Mary Elizabeth Homsley Grave
Goshen County, Wyoming
Overview
Mary Elizabeth Oden was born near Lexington, Kentucky on July 20, 1824. She moved with her parents to Missouri where she married Benjamin Franklin Homsley in 1841. In April 1852, Mary Elizabeth traveled with her husband, parents, and 10 brothers and sisters and their families to Oregon. Mary gave birth to a child on the trail in Nebraska, but became ill with measles and both were dumped out of a wagon during a river crossing to reach Fort Laramie. Mary Elizabeth died on June 10 and was buried wrapped in a feather bed. Her baby died weeks later near Boise, Idaho; her husband Benjamin and two other daughters reached Clackamas County, Oregon. Benjamin never remarried.
Location
West of Fort Laramie, Wyoming
From the river bridge between the town of Fort Laramie and Fort Laramie National Historic Site, travel west 0.7 mile and turn right on a county gravel road. In 1.2 miles turn right. The grave is another 0.2 mile north.
The site is privately owned but is open to the public.
Source: Randy Brown and Reg Duffin, Graves and Sites on the Oregon and California Trails, OCTA, 2nd edition, 1998, pp 34-35
To learn more: This publication is available for purchase.