June 23rd thru 27th

Summer has arrived in Omaha heat was 96 degrees and at 50% Humidity the temperature felt like 108 degrees. This was the typical temperature for a couple of days this week.  With this type of heat, the advisory was stay inside and drink plenty of water. Speaking of water a couple of storms dumped 3" of water in about 30 Minutes!

Really a great week at the Mormon Trail Center and the Kanesville Tabernacle. Sister White ended the month with about 30 tours at the Trail Center, New this year the Senior Couples are in the loop for the tours with the Sisters at the Center. That probably matched all the tours she had given all the last 16 Months.

Here are some pictures of the flowers at the Kanesville Taberncle

Many People are connecting with their pioneer ancestors with the program called Relative Finder (www.relativefinder.org) there is a page for people who are buried in the Pioneer Cemetery at Winter Quarters. It can be found under the Groups drop down menu under community groups, look it up and see how many relatives you have here.

Pioneer Ancestors can be found by searching different websites. We like using a couple, Relative Finder, Winter Quarters Project,  https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/overlandtravel, and EarlyLDS.com. You can find where your ancestors lived and where they are buried.

Henry Gale

Born: 1818 Died: 1891

Henry and his family migrated from Australia to Utah in 1853, coming by way of California.

On Wednesday 7 Apr 1853 they started for America with a small company of Saints in charge of Elder Wandell. This was the first company of Saints to leave Australia to come to America. They left Sidney in the ship "Envelop" with their four children; Elizabeth, James, George, and Rebecca. While on the Pacific Ocean on 12 May 1853, another son was born and named Wandell Pacific after Elder Wandell and the ocean they were on.

When we arrived at Santa Barbara the ship anchored for the passengers to go to the city for supplies. My Father got into the boat and Matthew Walker was going down the side of the ship. The tide was low and the ladder did not reach the water. Walker went to the lower end and was holding onto the Ladder. The men in the boat said "Hold fast until we get the boat closer to the ship." He let go all holts and went straight down into the sea. I was looking over the side of the ship. A man by the name of Evens threw off his coat and dived in after Walker and brought him up. Both were nearly drowned.

Nine weeks after we left Sydney we reached America and landed at San Pedro, California. We were met there by a Brother Button and others with teams and wagons to take us to the church ranch at San Bernardino. On the second day out, we camped at the Coco Mungo ranch to prepare dinner. One of the women took we children out in the desert to gather wild flowers and rest us from the tedious journey. Other ladies took care of the tiny babies and cooked the noon meal. It was a lovely place with heavy brush and timbers, we were enjoying ourselves. I told the woman I was going back to the wagon and left the group. Then I saw another bunch of flowers that I wanted, and even though I heard them start calling for dinner, I decided to get them.

After New Years we traveled slowly with the company until we reached Las Vegas Spring Stream. Other companies of saints came along,, among them was William Moyes with his family. In a few days we traveled up the big Meadow Valley wash to cottonwood springs. We came to the Muddy stream or river.

The Indians gathered in the camp and begged for food. They were almost naked. The Captain called for donations of flour, cornmeal, shorts (a coarse grind of wheat) or anything that would make mush for the hungry Indians. A large iron pot was set on the fire, the water and the donations gathered up were put in to cook. Before it was done, the Indians dipped their fingers into the boiling pot and into their mouths. The crowded around the fire so that the hindmost ones could not get any and they threw up the sand over the fire ,pot and all. It all made mush. The next morning an old poor work ox got into the mud. The Indians wanted it so the Captain gave it to them. They killed it in the mud, drank the blood ant cut it in strips and ate it raw, intestines and all. We thought it was awful.

We traveled up the Virgin river, and at another cottonwood springs is where we first met the William Moyes Family. Here we saw the first snow in our lives. We traveled on over the desert and passed over the ground of the Mountain Meadow Massacre and saw several graves. Next we reached Cedar Creek, and then on to Summit Creek. Here it snowed all day - twelve to fourteen inches deep. While we traveled, I walked to lighten the load. My brother George had to ride, he had a lame foot. I began to get behind as my feet were being frozen. My team got so far ahead I could not catch up. Brother Meeks and his wife came along, picked me up, took off my shoes, and wrapped my feet in a blanket, then I knew my feet were frozen. We rushed on as fast as we could and overtook Father, glad to be with them again.

We got to Parowan, and then went on north and reached Beaver, Utah on 14 Feb 1858. The town of Beaver was located 8 Feb 1856 with Simon F. Houd as the Presiding Elder. We got two city lots. Father dug a big cellar six feet deep, put some long cottonwood poles across it, then put a wagon cover over them for a roof. We used one corner of the cellar for a fireplace. Mother did all her cooking on the fire. No stove.

He actually became a teamster on the down and back freight companies in 1866. These companies would freight goods to the Missouri River and then haul immigrants back to Utah.

A different story of immigration, not from the east but coming from the west to Utah.