LDS Biographical Encyclopedia - ENSIGN

Ensign, Datus Horace

LDS Biographical Encyclopedia, Andrew Jenson, Vol. 2, p.245

Ensign, Datus Horace, Bishop of Ogden First Ward, Weber Stake of Zion, was born July 23, 1853, at Ogden, Weber county, Utah, the son of Horace D. Ensign (one of the original pioneers of Utah) and Eliza J. Stewart. He was baptized June 2, 1864, by Robert McQuarrie; ordained a [p.246] Priest Oct. 4, 1877, by Edwin Stratford; ordained an Elder Aug. 2, 1882, by Thomas Doxey; ordained a Seventy Jan. 21, 1884, by Nathan Tanner, jun.; ordained a High Priest May 4, 1890, by Pres. Charles F. Middleton, and ordained a Bishop July 24, 1898, by Pres. Joseph F. Smith. Otherwise he has acted as an officer in the Y. M. M. I. A. and Sunday schools and as a counselor to Bishop Moroni Brown from 1890 to 1898; since 1898 he has served faithfully in his position as Bishop of Ogden First Ward. In 1888¦1890 he filled a successful mission to the Southern States, laboring principally in West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland. In 1881 (Sept. 1st) he married Wealthy Dewey Richards, by whom he is the father of ten children, five boys and five girls. In his youth Bishop Ensign worked at railroading; later he engaged in the implement business, and at length became manager of the Ogden Implement Company. He is at present engaged in fruit-raising on a large scale in Davis county.

[Horace Datus (1853-1928) is a nephew of Martin Luther ENSIGN (1831-1911) the father Horace D. (1826-1866) being Martins brother.]

Ensign, Rufus Bronson

LDS Biographical Encyclopedia, Andrew Jenson, Vol. 2, p.490

Ensign, Rufus Bronson, a Utah pioneer of 1847, was born Dec. 28, 1832, at Westfield, Massachusetts, the son of [Horace] D. Ensign and Mary Bronson. His parents joined the Church in Westfield, about 1840, and started for the West in 1846. The father died, at Winter Quarters Sept. 29, 1846, and Rufus, with his mother, five brothers and one sister, came to Great Salt Lake Valley in 1847, crossing the plains in Daniel Spencer's Hundred, which arrived in the Valley, Sept. 20, 1847. After spending two years in the "Old Fort", the family settled permanently in the Twelfth Ward, where Rufus was baptized in 1853. After participating in the so-called Walker Indian war, he located temporarily in Cedar City, southern Utah. After that he participated in an expedition to Fort Bridger, being in the service 81 days. In 1856, together with his cousin Lorine he went out to meet the belated hand-cart company. In 1857 he went to the States in the B. Y. Express Company, but returned to the Valley in October, 1858. While on this trip he was taken sick with malarial fever on the Platte river, and was left by his comrades at the old Mormon crossing. Here he was taken prisoner by Johnston's army as a Mormon spy and held a prisoner about one month, but through proclamation by Gov. Cummings he was set free in May, 1858. In 1859 he went back into the Indian country, where he traded with the emigrants and acted as interpreter for the Sioux Indians at the agency three miles from the trail, until 1863, when he returned to his home in the Valley. In 1874, (Sept. 25th) he married Sarah Ann Frost, who was born April 7, 1852, in Salt Lake City and died July 6, 1894. Bro. Ensign married Sarah Ann Kelso Sept. 25, 1895; she was born July 9, 1852 in Pennsylvania. His second wife is still living in the Twelfth Ward. Bro. Ensign has been a freighter and farmer his entire life.

This article mistakenly listed Rufus' father as Harris D. ENSIGN.
Rufus (1832-1915) is the brother of Martin Luther ENSIGN (1831-1911)

There is a history of Martin Luther Ensign included in this book. The same history was used in Utah Since Stakehood.