Illinois: Crossing the River

Drusilla Hendricks had a particularly challenging voyage ahead of her. Her husband was wounded and her children were hungry — and the sudden Mormon exodus from Missouri needed to take place in the winter. When she and her family came to the western edge of the Mississippi, she saw that although the river was still frozen, the ice might be too thin to cross safely. What should they do?

Note: Though this is historical fiction and the characters have been developed to accommodate a story, their attributes and development may be useful as reference points and inspirations.