Virgin & Hurricane City Cemeteries

Virgin City Cemetery

I love cemetery hopping and on Thanksgiving Day I had the opportunity to go grave hunting with my dad.  We were spending Thanksgiving at the LaVerkin home so in just a few minutes we were up at the Virgin Pioneer Memorial Cemetery.  My dad asked what names we were searching for and he was off. In no time at all he located Owen Isom and his wife, Elizabeth Howard, my paternal/maternal 3rd great-grandparents.  While I was taking pictures and writing down the inscriptions Dad was already off looking for the next site.  I could hardly keep up with him.  

Owen and Elizabeth were married in 1835 when Owen was 20 years old and Elizabeth was 13!  Their first child was born 5 years later.  Their sixth child, Sarah Elizabeth Isom, is my 2nd great-grandmother.

Owen and Elizabeth's tombstones, side by side, but facing opposite directions.

In Memory of Owen Isom
Born May 2nd 1814
At Greatworth, Northamptonshire
England
Died April 26th 1884

In Memory of Elizabeth, wife of Owen Isom
Born
 Sep 13, 1821
Died
Dec 18, 1898

Here lies one who in this life
Was a kind mother, a true wife:
She was by many witness blest
And piety among the rest.

Our next find was the joint tombstone of my paternal 2nd great-grandparents, Joseph Moroni Sanders and Hulda Charlotte Zabriskie.  In a previous pioneer post I noted the story of Hulda Zabriskie coming across the plains at the age of 7 and her family would hide her when they were in Indian territory because at one point the Indians were attracted to her beautiful white hair and had offered to buy her and had followed them for several days offering meat, guns and horses.  Hulda (age 16) married Joseph Moroni Sanders (age 23) on 20 August 1860.

(South Facing)
Hulda C Sanders
Born in Ambrosia County, Iowa
Jan 30, 1844
Died at North Creek, UT
June 11, 1908

(East Facing)
Gone But Not Forgotten

(West Facing)
SANDERS

(North Facing)
Joseph M Sanders
Born in Clay Co.
Missouri
Dec 25, 1836
Died at Laverkin, UT
Dec 24, 1916

Morris Wilson, Jr. married Minnie Ann Stratton and her parents and great-grandparents were also found in the Virgin Pioneer Memorial Cemetery.  James Albert Stratton, my maternal 2nd great-grandpa, had a joint tombstone with his wife, Emily Amanda Gardner.  They were married in 1864, when Emily was a few weeks short of being 15 years old and James was 20 years old.  They had a pioneer plaque mounted onto their tombstone.

James Albert
Jan. 14, 1844
Nov. 5, 1921
His Wife, Emily Amanda
July 19, 1849
Apr 10, 1911

James Albert Stratton's parents were found next to him with two humble plaques as follows:

Left Plaque - Harriett Ann Stratton 1826-1871 Spilsbury Funeral Home
Right Plaque - Oliver Stratton 1818-1879 Cannon Funeral Home

 When I had visited Thomas Wilson's grave in Junction, the woman I met told me that his wife, Nancy Adair Lindsey, was buried in a lost grave in Virgin.  The plot map at the cemetery listed the following:

WILSON  Nancy  (Lindsey) 29 Aug 1824, 24 Apr 1875 ? 
(The question mark is placed where the Block in which the deceased is buried should be listed.)

Nancy Lindsey is surrounded in mystery from her origins to her death.  The history that I received on Thomas Wilson showed the following in regards to Nancy Lindsey:

Nancy Lindsey was actually the daughter of Zadock Adair and a Cherokee Indian maiden.  Her father lived and worked among the Indians.  She was born 29 August 1824 at Perry County, Alabama and was raised by Morris and Nancy Rogers Lindsey. (She always went by their name instead of her father's.) She married her first husband, Edward or Edwin Lee in 1841 at Lauderdale County, Mississippi.  They were the parents of one child - Amanda Jane.     

I am grateful that at least Nancy Lindsey Wilson has her name listed on her husband's (Thomas Wilson) tombstone so that she can be honored and remembered.  

Hurricane City Cemetery

WILSON
Sarah E.
June 14, 1854 - Apr. 3, 1936
Morris
Nov. 24, 1845
Dec. 15, 1930

My paternal and maternal 2nd great-grandparents, Morris Wilson, Sr. and his wife, Sarah Elizabeth Isom, are buried in the Hurricane City Cemetery, which is on the north side of town.  If you have followed this blog at all you might have noticed that I have identified some of my ancestors as being both my maternal and paternal progenitors.  It is through Morris Wilson, Sr. and Sarah Isom that my parents are related.  They are my parents' great-grandparents.  Morris and Sarah Wilson had twelve children.  Their second child and oldest son, Morris Wilson, Jr. was my mom's grandfather (her mother's mom).  Morris and Sarah's third child, Sarah Amelia Wilson, was my dad's grandmother (his mother's mom).  

So my grandmas were first cousins, making my parents second cousins.  Now some people tease me when I tell them that my parents were second cousins, but that doesn't bother me at all.  If you know my parents, you know that they have the most pure and true love of all time...sorry Princess Bride, you have to take second place.  I honestly believe that my parents knew and loved each other in pre-mortal life and that our Heavenly Father was merciful to them and allowed them to be born in close relation and proximity so that they would not have to be apart from each other. 

I love you Mom & Dad.  Happy 65th anniversary tomorrow!

Married December 10, 1947