Betsey Ashton

Betsy Ashton was born to parents William Ashton and Sarah Ann Barlow from England. Wiliam and Sarah had five daughters who sailed the Atlantic Ocean to America. After their arrival the family joined the Edwin Martin Handcart Company to travel with other members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the Salt Lake Valley.

Sarah was pregnant when the family began their journey west. After leaving Florence, Sarah went into labor and delivered another daughter and named her Sarah Ann after the baby’s mother. The mother did not survive childbirth and is buried in the area of where baby Sarah was born. Little sisters in the Ashton family tried to care for newborn Sarah Ann. Despite their best efforts, little Sarah passed away at one-month-old and buried in Nebraska on the trail West.

The weather became cold with snowstorms and very frigid nights. While in Laramie, Wyoming at the Fort, William joined the Army in an effort to financially support his young daughters. The girls were then taken care of by other members of the company. Unknown to William until later, on October 20, 11-year-old Betsey fell ill and froze to death. According to her family history she is buried in Wyoming nine miles south of Prairie Center.

An ISDUP record reads: “Betsey was never to see Utah as she became ill from lack of food and while the company was camped by the North Platte River on the plains of Wyoming, she froze to death."