They, the Builders of the Nation

They, the builders of the nation,

Blazing trails along the way;

Stepping stones for generations

Were their deeds of ev'ry day.

Building new and firm foundations,

Pushing on the wild frontier,

Forging onward, ever onward,

Blessed, honored Pioneer!

"That evening as we crossed the Platte River for the last time, it was very cold. The next morning there was about 6 inches of snow on the ground, then what we had to suffer can never be told. Father was very bad this morning and could hardly sit up in the tent, but we had to travel that day through the snow. I managed to get father into one of the wagons that morning, that was the last we ever saw him alive. We could only make one drive as it began to snow so hard, then we camped. The snow was getting very deep and my sister and I had to pitch our tent and get some wood, but that was handy as there were plenty of dry willows on the banks of the river. After we had made mother as comfortable as possible, we went to try and find father, but the wind was blowing the snow so bad that we could not see anything. The wagons had not gotten into camp and it was so dark we did not find him that night...

"The next morning the snow was about 18 inches deep and awful cold. While my sister was preparing our little bite of breakfast I went to look for father, and I found him under the wagon with snow all over him and he was stiff and dead. I felt as though my heart would burst as I sat down beside him on the snow and took his hand in mine and cried "Oh, Father, Father,". There we were away from everything, away out on the mountains with hardly anything to eat or wear and father dead and mother sick and a widow with five small children and not hardly able to live from day to day. After I had my cry out I went back to the tent and told my mother and the children. To try to write my feelings is out of the question. We were not the only family that was called upon to mourn the loss of a father that morning, for there were 13 men dead in camp. The men that were able to do anything cleaned off the snow and made a fire and thawed the ground and dug a big hole and buried all in one grave, some side by side and some on top of one another; anyway to get them covered. I can assure you that the men had no heart to do any more than they had too. We never knew if father died in the wagon and was lifted out or if he got out himself and fell down exhausted and froze to death."

(Heber Robert McBride, pioneer of the Martin Handcart Company)

(My grandmother's grandfather, or my great-great grandfather)

(Original copy of his journal can be found at the BYU HBLL Special Collections)

Today we honor pioneers. They suffered to bring us a better life. If they had not brought their families away from the persecution, we would not be who we are today. Especially not me.

"List our song of adoration! Blessed, honored Pioneer!!!"

(Painting Copyright 1999 by Olinda Reynolds)

("They, the Builders of the Nation" text, Copyright 1948 by Ida R. Allredge)