Marks, William

15 Nov. 1792–22 May 1872. Farmer, printer, publisher, postmaster. Born at Rutland, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of Cornell (Cornwall) Marks and Sarah Goodrich. Married first Rosannah R. Robinson, 2 May 1813. Lived at Portage, Allegany Co., New York, where he was baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, by Apr. 1835. Ordained a priest, by 3 Apr. 1835. Ordained an elder, by 3 June 1836. Moved to Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio, by Sept. 1837. Appointed member of Kirtland high council, 3 Sept. 1837, and agent to Bishop Newel K. Whitney, 17 Sept. 1837. President of Kirtland stake, 1838. While at Kirtland, appointed stake president at Far West, Caldwell Co., Missouri, 8 July 1838. En route to Missouri when difficulties in that state were confirmed. Located with Latter-day Saints at Quincy, Adams Co., Illinois, 1839. Appointed president of stake in Commerce (later Nauvoo), Hancock Co., Illinois, 5 Oct. 1839. Instructed in JS revelation to buy stock for building Nauvoo House, 19 Jan. 1841. Nauvoo city alderman, 1841–1843. Appointed a regent of University of Nauvoo, 3 Feb. 1841. Appointed guard in Nauvoo Legion, Mar. 1841. Member of Nauvoo Masonic Lodge. Admitted to Council of Fifty, 19 Mar. 1844. Aligned himself with leadership claims of Sidney Rigdon following death of JS, 1844. Rejected from Council of Fifty, 4 Feb. 1845. Left Nauvoo, Mar. 1845. Appointed counselor to James J. Strang in Strang’s Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 6 Mar. 1846. Located at Shabbona, De Kalb Co., Illinois, by June 1850. Affiliated with Charles B. Thompson, 1852–1853, and John E. Page, 1855, in leadership of new Latter-day Saint movements. Baptized into Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 10 June 1859, at Amboy, Lee Co., Illinois. Ordained a counselor in church presidency, 8 Apr. 1863. Married second Julia A. Muir, 5 Sept. 1866, in Shabbona. Moved to Little Rock, Kendall Co., Illinois, by June 1870. Died at Plano, Kendall Co.