John Joseph Wiseman

John Joseph Wiseman is the third of four children born to John Wiseman and Mary Ann Stevens, both from England.

As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Wiseman’s immigrated to America to be with other Saints. (They had four children, but two daughters passed away before making the journey to America.)

After their arrival in America, the Wisemen's joined the John A. Hunt Company to journey west to the Salt Lake Valley. The company left Iowa on August 1, 1956.

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. After the company had been on the Mormon Trail West for four weeks, John's younger brother, Henry, became ill and passed away.

As they traveled the journey became increasingly difficult due to limited rations and harsh snowstorms. By the time they reached Fort Laramie, their last living child passed away. Five-year-old John Joseph is buried at Old Fort Laramie Post Cemetery, Fort Laramie, Goshen, Wyoming, United States.

From a Company report: “Captain John Hunt reported to President Brigham Young that they had buried Brother John Wiseman's boy, who had died on the 9th, at the Fort Laramie Post Cemetery.”

Hunt Company journal: “Bro. [John] Wiseman had lost his son John Joseph, aged 5 yrs. during the night. We buried him yesterday in the Fort burial ground alongside Bro. Tennant. This is the Second child [Henry H. Wiseman] he has lost on the way.”

Journal of the journey: “The encampment for the night was made at 7 o'clock p.m., about one mile from Fort Laramie, after traveling 20 miles during the day. The feed was very poor at this camp. John Joseph Wiseman, aged 5 years, son of John and Mary Ann Wiseman, died at 10 p.m. from bodily weakness.”

Having lost each of their children, John and Mary Ann traveled on to Utah with faith.