Faithful Service & Sacrifice

Elder Ralph H. Hendricks's final days and passing

Published October 15, 2026 at 3:43 AM

1910s · 1913
Sunderland

Contributed by

Millennial Star Research

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Elder Ralph H. Hendricks, a 25-year-old missionary from Richmond, Utah, became ill while serving in the Newcastle conference. After two months of declining health and hemorrhages, he passed away in a hospital in Sunderland, England, on February 24, 1913. Doctors were unable to diagnose the exact condition, noting it resembled typhoid fever. He received dedicated care from fellow missionaries until his passing.

Fuller account of this event (the complete account as preserved in The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star, Vol. 75, No. 09 (1913), p. 139):

DEATH OF ELDER RALPH H. HENDRICKS. President Rudger Clawson has received word of the death of Elder Ralph H. Hendricks, of Richmond, Utah, who passed away at the Sunderland hospital, on the 24th of February, 1913. Elder Hendricks had been ill for about two months, and although he received the best of care and attention, he gradually grew weaker until the end came. The cause of death was not definitely determined, but it was thought to be a form of typhoid fever. The remains were prepared for shipment to his home in Utah.

In Their Own Words

“Elder Ralph H. Hendricks passed away in a hospital at Sunderland, England, shortly before midnight, Monday, February 24th, 1913. He had been ailing for about two months, gradually becoming worse, until February 15th, when the doctors announced that the end might be expected at any time... On the night of February 23rd, however, there was a sudden change for the worse. Elder Hendricks complained of severe pains in the lungs and abdomen... Notwithstanding all that could be done for our beloved brother, he breathed his last on the night of February 24th, as already stated. — Millennial Star 75:9”

Sources & References

The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star (Manchester, later Liverpool, England, May 1840–1970), Vol. 75, No. 09 (1913). https://archive.org/details/millennialstar7509eng (account extracted verbatim from the issue's Internet Archive OCR text; research confidence: high) Complete account: The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star, Vol. 75, No. 09 (1913), p. 139 https://archive.org/details/millennialstar7509eng

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