"I was born at Schaffhausen, Switzerland on the 21^st of November, 1879. My parents’ names are William Wilker, and Maria Kunzley Wilker. Father was born at Solothurn, Switzerland, and mother at Oberbaldingen in Baden, Germany.

"My parents joined the Church and emigrated to Zion in the fall of 1883, and made their residence in Paris, Bear Lake County, Idaho. Father was a painter, and with others painted in the Logan Temple, but as he was a sick man with consumption when he came here, the altitude was too high and he passed away in 1884 from the disease, and also dropsy. Mother did whatever she could to make to make ends meet, and with some help from the people, she was able to keep us all together, until the oldest girl, Emily, got married, and later my other living sister went to Salt Lake to stay with her. That left us three boys at home, and two sisters younger than I died before this time—Emma Julia, who was next to me, right after we arrived in Paris, and Frida Alice when she was about 5 years old of scarlet fever. There were seven of us children in the following order; Emily, Henry William, Albertina Hedwig, Ernest Herman, Frederick Charles, Emma Julia, and Frida Alice."The second ward in which we lived, paid for our tuition to the school, and we were taught and had what little education that was available in Paris at that time, but later things improved as elsewhere. The school-house was a little old log cabin and in the winter at times it got so cold that the teacher and pupils had to trot around the room to keep from freezing. We were all in one room. We as a family did whatever we could find to do to make a living. I weeded, worked for farmers, seven years at a brick yard, shingle mill, dairy, in fact whatever there was to do, and then we also trapped muskrat and mink.

"Our amusements were dancing, parties at different homes, a ball game called rounders, in which boys and girls played, as well as round sheep marbles, and in the summer fishing and swimming.

"In those days there was very little amusement on Sunday as people generally went to Sunday School, and afternoon and evening meeting. I attended primary, Sunday School, M.I. A. quite regularly as also ward choir practice. I belonged to a glee club conducted by Joseph R. Shepherd, Sr. and obtained a very good experience. I was baptized on the 4^th of April 1889, by Robert Price, and confirmed a member on the same day by Elder James Oakey. I was ordained a Deacon, but I will have to get the information on the date and by whom from Paris."