Biography
Lewis was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and was orphaned at a young age. He attended Central Methodist University, Central College in Howard County, Missouri, Howard County and Fairview Academy. When the American Civil War broke out, Lewis joined the Army of the West (1862), Army of the West and participated in the Battle of Booneville and later engagements before his December 19, 1861 capture by Union Army, Union forces. He was paroled the next spring after serving in Gratiot Street Prison and began studying law. Lewis moved to Utah Territory to teach in 1865 and converted to the LDS Church the next year. He served a Mormon missionary, mission to the Southern United States, Southern States, then in 1870 began teaching at a school that later became Brigham Young Academy. From 1872 until 1876, Lewis served as superintendent of schools in Nephi, Utah. He was also a justice of the peace there. He then went to Salt Lake City where he was the teacher at the 20th Ward (LDS Church), Ward School. In 1879, Lewis became superintendent of schools for Salt Lake County, Utah, Salt Lake County. From 1885 to 1887 he was principal of Ogden High School (Ogden, Utah), Ogden High School. Lewis also served as Superintendent of Utah Territorial Schools from 1894 until statehood was achieved at the start of 1896. In the October 1882 General Conference (LDS Church), General Conference of the church, following the custom of the day, Lewis was issued a surprise calling to become a Seventy and serve as one of the Quorum (Latter Day Saints), quorum's seven presidents. The congregation sustained him. However, as he was about to be set apart the next day, he reported he had already been ordained a High priest (Latter Day Saints), high priest and was therefore not set apart, and never served in the quorum presidency. A polygamist, Lewis was married to sisters Martha J. Coray and Ephrina Sarepa Coray. He was the father of 17 children.Andrew Jenson, ''Latter-day Saints Biographical Encyclopedia'', Vol. 3, pp. 149–150. Lewis died in Boston, Massachusetts, from complications following surgery.References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Theodore B. 1843 births 1899 deaths 19th-century Mormon missionaries American Mormon missionaries in the United States American general authorities (LDS Church) Confederate States Army soldiers Converts to Mormonism Latter Day Saints from Missouri Latter Day Saints from Utah Mormon pioneers People from Nephi, Utah Military personnel from St. Louis Presidents of the Seventy (LDS Church)