Brief Life Sketch

Edward Partridge is Willis’ great-grandfather and Angie’s great-great grandfather. He was born August 27, 1793, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, the son of William Partridge and Jemima Bidwell. Descended from Scotch immigrants who settled in Hadley, Massachusetts, Edward apprenticed as a hatter at age sixteen and later became a successful merchant in Painesville, Ohio. Despite being disillusioned with organized religion, he retained deep spiritual convictions and searched for truth. In 1830, while a member of the Campbellite faith, he encountered missionaries from the newly organized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He traveled to meet Joseph Smith in Fayette, New York, and was baptized by him in the Seneca River on December 11, 1830.

Edward was called to serve as the Church’s first bishop in early 1831. He left his business behind to consecrate his life to the Church, receiving high praise from the Lord for having no guile and a pure heart. He helped establish Zion in Independence, Missouri, where he endured persecution, including being tarred and feathered by a mob while his wife and newborn child were at home. Despite intense opposition, Edward remained devoted, participating in the dedication of the temple site in Independence and serving as Bishop of Zion. As the Saints were driven from Jackson County, he continued to lead and support them through exile, settlement, and constant rebuilding across Missouri and later in Illinois.

Years of persecution, physical abuse, and imprisonment took a heavy toll on Edward’s health. After enduring the trials of Far West and winter imprisonment in Richmond, Missouri, he relocated with his family to Nauvoo, Illinois. On May 27, 1840, at the age of 46, Edward Partridge passed away. Remembered as a man of integrity and deep faith, Edward Partridge’s legacy endures in the history of the early Church and in the lives of his faithful descendants.

The Edward Partridge Memorial Day Breakfast is a tribute to Grandpa Partridge by his great-great-grandson Asael Lyman who felt a strong connection and desire to honor Grandpa Partridge. Since 1972, the breakfast has become a great gathering for the Willis & Angie Lyman family and Asael would say that “we plan to keep holding the breakfast every Memorial Day until Grandpa Partridge himself comes.”