LOGAN CEMETERY

A friend of mine sent me an email of a funny grave located in Utah. So I decided to find the said grave stone, take a photo with it, and email that to my friend for a laugh. As I was searching where to find it on the internet, I found a historical tour map of the cemetery. Hello, scavenger hunt! 

So I set off to the cemetery in Logan, Utah.

At first, I was a little creeped out because I've only stepped inside a cemetery once for a burial (well, besides those in Europe or for war sites which seem more like tourist stops). I kept imagining zombie hands reaching up through the ground and grabbing at my ankles. Yuck.

But as I started to find the graves on the map, I was getting less creeped out and having fun (does that sound morbid?)

Here is the list:

A. Unlike the other stones in the cemetery, which face eastward, this stone faces northeast, toward Mecca. Jamshid Maghami (7/7/49-5/17/74), originally from Iran, was buried on his side facing Mecca, as the Muslim faith decrees.

B. The Weeping Lady on the Cronquist family plot is best known by young adults who visit during the full moon, in an effort to hear her cry in mourning over her dead children.

**This is the one that inspired the trip**

C. Russell Larsen’s (12/16/21-1/26/83) stone provides a colorful and humorous verse instead of the traditional somber prose. This poem is a familiar one to cowboy poets.

D. The Pioneer Plot holds the remains of early graves from the first Logan Cemetery. The cemetery was moved from 700 East 500 North in order to accommodate the expanding city. The monument was erected by the DUP to honor the 42 unknown pioneers buried there. The waffle board affect of the ground indicated burials in wooden caskets and the absence of the modern cement vaults. There is also a time capsule here.

E. This unique child’s grave marker for Carly Michelle Taylor (1/1/77-11/22/79) demonstrates how sandblasting techniques allow for great individuality and detail in contemporary stones.

F. The Charles W. Nibley plot provides a look into a polygamous family. Notice that the wives’ stones are identical.

G. The Thatcher plot extends throughout this corner. The collection of various stones provides many aspects of historic and contemporary methods of marking graves and celebrating the family. The Recording Angel monument was carved by Botts Co. in Brigham City. They also carved the Old Ephraim marker up Logan Canyon.

H. The Astle marker was erected before the death of Dr. Theris P. Astle. This practice is more common than expected, and the cemetery holds many examples of stones awaiting their owners.

I. The Wiebe stone gives an example of how natural forms from the surrounding environment can be blended with traditional carving techniques.

J. Ezra Taft Benson (2/22/1811-9/3/1869) was one of Cache Valley's founding fathers and grandfather to Ezra Taft Benson, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Note the photographs imbedded in the stone.

K. Peter Maughan (5/7/1811-4/24/1871) was an early pioneer leader. His leadership continued through the settlement of the valley and included offices of probate judge and vice-president of the first Logan Co-op (later known as ZCMI).

L. William L. King (1/15/1855-2/27/1880) and Nephi Osterholdt (7/18/1855-2/22/1880) were killed in a snow slide "in service of the temple." The twin markers tell of the event, reminding readers of regional environmental hazards.

M. This wooden marker for William Hardy (7/30/1809-1/19/1894) was erected as a temporary marker to be eventually replaced by a stone monument. It is the only wooden marker left in the cemetery and marks an earlier period in our local history.

N. This family monument was carved by fourth generation stone-carver Thaddous H. Brown. His family owns and operates Brown Monument and Vault Co., serving Cache Valley and Southern Idaho.

O. The Palmer Baby Bed has become a popular grave marker to visit. The sculpted infant and toys remind viewers of a childhood cut short. This stone emulates Victorian gravestones that also depict sleeping children.

P. May Swenson (5/28/13-12/4/89) was a local poet of national acclaim. A bench etched with stanzas from her poems marks this grave.

Q. Babyland (40-43A) is a special area set aside for infant burial. Here half-size plots are individually sold.

I found a few extra ones that I thought looked neat, but weren't on the main list:

This trip was just in time for Halloween, I suppose.