Emma Eliza Camp

Emma Eliza Camp is the 13th of 15 children born to Williams Washington Camp of Georgia and Diannah Harriett Greer of Tennessee. Emma’s parents were married in Alabama in 1822. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, they joined the Shadrach Roundy Company to journey west to the Great Salt Lake Valley.

Exhaustive travel conditions, disease, injury, lack of food and medicine, prematurity, and extreme weather were some of the greatest threats to pioneers. Cholera (a bacterial disease caused from contaminated water) was among the most deadly diseases to invade the camps. The company began their journey on June 22. Emma Eliza, 6-years-old became ill and passed away on June 28. She is buried on the Mormon Trail somewhere in Iowa.

According to the journal of Shadrach Roundy: “28 Heavy Rain[.] Roads Bad[.] Met 2 Teams from Valley[.] passed one Grave. No Wood or Water[.] another Death[.] a Daughter of W[illia]ms Camp.”