Edward Stoudemann

Edward fourth of five children born to Jaques François Stoudemann and Louise Moinat, both of Switzerland.

As converts to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Stoudemann's and their children, Charles, Eduard, Francois, were excited to immigrate to America to be with other Saints in the Great Salt Lake Valley. In 1854, they sailed on the ship “John M. Wood.” After arriving in America, they traveled to Missouri and joined the James Brown Company to journey west for the Utah Territory. The company of Saints departed from Westport, Missouri on June 18, 1854.

Exhaustive travel conditions, disease, injury, lack of food and medicine, premature birth, and extreme weather were some of the greatest threats to pioneers. Cholera, a bacterial disease caused from contaminated water, infected many of the travelers.

Eight-year-old Edward, his parents, Jaques and Louise, and his 11-year-old brother, Francois suffered from cholera. They all passed away the same day, June 22, 1854 and were buried in Fort Leavenworth, Leavenworth, Kansas, United States.

In the journal of Johan Frederick Fechser, he says:

“In these days [1854] a family by the name of Stutmann [Stoudemann] died. Frantz Stutmann [Jaques François Stoudemann] and his wife Louise [Louise Moinat] died on the 22 of June, and 2 sons, the name of the one was Edward [Eduard Stoudeman], the other one’s name I do not know [Francois Stoudemann]. The funeral of all these I attended to with my own hands; they were all buried 15 mile from (northwest of) Fort Leavenworth.”