. She died Unknown. 

He married (4) SARAH HAUCK 27 Mar 1853 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, UT.. She died Unknown. 

More About JOHN AYLOR MIKESELL:
Also known as: John Eller Mikesell
Occupation: 1809, Tavern, Inn keeper, Harrison Co. Kentucky.
Residence: Left Nauvoo, Illinois 22 July 1846, arrived in Salt Lake 20 Sept. 1848.
Marriage: 12 Dec 1807, Bourbon Co. Kentucky, at Catherine's parents home. Catherine Mikesell & John Mikesell were 1st cousins.

John Aylor Mikesell, was born 8 Feb 1784 in Maryland. He married his 1st cousin, Catherine. Catherine's father, Jacob was living in Bourbon County, Kentucky where he ran an inn. He appears on the 1809 and 1810 tax list, and it cost $50.00 for his tavern license. He took one of his tenants, James McCabe to court for nonpayment of $45.78 for meat, drink, diet, washing, and lodgings at his home and tavern. Some time before June of 1812 John and Catherine moved the family to Liberty, Montgomery County, Ohio where he ran a store (1816). He moved to Ohio to be near his father and uncle Philip, who had moved there as early as 1802.

In Montgomery County, in 1819, there were probably 15 houses in town. Among them a brick tavern owned by John A Mikesell.

Chancery court records of February 1826 - "Henry Weaver vs. Jacob Crull and John A Mikesell. Weaver is 1819 possessed in partnership with Mikesell, goods to value of $10,000. Charges that Jacob Crull entered store and forcibly took them. Henry Weaver, November 24, 1817, entered partnership with John A. Mikesell of Indiana to vend merchandise in Liberty.

John and Catherine were in Jefferson County, Indiana between 1824 and 1830, and then moved to Quincy, Illinois. Some time before 1839 they joined the Mormon Church. In November of 1839 John and three of his sons put in a claim against the state of Missouri for loss of property to the amount of $2500.00

On his way to England on a mission, Heber C. Kimball stopped at John A. Mikesell's home near Quincy.

On the 28th day of July, 1840, John A. and George Miller were asked by the church to examine the southwest corner of Iowa territory to see if it was suitable for a stake or branch. 90,000 acres of unclaimed land by the Des Moines River and a creek called Chequest.

Indenture - 3 Sep 1842, John and Catherine sold their property on the Mississippi River to Josiah Allison for $800.00. It consisted of about 5 acres of bounty land with a steam mill, house and out buildings. After selling this land they moved into Nauvoo and lived on a lot next door to Brigham Young and John Taylor.

On 17 May 1844, in Nauvoo, John was a delegate from Missouri and made a member of the central committee of correspondence. 

23 Aug 1844, the brethren of the twelve at Nauvoo got ready to go to dine with father Mikesell at his home, but were called to go and see Lyman Wight near the upper stone house. He and thirty others were sick.

30 Aug 1844, in company with his brethren of the Twelve, father John Smith and many others with President Young, visited at father Mikesells. Partook of dinner and an abundance of peaches from the orchard; the family was glad to see the brethren and spent a pleasant day. Many of the brethren in the city being apprehensive that they might fall into the hands of the mob, took their guns and went a-hunting around the timber bluffs below Mikesell's on the Mississippi River.

The Nauvoo Temple was just being finished and the saints were starting to leave their homes. John A. and Catherine went to the Temple on 24 Dec 1845, and were sealed to each other on 6 Feb 1846.

Wednesday, 22 July 1846, on the west side of the Missouri River, starting for the mountains. At dusk President Young and his traveling companions fell back on the bluff, suppered with father Mikesell in whose tent President Young and Brother Kimball lodged. They were much afflicted with mosquitoes.

Thursday 23 Jul 1846, Elkhorn River. Very pleasant weather. President Young, Brother Kimball and the Brethren of the First 50 in council, Elder Mikesell, etx, were appointed to preside over that 50. The President and his companions crossed the Elk Horn on a raft, saw the brethren a few minutes, returned and instructed father Mikesell to see that the names of all who crossed were registered with the number of every living animal to be left for the benefit of the camp.

Tuesday, 4 Aug 1846, in the camp of Israel 4 miles west of the Missouri River, they were told that it was not advisable to cross the mountains this fall. They must prepare for winter here. John A. Mikesell was among the council of 12 men to superintend the affairs of the church, both temporal and spiritual in this area. One of their biggest concerns being the Indians would burn the grass to gather the buffalo. This would not leave any grass for their livestock.

20 Jan 1848, Iowa. John A. Mikesell and his son, Garrett W. Mikesell signed a petition to have a post office placed in the vicinity of the log tabernacle, which was situated on the government purchase of Pottawattamie in Iowa to be called the Tabernacle Post Office and receive mail semi weekly.

30 June 1848, Friday. John A. Mikesell killed a buffalo which he brought in and distributed among the brethren at Pulsipher's camp near the Skunk Creek camp.

President Young went back to Winter Quarters and brought back the largest company to Salt Lake in June of 1848. They were 1229 souls and they had with them 397 wagons, 74 horses, 19 mules, 1275 oxen, 699 cows, 184 loose cattle, 411 sheep, 141 pigs, 605 chickens, 37 cats, 82 dogs, 3 goats, 10 geese, 2 hives of bees, 6 doves and one crow. John A. Mikesell and Catherine brought with them their son, John Harrison Mikesell and family, one team of oxen, wagon and one cow. John A. Mikesell was in the 1st division, 7th company. This was led by President Young. They arrived in the Great Salt Lake valley, 20 Sep 1848. 

While in Salt Lake City, Catherine died of a violent hemorrhage of the lung in 1851. She was coming out of Sunday meeting at the Bowery.

In 1853 John A married Sarah Hauck, and had two children by her.

John A Mikesell and his family lived in Salt Lake until about 1854. Then he moved with his son John Harrison Mikesell to Payson where he died. He was to be buried by his wife, Catherine, in Salt Lake City, but it was too hard to travel in December, so it is believed he was buried in the Payson Cemetery, but because the records were burned, there is no proof.