Benjamin Enniss Meek & Louisa Rodgers

Benjamin Enniss Meek

Birth: 6 December 1837, Weston under Penyard, Herefordshire, England Death: 21 Jul 1866, On Plains - West Of Wyoming, Neb on the way to Utah Became a member of LDS Church during 1861

MARRIED Louisa Rodgers 14 October 1860, Weston under Penyard, Herefordshire, England Louisa Rodgers

Birth 14 August 1839, Castling Pike, Lea, Herefordshire, England Death: 11 October 1904, Charleston, Wasatch, Utah, United States Became a member of LDS Church during 1853

During 1866 Benjamin, wife Louisa, daughter Ann and Benjamin’s parents: Thomas & Ann Meek, joined 764 LDS member immigrating to Utah aboard the ship “John Bright” (30 April 1866 to 6 June 1866) http://mormonmigration.lib.byu.edu/Search/showDetails/db:MM_MII/t:voyage/id:193/keywords:Meek Ship Name “John Bright”

Departure: Liverpool, England 30 Apr 1866 from Liverpool Arrival: New York, new York 6 Jun 1866 at New York

PASSENGERS – Aboard “John Bright” • Meek, Benjamin Father Age 28 • LouisaMeek, Mother Age 27 • AnnMeek, Daughter Age 5 • ThomasMeek, Father – Father-in-Law Age 58 • AnnMeek, Mother – Mother-in-Law Age 58

Passengers arrived at Castle Garden Immigration Receiving Center at New York, New York and then the immigrants boarded riverboats and trains which headed for Wyoming, Nebraska.

The wagon train outfitting post at Wyoming, Nebraska (the west bank of the Missouri River about 40 miles south of. Omaha). Thomas E. Ricks Company The Meek’s Family became part of the THOMAS E. RICKS COMPANY

DEPARTURE Wyoming, Nebraska 6-10 July 1866 ARRIVAL: Salt Lake City, Utah, 29 August 1866

NUMBER IN COMPANY 46 Wagons 256 Immigrants in the total Company of 272

Meek, Benjamin Age 28 Meek, Louisa Rodgers Age 28 Listed as Louisa Rogers in Company roster Meek, Ann Age 5 Meek, Ann Ennis Age 58 Meek, Thomas Age 58 1866 - During travel with Thomas E. Ricks Wagon Co. from Wyoming, Nebraska , Benjamin Enniss Meek, became ill and died 21 July 1866 and was buried along the trail. Trail reports put the THOMAS E. RICKS COMPANY at Cottonwood, Neb on 20 July 1866. That is along the Platte River & Mormon Trail about 100 miles West from Kearney, Nebraska. Near present day North Platte, Nebraska. http://history.lds.org/overlandtravels/trailExcerptMulti?lang=eng&companyId=254&sourceId=10610 THOMAS E. RICKS COMPANY July 20th 1866 at Cottonwood, Nebraska. 100 miles west of Kearney. [this would be near North Platte, Nebraska) "First Immigration Train," Deseret News [Weekly], 30 Aug. 1866 The company traveled 10-15 miles the next day and Benjamin Enniss Meek, died 21 July 1866 and was buried along the trail.

http://history.lds.org/overlandtravels/trailExcerptMulti?lang=eng&companyId=254&sourceId=10582 "First Immigration Train," Deseret News[Weekly], 30 Aug. 1866 The following are the names of those who died: Benjamin Meek, from Weston, Herefordshire, England [ … ]

Find A Grave Benjamin Enniss Meek http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=118700539