Maria is a daughter of Sarah Wagstaff of Upper Arley and Robert Loveridge of Mathon, Worcestershire, England. (note: Maria's middle name may have been Eliza)
She married James Sheen Sr. 1 November 1820 at Herefordshire, England.
Maria, her husband, two daughters, two sons & their wives, along with six grandchildren had immigrated from England aboard the sailing vessel, Enoch Train. They had joined the Edmund Ellsworth Company of handcart pioneers to prepare for their trek to the Salt Lake Valley.
Maria had been ill during the voyage and after the train trip from Boston Harbor, had never recovered. This knowledge came to use through the personal records of our maternal great grandmother, Hannah Sheen, who was Grandmother Maria's daughter.
Family records show her place of death at Iowa City, Johnson, Iowa, on the very day our family was slated to leave with other immigrants from Europe, heading west in the first Mormon Handcart Company.
Coralville, a suburb of Iowa City, was the location which was actually the encampment place of these pioneers.
Description of the area is as follows according to Wikipedia:
"Coralville is the location where some 1300 Mormon immigrants stopped to make camp in their migration of 1856 after having traveled west by rail to Iowa City, which was the westernmost rail terminus at the time. They built handcarts out of native woods during their encampment so that an adult could haul a 600–700 pound load and cover about 15 miles per day on foot in their continuing trek to Salt Lake City. A historical marker commemorating the Mormon Handcart Brigade was erected in 1936 by the Iowa Society DAR, with members of the Pilgrim Chapter present. Originally placed just south of 5th Street and west of 10th Street, it was moved in 1998 to S. T. Morrison Park and rededicated by the Nathaniel Fellows Chapter, placed near the entrance and pond. Today, the Mormon Handcart Park and Nature Preserve commemorates the site. There is also a street, Mormon Trek Blvd, named for the Mormons who went through that area."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ironically, 19 years ago, long before finding this historical marker describing the wildflower covered prairie which has been the sacred resting place of many pioneers, I had written the following poem for my 3rd great grandmother:
"BECAUSE OF LOVE, THE DESERT BLOOMS"
As families left their lives behind
And watched the lonely trails unwind,
They took the seeds of favorite flowers;
Each saved them for the final hours
When journey's end would bring them peace,
And on new life, they'd have a lease.
They dreamed of valleys by the hours
Where they could plant their lovely flowers!
Their handcarts on to Zion pressed-
The trip was hard; they did their best.
But may lovely mothers died,
Their babies crying at their side!
Some children could not carry on-
Small graves were dug at dusk and dawn.
A father often gave his life
To save his precious babes and wife.
Because of love they carried on,
Believing in God's promised dawn.
Priceless seeds were taken out
And at each grave were scattered 'bout.
Today we read of lonely graves
And speak of memories sad to save,
But there are no forgotten tombs;
Because of love, the desert blooms!
~~~~~~~~~Shirleen C. Farley, 1992
She married James Sheen Sr. 1 November 1820 at Herefordshire, England.
Maria, her husband, two daughters, two sons & their wives, along with six grandchildren had immigrated from England aboard the sailing vessel, Enoch Train. They had joined the Edmund Ellsworth Company of handcart pioneers to prepare for their trek to the Salt Lake Valley.
Maria had been ill during the voyage and after the train trip from Boston Harbor, had never recovered. This knowledge came to use through the personal records of our maternal great grandmother, Hannah Sheen, who was Grandmother Maria's daughter.
Family records show her place of death at Iowa City, Johnson, Iowa, on the very day our family was slated to leave with other immigrants from Europe, heading west in the first Mormon Handcart Company.
Coralville, a suburb of Iowa City, was the location which was actually the encampment place of these pioneers.
Description of the area is as follows according to Wikipedia:
"Coralville is the location where some 1300 Mormon immigrants stopped to make camp in their migration of 1856 after having traveled west by rail to Iowa City, which was the westernmost rail terminus at the time. They built handcarts out of native woods during their encampment so that an adult could haul a 600–700 pound load and cover about 15 miles per day on foot in their continuing trek to Salt Lake City. A historical marker commemorating the Mormon Handcart Brigade was erected in 1936 by the Iowa Society DAR, with members of the Pilgrim Chapter present. Originally placed just south of 5th Street and west of 10th Street, it was moved in 1998 to S. T. Morrison Park and rededicated by the Nathaniel Fellows Chapter, placed near the entrance and pond. Today, the Mormon Handcart Park and Nature Preserve commemorates the site. There is also a street, Mormon Trek Blvd, named for the Mormons who went through that area."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ironically, 19 years ago, long before finding this historical marker describing the wildflower covered prairie which has been the sacred resting place of many pioneers, I had written the following poem for my 3rd great grandmother:
"BECAUSE OF LOVE, THE DESERT BLOOMS"
As families left their lives behind
And watched the lonely trails unwind,
They took the seeds of favorite flowers;
Each saved them for the final hours
When journey's end would bring them peace,
And on new life, they'd have a lease.
They dreamed of valleys by the hours
Where they could plant their lovely flowers!
Their handcarts on to Zion pressed-
The trip was hard; they did their best.
But may lovely mothers died,
Their babies crying at their side!
Some children could not carry on-
Small graves were dug at dusk and dawn.
A father often gave his life
To save his precious babes and wife.
Because of love they carried on,
Believing in God's promised dawn.
Priceless seeds were taken out
And at each grave were scattered 'bout.
Today we read of lonely graves
And speak of memories sad to save,
But there are no forgotten tombs;
Because of love, the desert blooms!
