Sarah HANDLEY

Notes:

died enroute to Calif as part of Donner party The following material came from a website on the Oregon- California Trails. It was submitted by Dr. Robert Munkres of Muskingum College, who gave permisssion to include in this report - it was reprinted from The Tombstone Epitaph, The Daily Jeffersonian ( Cambridge Oh ), and The Bridgeport News-Blade ( Bridgeport Neb ).
Travel on the road west was difficult for the strong, dangerous for the unprepared and frequently fatal for the infirm. Many of the latter, however, displayed the fortitude of spiritual giants. One name of the roster of that courageous company might be that of Mrs. Sarah Keyes. In the winter of 1845-46, Mrs Keyes, now 70 years old, was not surprised when doctors told her that her health was such that she had only a few months to live. Instead of sitting back and waiting for the end, Mrs. Keyes vowed she would use whatever strength remained in her in an effort to see her son one more time - a son who had emigrated to Oregon several years earlier. A son-in-law agreed to let her accompany him and his family - word was sent to the son in Oregon to meet his mother in Fort Hall, Idaho. But the reunion was not to be. Mrs. Keyes died only a matter of days after the wagon train left Westport Landing. During the early moring hours of May 29, 1846, Mrs. Keyes was buried near the Big Blue River in present day Kansas. The death of Mrs. Keyes was undoubtly commented and remembered by other members of the train, and under other circumstances might have become part of the folk ore of the trail. Sadly, the name of Mrs. Sarah Keyes was all but lost to history when the party with which she had commenced the trip west subsequently encountered on eo the most fearsome experiences in trail history - a tragedy that forever attached the name of the train's leaders to Donner Pass. A picture of her grave site is available on the website. Actual burial place is near Alcove Spring Kansas

Sarah married Humphrey KEYES on 21 Apr 1803 in Monroe Co Wv. Humphrey (son of Humphrey KEYES and Sarah HALL) was born on 13 Nov 1764 in Keyes Ferry Va; died on 11 Oct 1833 in Springfield Ill. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Gershom KEYES was born on 16 Feb 1804; died in 1862.
2. James W. KEYES was born on 1 Nov 1805; and died.
3. Alexander KEYES was born in 1811; died in 1831 in Springfiled Ill.
4. Margaret Wilson KEYES was born on 31 Mar 1814; died on 25 Nov 1861 in San Jose Ca.
5. Robert Caden KEYES was born in 1815; died on 4 Sep 1865 in San Jose, Cal.
6. Elizabeth KEYES was born in 1816 in Monroe Co Va; died in 1832 in Sangamon Co Ill.