Jane McKechnie Walton

Who was Jane McKechnie Walton?

Jane McKechnie Walton was born on July 16, 1847 in Edinburgh, Scotland. She was the daughter of Jane Bee and John McKechnie. Her father was a bell molder by trade and died of typhoid on January 3, 1848 when Jane was just eighteen months old. Her grieving mother gave birth to the McKechnie's only son a few months later. Within another year, Jane's mother was taught about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by two Mormon missionaries. She believed their words and was baptized into the LDS Church on February 21, 1850. Several months later, Jane's grandmother, uncle and aunt followed her mother, Jean's footsteps and also joined the newfound religion. By September 1850, Jane's mother, grandmother, uncle, aunt and her own brother and sister were booked for ocean travel on The North Atlantic ship which was bound for New Orleans in America.

After reaching America, the family made their way up the Mississippi River and into St. Louis where they spent the winter of 1850. Jane's mother worked in and around St. Louis and Winter Quarters, Iowa until she had earned enough money to join the Thomas Howell Wagon Company in 1852. The company traveled 1,100 miles across the American plains, with Jane, now 6 years old, walking most of the way barefooted. The arrived in the Salt Lake Valley with other Mormon Pioneers in September 1852.