Cemeteries of Iron County

Cemeteries of Iron County Created for the Utah Library Association Genealogy and Local History Roundtable By Steven D. Decker, Cedar City Library Director

Did You Know… • The Utah History Research Center recognizes 12 cemeteries in Iron County? • Iron County cemeteries include burials of martyrs, Olympians, and statesmen? • Many of Iron County’s cemeteries are indexed for online searching?

Cedar City (5,389 burials) Enoch (140 burials) Hamlin Valley No data John McGarry Memorial Park (15 burials) At Beryl Kanarraville No Data Milton Gentry Ranch Modena (98 burials) Newcastle (86 burials) Paragonah (576 burials) Parowan (2,665 burials) State Line (11 burials) Summit (190) Recognized Cemeteries

First Burial in Cedar City Cemetery • Joseph Chatterley, 1807 –1853, was the first burial in the Cedar City Cemetery • Died of an accidental wound • Wheelwright & Iron Worker • (Replacement stone)

Walls (Arch) • Parowan City Cemetery • Arch • This is at least the third arch at the entrance of the cemetery, the others having been knocked down by trucks or machinery trying to enter through the arch.

Walls • Parowan Cemetery • Construction by Civilian Conservation Corps

Walls • Cedar City Cemetery • Originally constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps • Destroyed • Rebuilt using much of the same stone • Southeast corner of cemetery

Walls • Wall surrounding Enoch Cemetery

Memorials • Cedar City Cemetery • Memorial to American Veterans • Wars: • Mexican, Indian, Civil, Spanish-American, World War I, World War II, Vietnam, Korea

Memorials • Veterans Memorial at Enoch

Memorials • Paragonah Memorial

Memorials • Parowan Cemetery Visitors Center • Donated by the Daniel L. Evans Family Trust and members of the Evans family in memory of Clefford and Ada Evans • (Parowan’s Veteran Memorial is on the City Park)

Personalities • Ellen (Nellie) Pucell Unthank • Martin Handcart Company • Double amputee (below the knee) • Spent rest of life walking on her knees or the stubs of her legs • Mother of 6 • Cedar City Cemetery

Personalities • Parowan Cemetery • Grave of William Horne Dame • Military commander at the time of the Mountain Meadow Massacre

Personalities • Edward Meeks Dalton • Polygamist • The only known martyr for the Mormon practice of plural marriage • Shot in the back by U. S. Deputy Marshal Thompson, of Beaver • Parowan Cemetery

Personalities • Parowan Cemetery • Alma Wilford Richards • Utah’s first Olympic champion (High jump: 6’ 3.3” at Stockholm) • Utah Sports Hall of Fame, Helms Hall of Fame, BYU Hall of Fame, U.S. Track and field Hall of Fame.

Personalities • Brig. Gen. J. Frank Dalley • Commander of 213th at Kap Yong (Korean War) • All members of the 213th returned home alive even after intense fighting • Summit Cemetery

Personalities • Governor Scott Milne Matheson • Utah’s 12th Governor • Governor: 1977-1985 • Democrat • Parowan City Cemetery

Unique Stones • Western Iron County was the home of numerous Chinese workers at the turn of the century. Chinese people worked on the construction of the railroad and in the mines of the region. • Modena Cemetery • Source: www.surweb.org

Unique Stones • Cedar City Cemetery • Ball is not attached and is sometimes removed by pranksters • Deceased: Hunter

Unique Stones • Cedar City Cemetery • Deseret alphabet inscribed along the top of the stone • Deceased: Morris • (Replacement stone)

Unique Stones • Cedar City Cemetery • Above ground mausoleum • Deceased: Burrascano

Unique Stones • Cedar City Cemetery • Intricately carved stone with a draped vase • Deceased: Bullock

Unique Stones • Cedar City Cemetery • Stone set diagonally • Deceased: Middleton

Unique Stones • Parowan Cemetery • Tree of Life Representation • Many intricately carved stones: Handshakes, lambs, draperies. This is an example • Deceased: Davenport

Unique Stones • Parowan Cemetery • Charley’s Grave (similar stone for “Osman T’s Grave”) • Uniquely simple in inscription but there is a carved floral design

Damage: Mother Nature Reclaims Her Own • Cedar City Cemetery • Stone fragments lying next to each other

Damage: Mother Nature Reclaims Her Own • Cedar City Cemetery • Sandstone markers eroded completely through

Native Americans • Cedar City Cemetery • A section of the Cedar City Cemetery containing Native Americans. • Certain of the local Native Americans have asked that the plots not be “grassed” like the surrounding area.

Lore • Parowan Cemetery • Butch Cassidy: It is not known where “Butch,” Robert LeRoy Parker, is buried but his brother, Daniel Samuel Parker, is buried in Parowan. At least two sextons have claimed to have hit an unmarked grave on or near the Parker plot. Is it Butch’s?

Lore • Summit Cemetery • Built on Indian Mound (Fact) • Nephite Battle Ground At or near this site Samuel T. Orton’s team of oxen refused to continue plowing. This continued for three consecutive days until Orton had a vision that convinced him that “we were standing on the battle ground where they [the Nephites and Lamanites of the Book of Mormon] had had a great battle (Dalton, 193-194).”

Interest • Paragonah Cemetery • Note the concrete slabs covering graves (once a relatively common practice • Note the permanent flagpoles in the background honoring veterans.

Interest • Paragonah Cemetery • Used to be many more like this – fenced family plots • Cemetery plots are deeded parcels of land • Deceased: Edwards

And much, much more…

Sources • Dalton, Luella Adams Dalton, History of the Iron County Mission and Parowan the Mother Town. • Evans, Carl, [Oral Tradition of Samuel T. Orton Experience]. • History to Go: http://historytogo.utah.gov/people/almarichards.html • Utah State History: history.utah.gov/apps/burials/execute/searchburials • www.surweb.org, Counties of Utah – Iron County.

Cemeteries of Iron County