Reuben William Dotson

 

Birth: 27 November 1854 in Atalla County, Mississippi, USA

Death: 1 October 1929 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

Reuben was born to William Lazarus Hardiman Dotson (13 February 1833-5 March 1920) and Henrietta Landrum (1 October 1832-11 September 1902). He crossed the plains with his family and eventually settled in Minersville, Utah, USA.

He was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 17 March 1879 and received his endowment on 2 April 1879.

On 10 April 1878, he married Sarah Elizabeth Myers in Minersville, Utah, USA and on 16 November 1882 they were sealed in the Saint George Utah Temple.

According to the church chronology of 1902, Reuben Dotson became the bishop of the Minersville, Beaver County, Utah ward on 6 January 1902, succeeding his son’s father-in-law, George Hopkin Eyre. Apostle Rudger Clawson’s journal details the calling and sustaining:

“Apostle Clawson reported the visit of Apostle Woodruff and himself to the Beaver Stake, where they attended the quarterly conference. The following changes were effected, to wit: Wilson G. Nowers was honorably released from the high council on account of defective hearing; Rollin R. Tanner was released from the high council on account of general neglect of duty; three vacancies in the high council were filled, as follows: Jno. M. Murdock, Reinhard Maeser, and Jas. E. Tanner; F. D. Farnsworth was ordained pres. of the high priest quorum, and Wm. Burt, pres. of the elders quorum; Reuben Dotson was ordained bishop of Minersville to succeed Geo. Eyre, resigned on account of ill health, with Geo. Marshall for 1st counselor and Wm. C. Bowman for 2nd counselor. Reported that the case of Catherine Nowers versus Jas. H. Skinner, et al., was amicably settled and dismissed and that the brethren generously agreed to make good the loss of the plaintiff as follows, to wit: M. L. Shepherd, 10 head of sheep, and Jas. H. Skinner, et al., 11 head. The report was adopted by unanimous vote.”

Reuben and Sarah had thirteen children together: Reuben William Dotson, Joseph Lawrence Dotson, Peter Kent Dotson, James Dotson, Florence Elmyra Dotson, John Marion Dotson, A. Lewis Dotson, Gertrude Dotson, Theo Dotson, Henry Petty Dotson, Ruth Dotson (died as a child), Tine Dotson and Viola Dotson.

 

Reuben and his wife are buried in Minersville, Beaver County, Utah, USA. Their headstone features a Latter-day Saint pioneer marker.