William Lee

William Lee is the second of thirteen children born to John Lee and Sarah Roebuck, both from England. The family immigrated from England to America and then joined the Edmund Ellsworth Company to journey to the Salt Lake Valley. In 1858, the family began their trek west with other members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

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. Along the way, 12-year-old William died of consumption (a lung disease) and is buried at Bear Creek, Iowa.

From the journal of William's mother: “On the 15th our son William Lee age 12 years died also Sister Prator's child, we buried them by moonlight on Bear Creek.”

From the journal of Archer Walter: “Sunday 15th got up about 4 o'clock to make a coffin for my brother John Lee's son name William Lee, aged 12 years. Meetings as usual and at the same time had to make another coffin for Sister [Mary Harper] Pr[e]ator's child [Loran Isabella Preator]. Was tired with repairing hand carts the last week. Went and buried them by moonlight at Bear Creek.”