With more passengers to worry about, and the pressures of time, it is more understandable why Elders Parry and Jacobs left Ezra James to be buried by town officials, rather than stopping the excursion west to bury his remains.

With the $18 that the newspaper notes that was raised by the emigrants for Ezra James the needed funds were secured to purchase a metal casket.26 Elder Jacobs said instructions were given to town officials on how to deal with Elder Clark's remains. Those instructions must have been very brief and to the point as the train, which arrived in the village at 6 p.m., was en route again a short time after its stop.

Unmarked grave

It must have been an added burden to Ezra Thompson and Mary Stevenson Clark to know that their eldest son was buried in an unmarked grave, by unknown people, in an unknown land, without even an elder to dedicate the gravesite.

An account written many years after the passing, by Heber Clark, shares a delicate experience involving Mary Clark and Susan Clark in Wyoming where they encountered someone who had been on the final train ride with Ezra James. 

"This writer was present with Grandma Clark and Aunt Susan at a 24th of July celebration at Fairview, Wyoming, in 1902. A dear old lady named Pead, came up to the two mothers and said: 'Sister Clark, I was on the train and saw your lovely son die.' She said that some of the Saints had bought a large quantity of ice cream and had distributed it to the passengers. She said that Uncle Ezra James ate his ice cream and died in his seat on the train. Herald R. Clark told this writer that Mark and Heber Austin were also on the train ....... At the Fairview, Wyoming celebration I stood near and saw my Dear Grandma wipe the tears that were rolling down her cheeks. As she did so Aunt Susan clung firmly to her hand in deep sympathy. It was a heavenly sight. I was 15 years old at the time."

26 Reminiscences of Emily Pickering Andersen

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