Manomas Lovina Gibson — Divine Protection of the Mississippi Saints

In 1847, at the age of five, Manomas Lovina Gibson traveled from Mississippi to the Salt Lake Valley as part of the 'Mississippi Saints' (the Gibson family). Her company arrived on July 29, 1847, just five days after Brigham Young's vanguard party, making her one of the 'original pioneers' of the 1847 migration. The DUP history by Mary Ann Horlacher records the divine protection afforded to the family during this arduous trek through the wilderness. Manomas's survival and her subsequent long life—living to be 98 as the oldest surviving original 1847 pioneer—were viewed by her family and the St. George community as a remarkable providence and a fulfillment of spiritual preservation granted to those who established the early settlements.