From Nauvoo to Granger: The Enduring Journey of John O. Shafer & His Beloved Hannah
John and Hannah Shafer: Faith, Fortitude, and a New Life in Granger
John Oliver Shafer and his beloved wife, Hannah Casto, stand among the noble pioneers whose courage and endurance helped shape Utah’s early history. Their journey began far from the Salt Lake Valley—John was born June 30, 1820, in Arcadia, Wayne County, New York, and Hannah was born June 27, 1826, in Lawrence County, Indiana. Both came from families of faith and resilience, qualities that would sustain them through a lifetime of hardship and hope.
They first met in Nauvoo, Illinois, during one of the most turbulent periods in early Latter-day Saint history. John, the son of Johan and Hannah Roosa Shafer, had moved west with his family after joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Hannah, the daughter of Abel and Mary Galland Casto, was baptized in 1839 and already deeply committed to the gospel. On October 27, 1844, just months after the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith, the young couple was married in Nauvoo by Elder Orson Spencer, Justice of the Peace. Both John and Hannah personally knew the Prophet and mourned with the Saints as they witnessed his death and the sorrow that swept through the community.
In May 1846, as persecution drove the Saints from their homes, John and Hannah crossed the Mississippi River with the exodus from Nauvoo. They spent the next several years in Iowa, enduring hardship and loss while awaiting their chance to journey west. In 1849, with Captain John Taylor’s company, they crossed the plains with ox teams—often walking for long stretches—and arrived in the Salt Lake Valley that October. Their oldest child, Orson, was just four years old and walked much of the way beside his parents.
For the next thirty-nine years, the Shafers made their home in Salt Lake City, where John worked tirelessly as a farmer, gardener, and laborer to support their growing family of eleven children. He also served in the Nauvoo Legion and later assisted Brigham Young by returning to Winter Quarters to help other Saints make the journey west. John was known as a man of principle—faithful, industrious, and deeply loyal to his family and community. Though he faced trials of faith and misunderstanding later in life, he never abandoned the gospel principles he held dear.
In 1888, after decades of toil and service, John and Hannah purchased a peaceful farm in Granger. Here, they spent their final years surrounded by family, fruit trees, and the community they helped to build. Their home stood just east of the old Granger Post Office—a place remembered for its warmth and hospitality.
John passed away on December 17, 1900, at the age of eighty, leaving behind a legacy of perseverance and faith. Hannah lived another ten years, passing away on September 20, 1910. Together, they had carved a life of quiet dignity from the wilderness, leaving descendants who would carry their name and their pioneering spirit forward through generations.
Their lives were a testament to endurance and devotion—two faithful Saints who endured persecution, hardship, and uncertainty, yet found peace in Granger, where their journey finally came to rest.
