Transcript

Transcript for Osborn, David, Autobiography 1860, 48-49

I do not rember the number of families that emigrated the summer of '52 but Capt. Howel[l] had charge the 50 to which belonged & I belonged to Capt. [William] Whitehead's ten

we commenced fixing up & on the 2nd of June were on the bank of the Mo. river with quite a comfortable fitout except clothing—3 yoke of oxen & 4 cows. some of which we worked—occasionally. I took a bed chord & wound it across the wagon box on which we put a bed for Cynthia [Osborn] to lie on. Jefferson & Josiah [Hammer] my son-in law wer in the same ten I belonged to[.] we moved on quite comfortably. Cyntha doing bet<ter> than we had expected for 2 or 3 weeks when she began to grow worse as the weather become hotter[.] she had been troubled with convulsive fits at times & they now returned harder than formerly—she gave birth to an in<fant> though not living—revived somewhat again & lingered along about 2 weeks—& departed this life July 2nd. 1852[.] she had her senses to the last—& realised that her time had come—was worried with the tho<ught> of leaving her body on the plains. exposed to devouring <wolves>[.] her last dying request was "Take good care of my little children for I expect they'l[l] have hard times[.]" we were all present. The brethren were very kind to us in this our affliction—there no boards in all the camps to get to make a coffin—but they took pains go over the river & cut & bring cottonwood logs to place over the corpse to prevent the wolves getting it[,] then filled it with dirt. this was on the river Platte 250 m[ule]s. from the Mo. river. Thus terminated the life of my old & worthy companion—a life which had [been] checkered with many afflictions[,] hardships and anxieties—but they have passed away & she is now where the weary pilgrims are at rest—we lived toget<her> 24 years 2 months & 22 days. during which time she brought me 10 children 4 boys & 6 girls—& justice requires that I should say she was a kind hearted & affectionate wife & mother; was truthful[,] industrious[,] cleanly and strictly virtuous. She received & cherished the first principles of the gospel— maintained her standing in the church & I hope, notwithstanding her imperfections, according to the promi<se> I received in my Patriarchal Blessing, to receive her again in the resurrection of the just—

we arrived in S.L. city on the 9th of september in tolerable health & spirits[.] rested in the city a few days