~~~~~~~~~Shirleen C. Farley, 1992
Maria is a daughter of Sarah Wagstaff of Upper Arley and Robert Loveridge of Mathon, Worcestershire, England. (note: Maria's middle name may have been Eliza)
She married James Sheen Sr. 1 November 1820 at Herefordshire, England.
Maria, her husband, two daughters, two sons & their wives, along with six grandchildren had immigrated from England aboard the sailing vessel, Enoch Train. They had joined the Edmund Ellsworth Company of handcart pioneers to prepare for their trek to the Salt Lake Valley.
Maria had been ill during the voyage and after the train trip from Boston Harbor, had never recovered. This knowledge came to use through the personal records of our maternal great grandmother, Hannah Sheen, who was Grandmother Maria's daughter.
Family records show her place of death at Iowa City, Johnson, Iowa, on the very day our family was slated to leave with other immigrants from Europe, heading west in the first Mormon Handcart Company.
Coralville, a suburb of Iowa City, was the location which was actually the encampment place of these pioneers.
Description of the area is as follows according to Wikipedia:
"Coralville is the location where some 1300 Mormon immigrants stopped to make camp in their migration of 1856 after having traveled west by rail to Iowa City, which was the westernmost rail terminus at the time. They built handcarts out of native woods during their encampment so that an adult could haul a 600–700 pound load and cover about 15 miles per day on foot in their continuing trek to Salt Lake City. A historical marker commemorating the Mormon Handcart Brigade was erected in 1936 by the Iowa Society DAR, with members of the Pilgrim Chapter present. Originally placed just south of 5th Street and west of 10th Street, it was moved in 1998 to S. T. Morrison Park and rededicated by the Nathaniel Fellows Chapter, placed near the entrance and pond. Today, the Mormon Handcart Park and Nature Preserve commemorates the site. There is also a street, Mormon Trek Blvd, named for the Mormons who went through that area."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ironically, 19 years ago, long before finding this historical marker describing the wildflower covered prairie which has been the sacred resting place of many pioneers, I had written the following poem for my 3rd great grandmother:
"BECAUSE OF LOVE, THE DESERT BLOOMS"
As families left their lives behind
And watched the lonely trails unwind,
They took the seeds of favorite flowers;
Each saved them for the final hours
When journey's end would bring them peace,
And on new life, they'd have a lease.
They dreamed of valleys by the hours
Where they could plant their lovely flowers!
Their handcarts on to Zion pressed-
The trip was hard; they did their best.
But may lovely mothers died,
Their babies crying at their side!
Some children could not carry on-
Small graves were dug at dusk and dawn.
A father often gave his life
To save his precious babes and wife.
Because of love they carried on,
Believing in God's promised dawn.
Priceless seeds were taken out
And at each grave were scattered 'bout.
Today we read of lonely graves
And speak of memories sad to save,
But there are no forgotten tombs;
Because of love, the desert blooms!
~~~~~~~~~Shirleen C. Farley, 1992
She married James Sheen Sr. 1 November 1820 at Herefordshire, England.
Maria, her husband, two daughters, two sons & their wives, along with six grandchildren had immigrated from England aboard the sailing vessel, Enoch Train. They had joined the Edmund Ellsworth Company of handcart pioneers to prepare for their trek to the Salt Lake Valley.
Maria had been ill during the voyage and after the train trip from Boston Harbor, had never recovered. This knowledge came to use through the personal records of our maternal great grandmother, Hannah Sheen, who was Grandmother Maria's daughter.
Family records show her place of death at Iowa City, Johnson, Iowa, on the very day our family was slated to leave with other immigrants from Europe, heading west in the first Mormon Handcart Company.
Coralville, a suburb of Iowa City, was the location which was actually the encampment place of these pioneers.
Description of the area is as follows according to Wikipedia:
"Coralville is the location where some 1300 Mormon immigrants stopped to make camp in their migration of 1856 after having traveled west by rail to Iowa City, which was the westernmost rail terminus at the time. They built handcarts out of native woods during their encampment so that an adult could haul a 600–700 pound load and cover about 15 miles per day on foot in their continuing trek to Salt Lake City. A historical marker commemorating the Mormon Handcart Brigade was erected in 1936 by the Iowa Society DAR, with members of the Pilgrim Chapter present. Originally placed just south of 5th Street and west of 10th Street, it was moved in 1998 to S. T. Morrison Park and rededicated by the Nathaniel Fellows Chapter, placed near the entrance and pond. Today, the Mormon Handcart Park and Nature Preserve commemorates the site. There is also a street, Mormon Trek Blvd, named for the Mormons who went through that area."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ironically, 19 years ago, long before finding this historical marker describing the wildflower covered prairie which has been the sacred resting place of many pioneers, I had written the following poem for my 3rd great grandmother:
"BECAUSE OF LOVE, THE DESERT BLOOMS"
As families left their lives behind
And watched the lonely trails unwind,
They took the seeds of favorite flowers;
Each saved them for the final hours
When journey's end would bring them peace,
And on new life, they'd have a lease.
They dreamed of valleys by the hours
Where they could plant their lovely flowers!
Their handcarts on to Zion pressed-
The trip was hard; they did their best.
But may lovely mothers died,
Their babies crying at their side!
Some children could not carry on-
Small graves were dug at dusk and dawn.
A father often gave his life
To save his precious babes and wife.
Because of love they carried on,
Believing in God's promised dawn.
Priceless seeds were taken out
And at each grave were scattered 'bout.
Today we read of lonely graves
And speak of memories sad to save,
But there are no forgotten tombs;
Because of love, the desert blooms!
~~~~~~~~~Shirleen C. Farley, 1992
Family Members
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