Ellen (Nellie) Pucell Unthank (November 6, 1846 – July 21, 1915) was a

Mormon pioneer The Mormon pioneers were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), also known as Latter Day Saints, who migrated beginning in the mid-1840s until the late-1860s across the United States from the Midwest to the Sa ...

, Utah settler, and

amputee Amputation is the removal of a limb by trauma, medical illness, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on indiv ...

remembered as a symbol of pioneer endurance. Ellen Pucell was born in Valehouse,

Tintwistle Tintwistle is a village and civil parish in the High Peak district of the non-metropolitan county of Derbyshire, England. Historically in Cheshire, according to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 1,401, reducing marginally to 1,400 ...

, Cheshire,

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

to Samuel Pucell and Margaret Perrin Pucell. She emigrated to

Utah Territory The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah, the 45th state. ...

from

with her family as a young girl, traveling with the

Martin Handcart Company The Mormon handcart pioneers were participants in the human migration, migration of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) to Salt Lake City, Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, who used Cart, handcarts to transport thei ...

. During the journey her parents died, and she had to finish without them, walking most of the way without shoes. Because of the bitter cold and snow, she suffered

frostbite Frostbite is a skin injury that occurs when exposed to extreme low temperatures, causing the freezing of the skin or other tissues, commonly affecting the fingers, toes, nose, ears, cheeks and chin areas. Most often, frostbite occurs in the han ...

. When she arrived in the

Salt Lake Valley Salt Lake Valley is a valley in Salt Lake County in the north-central portion of the U.S. state of Utah. It contains Salt Lake City and many of its suburbs, notably Murray, Sandy, South Jordan, West Jordan, and West Valley City; its total po ...

, her legs were

amputate Amputation is the removal of a limb by trauma, medical illness, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on indi ...

d, using no anesthetic, below the knee. Because of the imprecise amputation, her stumps never healed and were bloody for the rest of her life. She became a symbol for courage and nobility because she did not ask for pity despite her handicap. She did laundry on her knees to help raise six children. On April 22, 1871, she married William Unthank. She died in

Cedar City, Utah Cedar City is the largest city in Iron County, Utah, United States. It is located south of Salt Lake City, and north of Las Vegas on Interstate 15. It is the home of Southern Utah University, the Utah Shakespeare Festival, the Utah Summer Gam ...

at the age of 69. Jerry Anderson created a statue of her with feet that is located on the

Southern Utah University Southern Utah University (SUU) is a public university in Cedar City, Utah. Founded in 1897 as a normal school, Southern Utah University now graduates over 1,800 students each year with baccalaureate and graduate degrees from its six colleges. ...

campus at the former location of her home.

External links

Nellie Unthank
at suu.edu {{DEFAULTSORT:Unthank, Nellie 1846 births 1915 deaths American amputees American Latter Day Saints English emigrants to the United States English Latter Day Saints Mormon pioneers People from Cedar City, Utah People from Glossop