William Isaac Withers

William Isaac Withers is the son of Isaac Withers and Sophia Brown, both of England.

The Withers family joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and immigrated to America sailing on the ship “John Bright.” After arriving in America, they traveled west to Nebraska where they joined the William Henry Chipman Company. The Company began their journey to the Great Salt Lake Valley on July 12, 1866.

Exhaustive travel conditions, disease, injury, lack of food and medicine, prematurity, and extreme weather were some of the greatest threats to pioneers. While the Company was in Wyoming, 14-month-old William Isaac passed away. Bad water and a limited food supply could have contributed to his death. He is buried by the Hams Fork River in Wyoming.

From his mother’s (Sophia) history: “While traveling across Wyoming near Independence Rock, the company went out of its way to avoid Indians and in so doing missed the provision wagon. The Indians did steal half of the cattle and this left them short of milk. All they had to eat was dried peaches and what they could kill. The drinking water was sad (saleratus) and it made them all sick. The baby died in Sophia’s arms as she knelt with her family for evening prayer. He was fourteen months old. They carried him four days until they reached the Hamsfork River. With heavy hearts, they dressed him as best they could, placed him in a box and buried him. A small baby in long clothes was buried with him in the same grave.”