Ira Elder, 1847 Mormon Trail Doll

Ira is named after my great uncle. When I started making the Trail Dolls, I did not have a computer, so it was hard to find names of people. I thought I was only going to make one doll, Lissie Elder, named after my grandmother. While my ancestors were not Mormon or on the wagon train, I thought their names were appropriate.

Ira is 17 inches tall, all soft vinyl, and made by Lissi Doll Company. Ira was sick when his family left on the first Mormon wagon train from Nauvoo, Illinois in 1846.  So he was left behind to come the next year with the Winters family. When he did go the next year, Ira got off the wagon train in Iowa where his family had settled. He and Rebecca said "Goodbye”, and he gave her a friendship bead to remember him by. The Winters family continued their trek to Winter Quarters in Council Bluffs (then called Kanesville) and Omaha.

He comes wearing handmade pants, shirt, vest, a hat and carrying his haversack. Ira’s clothing is handmade in southwest Iowa. Inside the sack is a Guinea Hen feather like the one his dog, Bones, caught when they were starving in Iowa.  Also included are Bones and a life-size storybook about his journey, which was researched and written by the maker.

A replica of this doll was donated to the Prairie Trails Museum in Corydon, Iowa.