Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia
Volume 4
Biographies
Hatch, Ezra Taft

Hatch, Ezra Taft, fifth Bishop of the South Bountiful Ward, Davis Co., Utah, was born Dec. 29, 1871, at Bountiful, a son of Orin Hatch and Elizabeth M. Perry. He received his education at Bountiful; was baptized July 4, 1880, by Wm. Brown, and taking part at Church activities suited to his age, was ordained a Deacon, but soon afterwards went to live in a sheep camp and for some years was engaged in the sheep and cattle business, locating in Morgan, Rich and Tooele counties successively. At all times, however, he endeavored to be a consistent member of the Church, and on March 28, 1897, was ordained an Elder by John N. Hatch. Less than a month afterwards (on April 23, 1897) he was ordained a Seventy by Seymour B. Young and set apart for a mission to the Society Islands, for which mission he left his home on April 27, 1897, and returned in October, 1900. While on the islands he labored mostly on the Upper Tuamotu group and also on the Leeward Islands, principally on Borobora, Huahine and Mepete. On July 19, 1904, he married Edith Folsom in the Salt Lake Temple. Three sons and three daughters have blessed this union, namely, Ezra Charles, Julian Wilder, Mark, Ruth, Leah and Edith. Soon after his marriage, while residing temporarily in the Argyle Ward, Rich Co., Utah, Brother Hatch was ordained a High Priest, Aug. 6, 1905, by Apostle Rudger Clawson and set apart as a member of the Woodruff Stake High Council. Returning to South Bountiful in December, 1905, he acted as a home missionary in the Davis Stake, and from 1908 to 1916 served as superintendent of the South Bountiful Sunday School. He was chairman of the ward Genealogical Committee and for twenty years acted as a ward teacher with great fidelity. In January, 1928, he succeeded Bishop Samuel C. Howard as Bishop of the South Bountiful Ward, a position he still holds. In a civil capacity Bishop Hatch has served as county commissioner for Davis County for two years, director in the Deseret Live Stock Company, president of the town board of Woods Cross in 1935, and has held many other positions of honor and trust.