Stephen Walsh Faulkner

Stephen Walsh Faulkner is the second of seven children born to James Faulkner and Mary Ann Dunbrack, both from Canada. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the family desired to journey to the Great Salt Lake Valley. In 1855, they joined the Jacob F. Secrist / Noah T. Guymon Company to cross the plains with other Saints.

Exhaustive travel conditions, disease, injury, lack of food and medicine, prematurity, and extreme weather were some of the greatest threats to pioneers. Cholera (a bacterial disease caused from contaminated water) infected many in the Company and the majority of the Faulkner family. Among the victims were Stephen’s brother, James, who died in May; his mother, Mary Ann, who died on July 5. Two days later, Stephen died and is buried on the prairie near the Platte River. His brother, Burke, followed him in death two days after. The youngest brother, John, died of the measles in June.