Joseph McKay - The Rest of the Story

I've learned so much about our pioneer ancestor, Joseph McKay.  He survived the trek to Utah in the Willie Handcart Company in 1856.  He almost didn't make it, but a man named Andrew Smith found him on Rocky Ridge - having been left for dead - and carried him to the summit.  Had he not done this, Joseph would have died that day, October 23, 1856. He later married Joseph's daughter, Jane McKay.  Since he married into the family,  I wanted to find out more about this young man, age 19.  So I looked him up in the book Shiloh had lent me:  Tell My Story, Too by Jolene S. Allphin.  Here's what it says about Andrew Smith:

Andrew Smith

Born:  1837 Scotland

Age:  19

Willie Handcart Company

Andrew Smith was the son of Alexander Smith and Elizabeth Young.  He was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on January 29, 1852, just short of his 15th birthday.  His boyhood was spent herding cows, mining coal, and working in the cotton mill and Paisley shawl factory near his home in Scotland.  Andrew may have met his future wife, Jane McKay, while working there.  Jane's sister, Francess McKay, also worked at the mill and was engaged to Andrew's brother, John Young Smith. At the tender age of 13, Jane was in love with Andrew.

One night when Andrew visited the McKay home with his brother, John, he told Jane that he had listened to some young men preaching and he believed what they told was the truth.  Jane said that she would also like to hear them and she arranged to meet Andrew to go with him that night. From the girls' bedroom above the main part of the house, Jane's sisters helped her out the bedroom window, on to the roof of a nearby shed, and on to the ground to meet Andrew.  Her sister, Mary, went with her as a chaperone.

As Jane's mother had taught her children from the Bible and given them passages to memorize and recite, Jane and Mary asked intelligent questions of these preachers from the LDS Church.  They believed what the missionaries taught was truth.  Francess was waiting up for Jane and Mary when they returned home and gave her the news that Andrew promised to bring his brother, John, tho the next meeting.  Francess arranged to go with them.  The McKay sisters then shared their plans with their married sister, Martha.  Martha and her husband, David Fisher, agreed to have the Mormon missionaries come to their home to teach.

Jane's parents eventually learned what their girls had been doing.  Their mother was unhappy to learn of their association with the Mormon Elders as she had only heard negative things about them.  Jane's father, Joseph, however, had felt there was something lacking in his Bible study, and was anxious to go with Jane to the next meeting.  Soon all the McKay family except brother, James, were baptized members of the Church and made plans to emigrate to America.  Andrew and Joseph McKay would go first to prepare the way.

Andrew and his future father-in-law left England in 1856 aboard the Thornton under the direction of James G. Willie, a returning missionary.  The majority of those in this group became the 4th handcart company.  Andrew became a trusted member of that company and was put in charge of the other 18 people assigned to his tent.  Among others, this group also included two widows with their children, five young single women, and 57-year-old Joseph McKay.  Andrew was also made commissary to the people.

As night became colder and rations reduced, the old and the sick began to fail and Andrew's responsibilities became heavier.  The Willie Company was hit with a heavy storm on the 19th of October that finally brought the company to a halt.  A few days later, when the advance rescue party reached them with help, the most difficult part of their journey still lay directly ahead.  They had a steep climb across the Rocky Ridge to reach the next camp at Rock Creek Hollow before they could stop again. As they fought through the terrible wind and storm of that day, many faltered, including Joseph McKay.

Joseph had collapsed from the strain of the tortuous trek and blizard ascending Rocky Ridge and was left for dead.  Andrew Smith found him, lifted him and carried him over the summit of the mountain.  Andrew then kept returning for others until he was finally forced to stop by other members of hi Company.  Millen Atwood, a captain of 100 in the Willie Company reportedly cried out, "Hold on there, Andrew boy, hold on there.  You've done enough, my boy.  The Lord knows you've done enough!"

Andrew arrived in his promised valley with the Willie Co., on Nov. 9, 1856.  He continued to live a selfless life of service, which was memorialized in an article by Solomon F. Kimball in the Church publication Improvement Era, January 1913.  It was title "The Hero of Linister."  The following poem was included in that account by Kimball:

Through drifting snow this boy would go, With freezing pilgrims on his back,

Through rivers deep, through slush and sleet, And o'er the hills he 'broke' the track.

He climbed the heights, then sat up night, Nursing the sick and burying dead;

His heart would bleed when he would feed, Poor, helpless children without bread.

Though he could feel his strength of steel, Waning for want of needed food.

Andrew and Joseph McKay set to work to bring their families to Zion.  In 1859, Andrew sent all his savings and with some help from the Perpetual Emigration Fund, brought his family and the McKays to America.  They traveled with the George Rowley Handcart Company. Andrew and his childhood sweetheart, Jane McKay, were finally able to be married and moved into the home Andrew had built. 

When Shiloh said she had a book of pioneer stories, the spirit confirmed to me that it had something of interest to our family.  I had no idea how much information it contained about Joseph McKay and the story of his family's conversion to the Church and their Trek to the Salt Lake Valley!  I feel so grateful for having found this information and finally knowing who our Willie Handcart Company ancestor was!  It's a strength to my testimony to know of the sacrifice and endurance they showed for their faith and their testimonies.

I found a photo of Joseph McKay's grave on www.findagrave.com.  He's buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery.   I'd like to visit it, someday.