Martin Handcart Pioneers: Sarah Franks and George Padley

Sarah Franks Mackay

Sarah Franks and George Padley were engaged to be married before they traveled with the Martin Handcart Company.  At least four other couples were on the journey, mostly on the ship on the Ship Horizon.  However Sarah and George decided to wait until the reached Salt Lake City so they could be sealed in the Endowment House.  However, the journey took its toll on both Sarah and George.  Their bodies began to break down.  In the ultimate example of sacrifice, George would take from his already skimpy rations, and share with Sarah.  George also took severe cold in crossing the Sweetwater river just before the company reached martin's Cove.  His body could take no more and he passed away in the cove.
Sarah was worried about the possibility of the wolves getting to her beloved's body.  She used her own shawl, which she needed for warmth, to dress him, and insisted his body be tied inn a tree. President Faust visited Martin's Cove as part of the Second Rescue.  President Kim w. McKinnon of the Riverton Wyoming Stake told the story of Sarah Franks and George Padley.  President faust "was very moved by the story.  With a tear in his eye he said it had to be one of the great love stories of the western migration."  
It wasn't until 1998 that Sarah was sealed to George, after this had been approved by the First Presidency.  She had married Thomas Mackay and raised a large family.   She would honor and love George for eternities, but she also loved Thomas.  Her dream of Zion was fulfilled in a different way than she had hoped.