Son of Jonathan Pugmire, Sr. and Elizabeth Barnes was at Carlisle, Cumberland, England. Little is known of his youth, except that he was trained as a blacksmith by his father. When he was eighteen, the family joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and they began plans to emigrate. In February of 1844, he sailed from Liverpool with his father's family on the Isaac Allerton. Aboard the ship, he met Elizabeth McKay, a convert from Scotland. They were married 30 April 1844, after arriving in Nauvoo, Illinois.

Their early married life was spent at Montrose, Iowa making preparations for the move west. Jonathan helped to prepare many wagons. Their journey began in April of 1846, but was interrupted by Jonathan's service in the Mormon Battalion. After the long march was over, he returned to his family at Winter Quarters and continued on to Utah in the Heber C. Kimball company of 1848. For the next sixteen years, the Pugmires resided in Salt Lake City where Jonathan served for many years as the foreman of the Public Works blacksmith shop. He was a member of the Nauvoo Legion and spent three months in Echo Canyon preparing to resist Johnston's Army. He also served for three years as bishop of the Salt Lake 7th Ward.

In 1864, Jonathan went to help settle Bear Lake Valley, making his home at St. Charles, Idaho. There he established a farm, worked as blacksmith, and managed a co-op store that was built on his property. He also served as the tithing agent for the Bear Lake Stake. He practiced plural marriage and had three families. Jonathan died suddenly at age fifty-seven. (See history of Jonathan Pugmire, Sr. and Elizabeth Barnes)

Dedicated to the memory of the late Bishop Pugmire, of St. Charles.

During the period this Journal was in prospective, one of its friends and supporters, Bishop; Jonathan Pugmire, of St. Charles, has paid the last debt of nature, and has learned from actual experience, the great secret of immortality. He died September the 20th 1880. Deceased had become a veteran among the Latter-day Saints; he was interested in all their interests, participated in all their sorrows, rejoiced in all their hope, exulting in their prosperity, and confidently assured of their final triumph over all their enemies through our Lord Jesus Christ. At the sudden fiat of the Almighty, he has departed on his immortal mission, with a sure and certain hope of a resurrection to eternal life. He has left behind him a bright and honorable record, with a name fame that will be imperishable among the people of God, while eternity goes and eternity comes.

We sincerely regret the dispensation of Divine Providence that has so suddenly deprived us of a true and valuable friend; his wives and children, of a good husband and kind father, a generous provider and a faithful protecter [sic-protector]. His numerous friends and the stranger passing his borders, will lose a kind hearted and beneficent host, whose profuse hospitality was ever noticeable. His obituary has already appeared in the "Deseret News," written by his esteemed friend Andrew Galaway. We shall not therefore enter into details of his life and history, nor the particulars of his unlooked for and sudden death; but we simply make the mention of our friend and brother, that his faithful labors as an Elder of Israel, and his generous deeds as a fellow citizen may be recorded in the first Journal published in the county where he has made his home during the last sixteen years.

There may be more true and generous friends than our deceased brother, if so, we do not know them. There may be men more faithful to God and to his people, men who would suffer more for the cause of truth than he, would suffer, men that more respected and loved by wives, children and friends, but if so, we do not know them. There may be more generous and devoted followers of Apostles and Prophets through evil and through good report; if so, se do not know them. We do not claim perfection for our deceased brother, by any means, but we do claim for him those noble qualities of heart and soul that constitutes a true, brave, and honest man, of whom his family and friends may be justly proud; and in whom the Lord and his co-workers must be well pleased.

Therefore a few left of the noble five hundred, who with our deceased brother, shouldered their muskets and traveled thousands of miles on foot into Mexican territory, to fight the battles of a government that would not protect their wives, children, and their friends. Those few may know more of his sufferings and endurance during those weary months than we do. There are others who know more of his kind hearted deeds, of his generous spirit, and devoted soul, than we do; but we yield precedence to none in the respect, affection, and honor the memory of our fellow laborer, our brother and our friend. We have associated with him in business circles; in political assemblies; in theological schools; in private councils, and in public conferences. He has been closely identified with out missionary travels, and our public teachings, in which capacity he was ever prompt and energetic. We have met him in holy places where he has received ordinations and blessing greater than which, none have received; which has formed a cord of sympathy, and cemented a bond of union that will doubtless remain when time shall be ____ (few words illegible).

We condole with his immediate friends in their irrespirable loss, and commend them to the kind protecting care of Him who claims to be the Father to the fatherless, and the husband of the widow.

We have been permitted to publish a letter written to our deceased brother by Niels Wilhelmson, President of the Scandinavian mission, with which many of our readers will be interested, which will appear in our next issue.

(Obituary courtesy of Wes & Debi Grossnickle)