Mary's Story
Birth: April 6th, 1837 | female | in Himbleton, Worcestershire, England
Death: July 21st, 1852 | 15 years old | in Nebraska
Memorial: Stone 3 | left column
Mary Bradley is the daughter of Mary Coombs and stepfather, William Wheeler, both from England. The Wheeler family immigrated from England to America. After their arrival, they joined the James McGaw 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. Cholera invaded the company and among the victims were 15-year-old Mary and her mother, Mary. They are buried side-by-side in Nebraska along the Mormon Trail.
From the company journal: “Thursday July 22. Weather fine. Sister [Mary] Wheeler and daughter are laying quite low of the Cholera . At 7½ Sister Wheeler departed this life. At 2 p.m. Mary Wheeler the daughter of Sister Wheeler who died this Morning departed this life and is now buried by the side of her Mother between the road and river. Thus Death walks in and takes one after another.”