Mary Ann Dunbrack Faulkner

When we comtemplate the stark tragedies which stalked the paths of some of the early members of the church, we wonder how they were able to remain true to the faith. The spirit of the Lord must have been close to them to give comfort against the forces of nature they could not control.

Mary Ann Dunbrack and her husband James Faulkner were liing in Mars Grant, Nova Scotia, Canada, when they heard the gospel message in 1854. They were than the parents of seven children Rebecca, born 1839, who later married John Joseph Peters and died in 1861; Stephen born 1841; Eliza born 1843; who later married James Welsh; Edward born 1845; died 1868; James born 1847; Burk born 1851; and John born 1853. Earl in 1855 they were baptized members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and May 1, left their home to come to Utah. James who was born in 1801 was 17 years older than his wife, she being born in 1818.

They reached the Missouri river where they camped to make final preparations to cross the plains and 1300 miles of desert and mountains. While there their eight year old son James died of the cholera. It took courage for the family to pick up and go on with the company of Captain Jacob Secrist, which left June 14.

By July 5, they were at Ketchum Creek between Kearney and Leavenworth when the Indians stampeded their cattle and Captain Secrist had to go after them. When he had returned to camp he had been stricken with the cholera and was a very sick man. Twelve year old Eliza later wrote that her Mother was the first one to go to the assistance of the captain. Like so many who fell prey to cholera the captain not only died himself (July 8) but transmitted the disease to others in the camp.

Mary Ann and her family were hard hit. She and three more of her sons, Stephen, Burk and John, as well as two relatives Nancy Cruickshank Welsh and her son Stephen, all died and were buried in graves along the trail.

The father and his three remaining children came on to Utah.

(Read at the Feb 10, 1955 meeting of the American Fork Camp, DUP, by Relva Ross, camp historian.)