"Thomas B. Giles, widely known later as "The Blind Harpist." With a wife and baby girl and two boys, aged 7 and 9, he pulled his handcart westward.
"Soon after starting across the plains, the baby girl became ill and died. She was buried beside the trail and the company moved onward. A few weeks later, his wife died. She also was buried beside the trail.
"The two boys, because of their father's condition, were sent back to join another company...
Somewhere on the Sweetwater "Elder Giles himself became seriously ill. After holding the company for two days, Captain Bunker ordered the camp to move on, leaving two of the men to bury the sick man when he died. It was expected that death would come in a matter of hours.
"Remarkable faith and the frequent administrations of the Elders who attended him kept the patient alive until evening when Parley P. Pratt the Apostle, who had known Brother Giles in Wales, reached the camp. Elder Pratt gave Brother Giles a remarkable blessing. In it he made these promises: he should instantly be healed and made well, that he should rejoin his company and arrive safely in the Salt Lake Valley; that he should there rear a family; and that because of his faithfulness he should be permitted to live as long as he wanted...
"Elder Giles rejoined his company, reached the Valley, Oct. 2, 1856, remarried, and lived to bless and name 7 of his grandchildren. His death occurred... after he expressed a desire to go."(See, Heart Throbs of the West, 10:325-6)
Additional biographic information. Thomas' wife Margaret was pregnant and delivered baby Elizabeth while en route to Salt Lake Valley. Mother and child both died (their cenotaph headstone in Provo City Cemetery says they both died in September of 1856). Maria is the name of the 2 year old daughter that passed away on the plains as mentioned above. (Thanks to Annie Duckett Hundley for additional information)
"Soon after starting across the plains, the baby girl became ill and died. She was buried beside the trail and the company moved onward. A few weeks later, his wife died. She also was buried beside the trail.
"The two boys, because of their father's condition, were sent back to join another company...
Somewhere on the Sweetwater "Elder Giles himself became seriously ill. After holding the company for two days, Captain Bunker ordered the camp to move on, leaving two of the men to bury the sick man when he died. It was expected that death would come in a matter of hours.
"Remarkable faith and the frequent administrations of the Elders who attended him kept the patient alive until evening when Parley P. Pratt the Apostle, who had known Brother Giles in Wales, reached the camp. Elder Pratt gave Brother Giles a remarkable blessing. In it he made these promises: he should instantly be healed and made well, that he should rejoin his company and arrive safely in the Salt Lake Valley; that he should there rear a family; and that because of his faithfulness he should be permitted to live as long as he wanted...
"Elder Giles rejoined his company, reached the Valley, Oct. 2, 1856, remarried, and lived to bless and name 7 of his grandchildren. His death occurred... after he expressed a desire to go."(See, Heart Throbs of the West, 10:325-6)
Additional biographic information. Thomas' wife Margaret was pregnant and delivered baby Elizabeth while en route to Salt Lake Valley. Mother and child both died (their cenotaph headstone in Provo City Cemetery says they both died in September of 1856). Maria is the name of the 2 year old daughter that passed away on the plains as mentioned above. (Thanks to Annie Duckett Hundley for additional information)
"Thomas B. Giles, widely known later as "The Blind Harpist." With a wife and baby girl and two boys, aged 7 and 9, he pulled his handcart westward.
"Soon after starting across the plains, the baby girl became ill and died. She was buried beside the trail and the company moved onward. A few weeks later, his wife died. She also was buried beside the trail.
"The two boys, because of their father's condition, were sent back to join another company...
Somewhere on the Sweetwater "Elder Giles himself became seriously ill. After holding the company for two days, Captain Bunker ordered the camp to move on, leaving two of the men to bury the sick man when he died. It was expected that death would come in a matter of hours.
"Remarkable faith and the frequent administrations of the Elders who attended him kept the patient alive until evening when Parley P. Pratt the Apostle, who had known Brother Giles in Wales, reached the camp. Elder Pratt gave Brother Giles a remarkable blessing. In it he made these promises: he should instantly be healed and made well, that he should rejoin his company and arrive safely in the Salt Lake Valley; that he should there rear a family; and that because of his faithfulness he should be permitted to live as long as he wanted...
"Elder Giles rejoined his company, reached the Valley, Oct. 2, 1856, remarried, and lived to bless and name 7 of his grandchildren. His death occurred... after he expressed a desire to go."(See, Heart Throbs of the West, 10:325-6)
Additional biographic information. Thomas' wife Margaret was pregnant and delivered baby Elizabeth while en route to Salt Lake Valley. Mother and child both died (their cenotaph headstone in Provo City Cemetery says they both died in September of 1856). Maria is the name of the 2 year old daughter that passed away on the plains as mentioned above. (Thanks to Annie Duckett Hundley for additional information)
"Soon after starting across the plains, the baby girl became ill and died. She was buried beside the trail and the company moved onward. A few weeks later, his wife died. She also was buried beside the trail.
"The two boys, because of their father's condition, were sent back to join another company...
Somewhere on the Sweetwater "Elder Giles himself became seriously ill. After holding the company for two days, Captain Bunker ordered the camp to move on, leaving two of the men to bury the sick man when he died. It was expected that death would come in a matter of hours.
"Remarkable faith and the frequent administrations of the Elders who attended him kept the patient alive until evening when Parley P. Pratt the Apostle, who had known Brother Giles in Wales, reached the camp. Elder Pratt gave Brother Giles a remarkable blessing. In it he made these promises: he should instantly be healed and made well, that he should rejoin his company and arrive safely in the Salt Lake Valley; that he should there rear a family; and that because of his faithfulness he should be permitted to live as long as he wanted...
"Elder Giles rejoined his company, reached the Valley, Oct. 2, 1856, remarried, and lived to bless and name 7 of his grandchildren. His death occurred... after he expressed a desire to go."(See, Heart Throbs of the West, 10:325-6)
Additional biographic information. Thomas' wife Margaret was pregnant and delivered baby Elizabeth while en route to Salt Lake Valley. Mother and child both died (their cenotaph headstone in Provo City Cemetery says they both died in September of 1856). Maria is the name of the 2 year old daughter that passed away on the plains as mentioned above. (Thanks to Annie Duckett Hundley for additional information)
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