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Joseph Stimpson was the youngest child born William Stimpson and Rebecca Lubbock, both from England. William and Rebecca married 19 November 1848. After learning of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, they were baptized.

Their first son was born and died prematurely in 1849. Frederick was born in 1852 and William Buckingham was born in 1854. In 1856, the family immigrated to America and joined the Edward Martin Handcart Company, to travel west with other Saints to 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. Furthermore, the handcart company left late in the season, placing the Saints in the path of frigid temperatures, snowstorms, and low food supplies. It was under those conditions that Rebecca gave birth to a fourth child, Joseph.

Joseph's 1-year-old brother, William, passed away from exposure and starvation on October 9, 1856 near Casper, Wyoming. One month later, Rebecca gave birth to Joseph on November 9, 1856. She died in childbirth and baby Joseph lived approximately four hours. They are buried together near Matin’s Cove, Wyoming.

Years later, Joseph’s brother, Frederick, wrote that he was about 5-years-old when they crossed the plains. He remembered they dug into the frozen ground as much as they could and buried ten people who had died. Rocks were put on top of the grave. Frederick wrote that his father couldn't speak of it ever again.

William, Frederick, and the other Saints who survived those dreaded conditions, were rescued and taken to the Salt Lake Valley.