Samuel's Story
Birth: February 20th, 1862 | male | in Pulham, Norfolk, England
Death: September 11th, 1866 | 4 years old | near Fort Bridger, Wyoming
Memorial: Stone 14 | right column
Samuel Crane is one of eight children born to John LeRoy Crane and Sarah Stannard of England. John, Sarah and their children immigrated to America on the ship “American Congress.” After their arrival, they traveled to Nebraska and joined the Daniel Thompson Company to go west with other members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Company left Nebraska for the Great Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1866.
Disease, injury, lack of food and medicine, prematurity, and weather were some of the greatest threats to pioneers. When the company was near Fort Bridger, 4-year-old Samuel, who had been ill the entire journey, passed away. He is buried on the Mormon Trail near Fort Bridger, Wyoming.
One of Samuel's brothers wrote: “He had sickened soon after we left home and slowly pined away until we neared Fort Bridger. When we stopped for dinner one day, he passed away. We carried him till night and then buried him by the road side next morning and left him there alone.”