Amelia Mitchell

Amelia Mitchell is the third of 13 children born to David Alexander Mitchell II and Christiana Gertrude Cornelia Clignet Frost of South Africa. The family boarded the ship “Rowena” to immigrate to America. On board, Amelia became ill, but through faith and prayers, she was made well.

When the Mitchell family arrived in America, they traveled to Nebraska and joined the Alvus H. Patterson Company to journey to the Salt Lake Valley. With other members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the company left Florence, Nebraska on June 30, 1863.

Exhaustive travel conditions, disease, injury, lack of food and medicine, prematurity, and extreme weather were some of the greatest threats to pioneers. Nearly a month after they left, 1-year-old Amelia became ill with “inflammation in the bowels,” and passed away. She is buried on the north side of the Platte River in Wyoming.

From Christiana's history: “How very heart breaking it was to lose their little one, but they dressed her in the best clothes they had, and after burying her on the plains they had to turn away and go on, never again to see that little grave.”

From the journal of A.H. Patterson: “July 23rd Traveled 5 miles, passed over the heaviest Sandy ridge. Emelia [Amelia] daughter of David and Christiana Mitchell, age One year, two months, and eleven days, died of inflamation in the bowells. died at 7½ O Clock A.M. This babe was buried 5 miles from last camping place, and about 7 miles below Ash Hollow, on the north side of the Platt river, Close to the two forks of the road, one leads to the river, and the other along the foot of the Bluff to avoid the Slough, Camped at this place over night on account of a thunder storm, good feed.”