Mercy Ann Virgin

Mercy Ann Virgin is the youngest of four children born to George Thompson Virgin and Mary Ann Barker, both of England.

A few nights after Mercy was born, Mary Ann had a dream that George was going to be killed. It was a few days later on December 30, he was killed. When they came to Mary Ann of the tragedy, she said that she already knew because of the dream.

Mary Ann, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, left England with her children and immigrated to America. After arriving in America, the family joined the Horton D. Haight Company bound for the Salt Lake Valley.

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. Being without a husband made the journey especially challenging. Many of the company tried to help including a young man, Ephraim Barton. The weather was cold and windy with rain and snow. Mary Ann and 10-month-old Mercy Ann became ill. Mary Ann was so sick that she didn’t even know that her little girl had passed away. Ephraim did all he could to help little Mercy Ann, but he passed away the same night.

According to a company journal: “The company stopped, dug a grave, sang a hymn, and offered prayer. They wrapped this kind man in a blanket with the baby in his arms and buried them in the same grave. A fire was built over the site to keep wolves away, and then it was covered with rocks. The company moved on.”

Mary Ann slowly recovered and arrived in Salt Lake City.