John Matheson BUNKER

                   Data from the Family Group Sheet in the Church archives.

Panaca, Nevada Ward records:
    Mary Etta Syphus, born Jan 5, 1871 to Luke and Christiana Syphus
    Blessed: April 6, 1871 by Luke Syphus
    Baptized: 2 Nov 1879 by George B. Whitney. Confirmed by her father.
    Sealed to her husband in the St. George Temple -12 Sep 1895

Lincoln County newspaper: "Mary Etta Syphus got her teachers certificate on March 23, 1889".
Feb. 4, 1892 - Is teaching Primary School in Panaca, Nevada.

No children of this marriage.

From the history of the Bunker Family.
    "John had been courting Mary for quite some time, they were engaged to be married on John's birthday, 12, Sept. 1895, but John thought they should wait until he had a home for them to live in.  No, said Mary, we must get married as planned; I may not be with you long.  They were married as planned, and move to St. Thomas, Nevada.  How wise a woman's intuition for she was not long with him; just over a month after their marriage, Mary took seriously ill.  John sent word to his mother, Mary, then living in Bunkerville, Nevada, to come to St.Thomas.  When his mother received the word, she went to Eddie Bunker and told him we must go to John as Mary was seriously ill.  Mother Bunker instructed Eddie to get Joseph Earl, a brother-in-law, and assemble material for a coffin.  Eddie felt there was no need of this for if Mary did pass on, they could find
material in St. Thomas for this purpose.  No, said mother Bunker, we must take these things with us.
    Mary Etta Syphus Bunker died 30, Nov. 1895 before Mother Bunder and party reached St. Thomas and Joseph Earl built the casket out of the material they had brought with them.

This is a letter from Mary to John just before their marriage dated: 25 August 1895  Panaca, Nevada
    Mr. John M. Bunker
    St. Thomas, Nevada
       Dearest John,   I write to you today for the last time I suppose before we meet.  I do not feel much like writing, I am so sleepy, but I still take pleasure in writing to you now that the time for your coming is so near.  It seems so far off, I suppose, because I am so anxious to see you again.  Although this is Sunday, I have been home all day and I don't feel satisfied at
all about it.  Be sure and tell me when you expect to get here.
       August 26, 1895 con't..  Annie came down after meeting and stayed all evening so I could not write.  Conference will be the 15th and 16th.  Unless I knew we could be married on your birthday, I would rather not start on the 7th.  I think Monday would be soon enough.  You said you could find out if we could be married on Thursday the 12th; if you know, please tell me.  I prefer that day to any other for our wedding day and want to start in time to have it so if it were possible, but I am afraid it isn't.  Would you like to stay to Conference?  Tell me what you think about it.  I think May and Clara will accompany us, but neither of them can go on south with us.  I am sorry your mother has given up going.  When I heard May had returned, I thought your mother could surely be there.  I hope you will come as soon as you have been thinking of coming whether we start on the 7th or not.  I have my sewing all done or rather will have today; that is all I am obliged to do now.  I spent most of last week on my silk and feel quite relieved to have it done.  I believe I like it quite well; that sounds like I am not sure of it, but I am.  I want to put in the remainder of the time sewing for Ma if I can.  This is a quite dismal fall day, a chilly wind is blowing and to all
appearance, there will soon be frost.  Our folks have stacked their grain in the field and the thrasher has been moved there this morning (and) will thrash for them before any one else, beginning today.
       I shall conclude now,  hoping to hear from you soon.  Don't fail to write again if you can help it.  I look forward to your coming this time with greater pleasure than I ever did before for I feel that you are not going to leave me so soon.  Oh how I just long to see you.  I do hope nothing will occur to blight our hopes.  With much love and XXXX (kisses) I bid my dearest adiau.
Your own loving  Mary

John's answer to Mary.....
29, August 1895
       Dearest Mary:   You will not feel bad if I do not write very much tonight as I am very tired and it is quite.  I received your very welcome letter last nite and was more than pleased to hear from you.  Mother said they married on Thursday.  I do not know what to say about staying to Conference; I have sent off the bill for things and I expect them at Kingman about the 25th of September and of course I should be there when they come so as not to have storage topay.  I will leave here tomorrow, go by Bunkerville, I expect to leave there Monday, get to Panaca Wednesday or Thursday.  There is a lot of sickness here
now.  Chrissie Abbott is quite sick and has a fever all the time and is very nervious.  Julia was just in and said Addie had caught cold this afternoon and she was afraid she was going to have the croup.  Big Harry has a gathering on his finger which gives much pain and Della has had fever all day. I can think of no more to write tonite.  I was pleased to hear you had your sewing all done and that you were so well pleased with it.  Keep of good spirit and also keep well.
From your ever loving,  John M. Bunker.

Letter written by Laura Gentry a niece of Mary Etta Syphus - Overton, Nevada Dec. 12, 1979.
    I am sending along to each of Sam's children and to each of Harry's a copy of this letter thinking that each of you will prize it.  In a way of explanation a to where Black Point is or was: it was the water pump station on the east side of the Virgin River and at the north end of their father's 90 acre alfalfa ranch.  The ranch was five miles up the river from St. Thomas and long since
under Lake Mead water.  I am also sending along excerpts from some 100 letters written by mama's (Marth Ellen Syphus Gentry) younger sister, Mary Syphus, Panace, Nev. and John M. Bunker, Bunkerville, Nev.  You will note these letters were written some ninety years ago and that the correspondence carried on for four years when they married.   Being excerpts they are a happy reading but they do throw some light on what some of the early settlers of the Moapa Valley did to make a living.  In those days the money supply in the valley was short.  The mining camps across the Colorado River in Arizona were the closed source for work. Papa (Harry Gentry) had those freight outfits over there. After 1907 they hauled ore from the Grand Gulch and his own copper mine forty five miles east of St. Thomas. By this time however, Papa had built up a good mercantile business and hotel business in St. Thomas which kept him very much occupied.  Aunt Mary Syphus Bunker died two months after their marriage at mama's home in St. Thomas, NV.  What saddness and despair there must have been at the time. She was so young and of such splended character.  These letters are now in the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. I doubt if she would like this even though there is nothing in them of a maudlin nature. Sent with wishes for a "Happy Holiday Season" and with love to you always.
Your Aunt, Laura Gentry.