Memorial Day Weekend

Note: I am writing this on Thursday, June 11, but will post it so that is shows up as a May entry.

Ever since I moved back from California to Utah in 1995, I have tried to make an annual trip to Joseph, Utah, to visit the gravesites of my maternal grandparents, great-grandparents, and great-great grandparents. Usually this annual visit would fall somewhere on the Memorial Day weekend. Since I have moved to Idaho, this annual visit has not always happened. But this year I wanted to go very much. So after an early Sunday morning meeting, I headed south to pick up my Dad and then headed on further south to Joseph for a quick day trip.

When I was growing up, the trip to Joseph was loooooooonnnnnnnggggggg. But now the trip to Joseph is almost entirely on interstate freeway. FAST!!! In fact if you wanted, the whole drive could be on freeway.....I-15 to Cove Fort, then east on I-70, take the Joseph exit...and you're there. But sometimes it's nice to get off the interstate and visit some of the fascinating places nearby as well.

An item of note, in all the years I have gone to visit the Joseph cemetery, the wind is always blowing. Look at the flags, and you get the idea. Also, the cemetery has undergone huge improvements over the years, but still no water as to allow grass to be planted.

Grandpa Herman and Grandma Fernie's graves

Gravesite of my great-grandparents - my mom's paternal grandparents

Gravesite of my great-grandparents - Mom's maternal grandparents

Grave marker for my great-great-grandpa, John Smylie Lott.

Something that I learned about him when visiting Martin's Cove in Wyoming is that he was one who went to help rescue those in the Martin-Willie handcart companies.

I took many other pictures of grave markers on this visit. Over the years, as I have gone to visit this cemetery with Mom and Dad - now with only Dad - I know stories about many of these relatives....aunts, uncles, cousins...that maybe will be gone when Dad is gone unless I write these stories down.

One the way home, and being true to my reputation for not taking the same way home as how I got there, we traveled up Hwy 89 through Richfield, Salina, Gunnison and then on through Sanpete Valley to Manti, Ephraim, etc. It was fun to visit Manti when the pageant was NOT on. Every other memory I have of Manti is of crowds because that is the only time I have been there - when the Manti Pageant is on.

The cemetery in Manti is in such a beautiful setting with the temple overlooking. It kind of ties everything together.