Sarah Cross

The following year, 1857, Samuel’s young sweetheart, Sarah Cross came to Utah in the Israel Evans handcart company. This company left Florence, Nebraska on the 20th of June, arriving in Salt Lake City on the 11th or 12th of Sept. It was a very small company of 149 people—31 handcarts and just one wagon to haul the heavy baggage. While the Martin handcart company had suffered much because of the bitter cold weather, the Israel Evans company had to endure the heat of summer. Many times Sarah would lay down in the shade of her handcart feeling that she just could not go on any farther and that she would die by the wayside. However, the cool of evening would revive her and she would decide that she would go on to where the company was camped and at least be with friends when she died. Some food to eat and a night’s rest and she would be ready to continue the journey the next day. What faith she must have had, the only one of her family to join the Church and come to Utah at that time. When she got to Salt Lake City and heard the Prophet of the Lord, President Brigham Young speak, it thrilled her through and through and she never regretted the long, tiresome journey. She was reunited with her young man, Samuel and they were married in October 1857.