Thomas Sleight
Paris Post, Friday, 8 February 1918, page 8
The many friends of Thomas Sleight of Paris who has been ill for
some time are much worried over his condition which shows no improvement. He has
been a historian and chief theologian of the town and his knowledge has been
very valuable. We hope he will soon be able to be out again.
****************************
Paris Post, Friday, 22 March 1918, page 1
Thomas Sleight of Paris, an old pioneer of '63 died at his residence here last Sunday. Owing to a delay in obtaining a cut, we will not give a synopsis of his life until our next issue. The funeral services which were held last Wednesday were very inspiring.
************************
Paris Post, Friday, 29 March 1918, page 1
PIONEER
In the passing of Thomas Sleight, March 17, 1918, at his home in Paris, Idaho, another pioneer has gone to his final rest. In the fall of 1863 in the first company to enter Bear Lake valley and presided over by Apostle Charles C Rich, Mr. Sleight came upon the scene that was to be changed from the wild to the domestic by heroic hands.
Thomas Sleight was born at Swineshead, Lincoln, England, September 25th, 1833. At the age of seventeen he joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and four years later emigrated to America, locating near St Louis, Missouri. Leaving St Louis in the year 1857, he was married to Marianne Reynolds at Florence, Nebraska, and during the same years was called by the church to assist in making the settlement at Genoa, Neb. Two years of toil and hardships brought them only failure to produce crops, but the third year a crop was produced byt when ready to harvest the envy of the government agents was aroused and the land upon which the crops stood, was declared to belong to the Indians and our pioneers were given thirty days to get off.
In 1860 he crossed the Plains driving an ox team and reached Utah the same year settling at Hyde Park in Cache valley in 1861, where he remained until called to settle Bear Lake valley two years later. He located in Paris, then thought to be in the Territory of Utah. On November 1865 his wife died leaving him without family. In 1867 he married Mary M Wixom, with four boys and girls together with many grandchildren survive him.
Elder Sleight held many positions of importance and prominence both in the church and in the state. On July 27, 1867, he was elected adjutant with the rank of First Battalion, First Regiment of the Nauvoo Legion Militia for the Richland Military District, UT and served in the Indiana wars of the pioneers days. He served on term as county commissioner and was one of the first public school teachers in the valley.
In 1854 Mr. Sleight was ordained a priest, in 1858 an Elder, in 1869 a High Priest under the direction of President Young and a patriarch September 14, 1916, under the hands of Apostle James E Talmage. In 1870 he was called to an filed a short mission in the states where he was instrument in converting his brother Frederick.
His funeral was a testimony of esteem and upon the stand of the Presiding men of the two Stakes that once were one known as the Bear Lake Stake. His interment was in the Paris City Cemetery.