Egbert, Joseph, one of the original Utah pioneers of 1847, was born March 10, 1818, in Sullivan County, Indiana, the son of John Nicholas Egbert and Susannah Hahn of Kentucky. He was raised as a farmer, and his parents, becoming converts to "Mormonism," removed to Jackson County, Missouri. As a boy he became well-trained in all phases of farm life. He told not only of the golden harvest times, but of going to the nearby woods to gather hazel nuts.

Joseph was baptized in May, 1833, by David W. Patten in Clay County, Missouri and soon after that the Saints were driven out of Jackson County. Later, the family settled at Far West, Caldwell County, Missouri, and after passing through nearly all the Missouri persecutions, they settled temporarily at Quincy, Illinois. Afterwards they became residents of Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois, where Joseph married Mary C. Alllred, and in 1846 was ordained a Seventy and became a member of the 4th quorum of Seventy.

During the exodus he went with his family to Winter Quarters, and in 1847 traveled to the Great Salt Lake Valley as one of the original pioneers under Pres. Brigham Young, entering the Valley in Orson Pratt's advance company, July 22, 1847. He returned to Winter Quarters the same season, and came to the Valley a second time in 1850, bringing his family with him.

After settling temporarily in South Cottonwood, Salt Lake County, he settled permanently at Kaysville, Davis County, in 1851, where he resided for many years and assisted in every way possible to build up that part of the county. Here he acted for many years as a Ward teacher, and also served his fellow citizens as constable, pound keeper, water master, etc. For over twenty years he was the proprietor of a hotel at Kaysville.

When a young man in Nauvoo he worked on the Nauvoo Temple until it was completed and received his endowments before starting for the West. On several occasions Bro. Egbert sent teams to the Missouri River after poor emigrants, and was as a rule liberal with his means when Church affairs were involved. Br. Egbert died May 24, 1898, at Ogden, Utah.