HISTORY OF PETER J. LAMMERS, SR.

Written by a granddaughter, Pearl Welsh Whitmar (Whitwar?)…

The information of our grandfather Lammer’s missions was researched by Pearl’s Granddaughter.

On 1 June 1839 Peter J. Lammers was born to Peter Lammers and Katharina Kortman Lammers, In Amsterdam, No. Holland, Netherlands.

He was educated in Amsterdam. As a teenager he was always looking for something in the line of a religion. He felt there was something missing in his life. He wasn't happy in his folk's religion, to their sorrow. He would walk into his home and say he was going to join a different church about every month. He met two Mormon missionaries. They seemed to have what he had been looking for. After a few meetings he knew he had found what he had been looking for.

He went home and told his folks he was going to join the Mormons and could have as many wives as he wanted. He said this jokingly because they found fault

with every religion he spoke of. They were naturally very upset. He had found something in his life he had been looking for and he was with the missionaries every evening and Sunday he could manage. He loved this new found gospel and was baptized.

His folks disowned him and his girl whom he loved, Anna Elizabeth Vanzuylen, married a man named Hermanus Dickamun. She said she loved both men, but Peter was too busy with the Mormons so she married the other man.

He wanted to be with the body of the church so he sailed for America. He settled in Ogden, Utah.

He was a carpenter and built several houses that are still in use. He built, with the help of his son , Peter J.Lammers, Jr. O. P. Skaggs and Safeway Stores. He had learned his father's trade. Called on mission Oct., 1865 to Aug. 1869.

He married Johanna Carolina Myers, Born 15 May 1826, daughter of Koenraad Myers. Born in Loenen Ntherlands. They were married 5th October 1869 in the Salt Lake Endowment House.

A baby girl was born to them 19 July 1870. It died 28 July 1870, living only nine days. They later adopted a boy. They named him Hyrum Lammers. He loved music and worked at it all his life.

Peter J. Lammers filled three missionary terms in his father land, translating and publishing several small books, and pamphlets, including the first edition of the Dutch Hymn Book.

When he went back to Holland on his first mission he found his sweetheart, Anna Elisabeth Vanzuylen's husband had died. She had two children. The baby died two months later, so she was a widow with Katie (Cornelia) her daughter. When his mission was finished he came back to Ogden, bringing Anna and her daughter, Katie (Cornelia) with him.

They were married 5 Sept 1876 in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City, Utah. They had a family of five children: Anna Elizabeth Lammers James; Alida Lammers, died age 14 years; Frederick Lammers, died age 1 day; Peternella (Nellie) Lammers Welch; Peter Jacob Lammers, Jr.

Peter J. Lammers was called on a second mission as President of the Netherlands Mission. Then on his third call as president of the Netherland Mission their children were older. Anna worked to help keep him on the mission. She sold silverware house to house and also corsets. She made appointments with the ladies and fitted them in their home.

Peter loved preaching the gospel and bringing the joy he knew to others. He was put in jail because of polygamy, having the two wives. Later on his first wife Johanna passed away. So that wasn't a problem as it turned out later.

He wrote a book of his life while he was in jail. We haven't been able to locate it. Some of the children of Peter's old friends say they have seen it.

Peter J. Lammers loved the church and had a strong testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel. He loved the gospel and its people. They were his life, along with his family.

He and his wife, Anna, rented an apartment across from the Salt Lake Temple and did a lot of temple work for his ancestors.

He died in Qgden, Utah 21 March 1921. Buried in Qgden City Cemetery in Weber County.