Emma Constance Lund

Emma Constance Lund is the fourth child and first daughter of Gunerius Jensen Lund and Karen (Karma) Jacobsdatter, both of Norway. The Lund Family sailed to America on the ship John Bright. In Nebraska, they joined a handcart company to journey with other members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the Great Salt Lake Valley.

In a history of Emma’s parents, the following story is written: “At this time from the water and exposure Emma Constance became quite ill. They fixed a bed for her in part of the handcart. When they had come quite far the baby was so ill the family stopped and the others went on to the Salt Lake Valley. Karma must have felt devastated, there was nothing to do for her sweet little girl. They stopped where it was grassy and there was a stream. From the stream they gathered rocks to put around the baby to get her fever down. They did everything they could to make her well. The rest of the people in the handcart company continued on to the Salt Lake Valley and assured the Lunds they would send help back. They sent a Brother Tollman (or Sollman, or Gollman) back to meet the handcart that was left in the canyon East of the Salt Lake Valley. When Brother Tolman got there, he found a family of five, four of them were crying and working over the little girl trying to make her well. Brother Tolman took one look and he knew the baby was dead. He couldn’t speak Norwegian and they couldn’t speak English so it took some time to convince the family that their sweet little girl had gone back to our Heavenly Father. After some time, he helped them bury her in the green meadow by the clear stream. The devastated family now pushed on to the Salt Lake Valley guided by Brother Tolman.”

One-year-old Emma Constance is buried in a green meadow by a stream in Echo Canyon.