Finding the Bankhead children
Donation protected
My great great-grandfather, Nathan Bankhead, was the slave of John H. Bankhead, an early Mormon convert who came to Utah in 1848 with the ‘Mississippi Saints’. The Bankhead families, both white and black settled in Wellsville, Utah around 1860 where Nathan lived for over 30 years.
During the time they lived in Wellsville, three of the black Bankhead children died and were buried in a segregated part of the Wellsville Cemetery. Town vandals kept destroying the grave markers until they stop replacing them. The cemetery was plotted and fenced in 1884, so no one seems to know exactly where they are buried, just the general area.
There was great sorrow at the loss of these children. Nathan, Jr. – [1875 – 1885], was 10 when he died of Inflammation of the bowels. A year later, they lost Margaret – Maggie – [1883 - 1886] to a bad heart. Nathan’s son George, our progenitor, lost his first born son, George, Jr. [1877-1881], died of Scarlet Fever when he was 4. Our babies need to be found … they need to be remembered.
The good news is that now there is ground penetrating radar [GPR] that can help us find them. I am trying to raise $600 to pay for the GPR, plus hopefully we'll raise enough for headstone so they are named not forgotten.
During the time they lived in Wellsville, three of the black Bankhead children died and were buried in a segregated part of the Wellsville Cemetery. Town vandals kept destroying the grave markers until they stop replacing them. The cemetery was plotted and fenced in 1884, so no one seems to know exactly where they are buried, just the general area.
There was great sorrow at the loss of these children. Nathan, Jr. – [1875 – 1885], was 10 when he died of Inflammation of the bowels. A year later, they lost Margaret – Maggie – [1883 - 1886] to a bad heart. Nathan’s son George, our progenitor, lost his first born son, George, Jr. [1877-1881], died of Scarlet Fever when he was 4. Our babies need to be found … they need to be remembered.
The good news is that now there is ground penetrating radar [GPR] that can help us find them. I am trying to raise $600 to pay for the GPR, plus hopefully we'll raise enough for headstone so they are named not forgotten.
Organizer
Judee Williams
Organizer
San Mateo, CA
