William Buckingham Stimpson

William Buckingham, Stimpson was the third of four children born to William Stimpson and Rebecca Lubbock, both from England. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the family desired to join other Saints in the Salt Lake Valley. In 1856, they immigrated to America and joined the Edward Martin Handcart Company to make the trek west to Zion.

Exhaustive travel conditions, disease, injury, lack of food and medicine, premature birth, and extreme weather were some of the greatest threats to pioneers. Cholera, a bacterial disease caused from contaminated water, infected many of the travelers. Furthermore, the Handcart Company began their journey late in the season, placing the Saints in the path of frigid temperatures, snowstorms, and depleted food rations.

Rebecca was expecting their fourth child when 1-year-old William passed away of cold and starvation near Casper, Wyoming. He is buried “on the trail” west near Casper on the Mormon Trail. His mother and newborn baby passed away almost one month later.