Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel, 1847–1868 Amasa M. Lyman Company (1850) Age 33

Departure: 17 August 1850 Arrival: 29 September 1850

Company Information: Thirty-four men traveled in this company from Sacramento, California. They crossed the Sierra Mountains to Carson Valley, then followed the north route taken by many coming in search of gold in California, to Salt Lake City.

Pioneer Information: Keysor traveled to California with the Mormon Battalion. After his discharge, he worked in San Francisco and the gold mines. He left California in August 1850 and arrived in Salt Lake City on 27 or 28 September 1850.

Find a Grave

Birth: Oct. 6, 1816 Black Rock Cayuga County New York, USA

Death: Oct. 3, 1885 Richfield Sevier County Utah, USA

Son of Henry Bernard Keysor and Elise Elsie Ann Scoville

Married Mary Ann Elvin, 1 Sep 1851, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.

Children - Guy Henry Keysor, Infant Keysor, Elizabeth Mary Keysor.

Married Ruth Wyllie, 17 Sep 1855, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.

Children - James Bernard Keysor, Peter Moroni Keysor, Ruth Susan Independence Keysor, Mary Mersilva Keysor, Ephraim Manassa Keysor, William George Keysor, Rebecca Harriet Keysor.

Married Mary Ann George, 27 Feb 1857, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

Married Ellen Diamond, 10 Aug 1874, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

History - Guy Messiah Keysor was converted to Mormonism and baptized April 1, 1843. He helped to build the temple in Nauvoo and participated in the exodus with the Saints in 1845.

Having reached the Missouri River, he enlisted in the Mormon Battalion in July, 1846, and marched as a private in Company B (Jesse D. Hunter, captain) to San Diego, California. It was on this march that he lost 90% of his eye sight.

His journal tells of marching as high as one week without any water. Yet they would dig wells every day trying to find water. In most cases this work was in vain, for very few of the wells came in in time to be of use to them. He also tells of building roads over trails which mountain goats could scarcely travel. They had nothing but hand tools to work with. Because of all these hardships that he endured, he lost his eye sight.

He was at Sutter's Fort in 1848 when gold was discovered, and remained in California until 1850, when he came to Utah and settled in Salt Lake, where he lived for many years. During this time he petitioned the Government many times without success for some compensation for the loss of his eyesight.

He worked on the Salt Lake Temple in spite of his blindness as a stone mason.

He went to Richfield about 1878 at which place he died October 3, 1885, a faithful Latter-day Saint.

He left his testimony written for his posterity to read and cherish.

See Salt Lake City Cemetery Memorial Marker

Mormon Battalion, Company B

Family links:

Spouses:

• Mary Ann Elvin Keysor (1822 - 1860)
• Ruth Wyllie Keysor (1830 - 1891)
• Mary Anne George Wyley Keysor (1790 - 1871)

Children:

• Guy Henry Keysor (1852 - 1922)*
• Mary Mersilva Keysor (1856 - 1875)*
• James Bernard Keysor (1858 - 1932)*
• Rebecca Harriet Keysor Anderson (1860 - 1944)*
• William George Keysor (1861 - 1930)*
• Moroni Peter Keysor (1864 - 1922)*
• Ephraim Manassa Keysor (1867 - 1951)*
• Ruth Susan Independence Keysor McCullough (1870 - 1959)*

Burial: Richfield City Cemetery Richfield Sevier County Utah, USA