Sarah Thomas

Sarah's parents are Robert Thomas and Catherine Lewis both born in England. After Robert and Catherine joined the church, they moved from England to Nauvoo, Illinois to be with the Saints. There they were blessed with their 8th child, a daughter Sarah.

After they were forced to leave Nauvoo, the family relocated in Nebraska, there they joined the David H. Cannon Company to travel to the Salt Lake Valley. They departed Nebraska on June 1, 1861.

Just a couple of weeks shy of entering into the Salt Lake Valley, Sarah came down with mountain fever while traveling through Wyoming and passed away. Twelve year old Sarah was laid to rest along the Mormon Trail in Wyoming, with family mourning her loss.

The company journal says:

“They crossed South Pass on July 31, nooned at Pacific Springs, and camped two miles further west. August began very warm and most of the company remained in camp to rest the cattle and make repairs, but two families with three mule-drawn wagons continued on. Here also some Texans who were headed to Utah joined them. On August 2 they crossed Dry Sandy and stopped at Little Sandy, where they found that the two families who had left the company the day before had lost their mules. At this very spot, young Sarah died and was buried alongside the Mormon Trail.”

In Bartlett Tripp’s journal of the journey west, he says:

“Mr. Robert Thomas lost a little girl last night with the Mountain Fever. buried this morning. She was a cripple and Non Compos Mentis. The loss of such a child ought never to be mourned—Dinner on Big Sandy which is little better entitled to the name than that on which we encamped last[.] The road passes along this river at the distance of 1 to 2 mi[.] In camp B. Sandy 1 mi from road. no bottom feed[.] Bunch grass.”

SubmittedBy Penny Magnusson Hannum