Phebe's Story
Birth: ?? ??, 1847 | female | in Lee County, Iowa
Death: October 10th, 1849 | 2 years old | in Emigration Canyon, Utah
Memorial: Stone 1 | right column
Phebe Ann Wilson is the third of five children born to Robert Wilson from Wales and Mary Ann Point from Ohio. Phebe’s parents met and were married in 1843 in Ohio.
As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the family had a desire to journey with other Saints to the Great Salt Lake Valley. Driving a wagon for someone else, Robert Wilson joined the Willard Richards Wagon Company and went ahead of Mary Ann and Phebe. Just days later, Mary Ann and Phebe left with the Ezra T. Benson Company.
Exhaustive travel conditions, disease, injury, lack of food and medicine, prematurity, and extreme weather were some of the greatest threats to pioneers. As the company was traveling Emigration Canyon and about to reach the Salt Lake Valley, 2-year-old Phebe passed away of unknown causes. So near to the end of their journey, her mother brought her beloved daughter with her. She is buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery.