Tamar Howard

Tamar Howard is the last of 11 children born to Joseph Howard and Ann Shelton, both of England. The family immigrated from England to America, sailing on the ship “Hudson.” After they arrived in America, they traveled to Nebraska and joined the William Hyde Company to journey to the Great Salt Lake Valley with other members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Company left August 9, 1864.

Exhaustive travel conditions, disease, injury, lack of food and medicine, prematurity, and extreme weather were some of the greatest threats to pioneers. Just one day after the journey began, 3-year-old Tamar passed away from Mountain Spotted Fever (a bacterial infection caused by a tick bite) and is buried in a shallow grave by the Platte River in Nebraska. Her 5-year-old sister died a week later and her mother passed away in Sweetwater, Wyoming of the same illness.