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?

Recognized Cemeteries

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)

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.