TULSA, Okla., June 22, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — The medical examiner’s office is working to determine the cause of death of an Arkansas woman who was on a Mormon Pioneer Trek reenactment with the teen youth group she led for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
It was initially thought Meaghan Lee Querry Blair, 29, may have suffered a heat-related seizure and a spinal cord injury caused by an extremely high body temperature, according to a Facebook post put up Monday by her sister.
Melanie Querry Morrison went on to ask people to pray for a miracle, but Blair, of Rogers, Ark., died from the trauma.
A statement released by her family Wednesday reads:
It is with heavy heart and sorrow that we share the passing of Meaghan Lee Blair. Meg was the wife of her beloved husband Michael Blair and mother to two young children. She and her family lived in Northwest Arkansas where Meaghan worked for Wal-Mart’s corporate headquarters and her husband is a mechanical engineering student at the University of Arkansas.
Meaghan leaves behind her husband and children, her parents, Brad and Maureen Querry, and her husband’s parents, Jim and Teresa Blair, all of whom reside in Northwest Arkansas.
Meaghan also had three younger sisters and an extended family who live in various places around the country. She was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where her service was directed to children and attended the Rogers 1st Ward. (A ward is a local congregation.)
Meaghan died at 1:15 a.m. on June 21. Prior to her death, she had been participating in a church youth activity near Pawhuska, Oklahoma. Meaghan and her husband Michael were volunteering as youth leaders. The activity was a handcart trek, commemorating the sacrifices made by mid-1800s pioneers who walked across the plains to Utah. This specific activity was scheduled to last three days and had begun on the morning of Monday, June 20.
Careful planning went into the event and specific plans were made to cope with the anticipated hot weather. She stopped regularly on the trail to consume water and salty foods and had trained outdoors in preparation for the activity. The group had walked six-and-a-half of the planned seven miles when Meaghan expressed that she was not feeling well. She was immediately taken by ATV to the medical tent and was treated by the on-site doctor and registered nurses.
Some time after her arrival in the medical tent, Meaghan began to have seizures. She was flown to St. John’s hospital in Tulsa. Although there has been some speculation, the medical examiner has not yet determined the cause of death.
Meaghan’s family wishes to thank the medical staff—both those who were on site and those at St. John’s hospital—for their care of Meaghan. They also express their profound gratitude for the outpouring of support and love in the wake of Meaghan’s passing.
A memorial service will be held Friday, June 24, at 3 p.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meetinghouse at 2805 N. Dixieland Rd, Rogers, Arkansas. Funeral services and burial will be held in Herriman, Utah next week.
Mormon Trek participants typically wear pioneer-style clothing, with long skirts and sleeves.
