Thomas Blakely Heelis—Born in 1837 in Lancashire, England. Died in 1912 in Santaquin, Utah.
Information about him was gathered from documents accessible on FamilySearch.org. The memories referenced are from the profile: KWJD-13N.
Thomas Heelis grew up in Lancashire, England. His parents were some of the first to be baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in England.
His family was acquaintances with the Openshaw family. It was because of this association that years later, when Thomas and his new bride came to Utah in 1863, that they chose to settle immediately in the Summit Creek Area.
But the journey from England to Utah in 1863 was still the pioneer burden. Thomas and his fiancée, Mary Benson, sailed across the Atlantic; traveled by rail from New York to Nebraska; then walked and rode in wagons the rest of the way to the Salt Lake Valley.
Thomas and Mary’s love for one another and the gospel of Christ had inspired them to abstain from marriage until they could be married and sealed in the Rocky Mountains.
Unfortunately, while on their journey, Mary fell ill and the two were married so that Thomas could care for his Love.
At last, in September of 1863, they arrived safely in the Salt Lake Valley and immediately made for Summit Creek, or what we know today to be Santaquin.
Their first home was a one-room adobe-brick house and was located where the Squash Head park now stands. That land and house were afterwards owned by the Santaquin Relief Society.
Through their diligence and hard work, Mary as a seamstress and Thomas as a teamster. They were able to buy land elsewhere in town and build a more comfortable home.
Thomas was a man of industry, serving as secretary of the Co-op Store that he started with his friends Eli and Roger Openshaw. He also served as Santaquin’s second Mayor after Eli Openshaw.
Thomas also served as a member of the City Council, a member of the District School Board, Notary Public, Chairman of the Health Board, and many other civic duties.
He encouraged and facilitated a local flourmill, an irrigation system, and developing the mining industry in the area. He was a farmer, and was even a partner with Levi Openshaw to build a sawmill business in Santaquin Canyon.
He served in his Church and loved his family. At the time of his death, he and Mary had 6 children, 23 grandchildren, and 1 great-grandchild.