Plaque honors Church president
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Expressing appreciation for the many significant contributions of President Wilford Woodruff, the fourth president of the Church, Elder John B. Dickson of the Seventy dedicated a plaque Oct. 25 to President Woodruff's memory. The plaque is placed by the corner of the San Francisco house where he died Sept. 2, 1898.
"On this plot of ground, a chosen prophet left this mortal probation and we are grateful for the life of Wilford Woodruff, a great man of this dispensation of time, who had great vision," said Elder Dickson, president of the North America West Area.Attending the event were some 100 descendants of President Woodruff, as well as friends of the Woodruff family. Pres. Merrill Higham of the San Francisco California Stake conducted the ceremony. In addition, the non-LDS owners of the home, Logan and Betty Miles and their daughters, Laura Miles and Jean Circiello, were present.
The Miles family gave permission for a commemorative plaque to be erected on the eastern street-side corner of their property, where it will be visible to all passersby from the sidewalk.
The plaque design, which features an engraved portrait of President Woodruff, was approved by the Church's Historical Department prior to installation. The plaque was placed by the San Francisco stake and the San Francisco Company of the International Daughters of the Utah Pioneers.
During the ceremony, Marie Russell, San Francisco president of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, presented the Miles family with gifts of appreciation for their contributions to the establishment of the marker.
The idea for the plaque came after Stan Watkins of the San Francisco stake researched Wilford Woodruff's life and realized the prophet's death occurred here. He felt impressed to honor the memory of a "great servant of the Lord," and made a proposal to Pres. Higham. The stake president then presented a plan for a historical marker to the Church.
President Woodruff, died in the home known as "The Isaac Trumbo House" at age 91. The four story Victorian-style home, which stands at 1533 Sutter St. in the Marina District of San Francisco, is one of the oldest buildings in the city. It was built around 1889 and has remained standing in near-original condition through two major earthquakes and years of inclement weather.
According to Pres. Higham, a similar marker commemorating the birth of Wilford Woodruff will be placed at the home in Avon, Conn., where the prophet was born March 1, 1807.
