Maria's Story
Birth: December 18th, 1839 | female | in Bury, Lancashire, England
Death: June 16th, 1848 | 8 years old | on the Mormon Trail in Nebraska
Memorial: Stone 1 | right column
Maria Kay was one of three children born to John Moburn Kay and Ellen Cockcroft, both from England. John and Ellen were married in 1837 in England.
The Kay family immigrated to America and were living in Nauvoo. They left Nauvoo to join the Brigham Young Company of 1848 to journey to the Great Salt Lake Valley with other members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The company left June 5, 1848.
Exhaustive travel conditions, disease, injury, lack of food and medicine, premature birth, and extreme weather were some of the greatest threats to pioneers. Along the way, 8-year-old Maria died from an “apoplectic stroke.” She is buried along the Mormon Trail in Nebraska.
From the journal of Thomas Bullock: “Friday 16 Turned out Cattle at 3—raining at intervals—when Sun rose two rainbows seen—gathered up Cattle at 7. At 9 took them out again. At ½ past 9, Maria Kay daughter of John and Ellen Kay, died—aged 8 years 5 months and 16 days. She had an apoplectic stroke in addition to an intermittent fever."