Fanny Eliza Atkinson

Fanny Eliza Atkinson is the last of five children born to James William Atkinson and Rosa Louisa Crunkhorn both from England. The family immigrated to America, sailing on the ship “Antarctic.” After arriving in America, they traveled to Nebraska and joined an “unknown company” to journey to the Great Salt Lake Valley with other members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Exhaustive travel conditions, disease, injury, lack of food and medicine, prematurity, and extreme weather were some of the greatest threats to pioneers. While in Florence, Nebraska, Fanny became ill with “summer complaint.” (The Summer Complaint was considered one of the diarrhea diseases associated with hot summer months. It was often nicknamed “disease of the season.” Not all young children who got the illness died, but many did.  The disease was often caused by was unpasteurized cow’s milk and/or unfiltered water, rendered contaminated under the excessive heat of the summer months.) Although the family did all they could, 1-year-old Fanny passed away. Their family history states she is

in the Old Mormon Grave Yard in Florence, Nebraska. (Note: No record of Fanny Atkinson could be found in any Nebraska cemetery.)