Pioneer Heritage Cemetery - Spanish Fork Utah

1530 East 1884 South Spanish Fork, Utah Resting place of
 Alpharetta Boice adopted Indian Baby of John and Mary Ann
This Cemetery has also been called The Old Palmyra Graveyard, 
the East Bench Graveyard, and The Upper Cemetery.

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Today there is an actual address, paved road and parking space, curb, gutter, sidewalks, green grass, lovely flowers and rock wall fencing. There is no doubt, when you drive up to this spot, there is something special here.

In the early 1980's, I was searching for the cemetery where the little adopted Indian baby Alpharetta was buried. I asked towns people I came across in Spanish Fork if they knew of a pioneer cemetery.  Some would tell me where the city cemetery was located, but they were unaware of any other cemetery in Spanish Fork. I thanked them, and keep looking. I had long since talked with the Sexton of the Spanish Fork Cemetery. He showed me where the older part of the cemetery was located, and tried to be helpful. I was grateful to him, but I could tell it was not the place. The place I was looking for had been imprinted on my mind years before as I listened to the Pioneer Stories told by Grandmother Delila Asay. When she told the story of Alpharetta, she spoke with such emotion in her voice, and the detail she gave created an image in my mind clearly of a time and place I had never been but would recognize when I saw it.

John Boice

Mary Ann Barzee

 Over a period of a few years, I asked people  I came in contact with in Spanish Fork, if they knew of the existence of a pioneer cemetery. I knew I was looking for a place high, overlooking the valley, and the Spanish Fork River.  When Bill and I were looking at homes built on the new golf course, I asked a man the familiar question.  To my surprise, and delight, he told me of a small cemetery located in a field.  He drew a map and gave some instruction to help navigate the agricultural fields of corn, and alfalfa.  With map in hand, Bill and I started out. The instructions went something like, drive about 3 miles, then take the second lane lined with corn fields and old wood posts with barbed wire, you'll see a tin sign on one of the posts... if you come to a farm house, you've gone to far....

We followed the directions, to an area where there was nothing but fields, and a farm house in the distance. We drove along the dirt lane, which was reminiscent of the farm I grew up on in Cowley, Wyoming without the drainage ditch. Finally we saw an area enclosed by tall chain link fencing with a monument inside.  This looked promising.  We drove over the ruts in the field as far as we could, and then got out and walked the rest of the way.  When we entered the enclosure,  a tall vertical historic monument was directly ahead with the names of the known pioneers buried there.   Small river bed stones laid around to provide a better walking area than bare ground.   Weeds had grown through, hiding the small rounded, weather-worn red sandstone markers left by the early pioneers.   I could detect no lettering left on any of the sandstone markers, but they were mostly of a fairly uniform size and shape, and marked the final resting place of loved ones of long ago.

As I looked around, visually I knew this place met the criteria Grandmother Asay laid out. More importantly, I knew in my heart this was the place.

As the years past, need for housing as populations grew, began to show itself in the changing landscape surrounding this little plot of land.  As the land changed from agricultural use to housing subdivisions, corresponding changes were seen at the little cemetery.  When I drove to visit the cemetery I was greeted by a new southern entrance instead of west.  A tiny parking space was chisled from the side of the hill, and there rather steep stairs led to the cemetery at the top of the hill. A new square wooden sign greeted me when I reached the top that said, "Pioneer Historical Cemetery". 


Pioneer Historical Cemetery

The next time I came to visit, there were more changes.  The Southern entrance and stairs were gone, I'm quite sure they didn't meet wheelchair accessibility requirements.   The wooden sign was replaced by a nice wrought iron. 

The monument had received a "face lift" of sorts too.  It was no longer facing West, and the tall vertical monument that is "typical" of pioneer monuments had spouted wings, and concrete steps.  The gravel, weeds and small sandstone monuments were still there, and the iron sign had a fresh coat of paint.  The farm house is framed under the sign.

The next time I visited around  2008, the changes I saw caused me some alarm.  The headstones were missing and more changes were obviously in progress. This concerned me enough to make a visit to the Spanish Fork City offices.  With the subdivision encroaching on the area, I wanted to make sure this cemetery was protected and it's integrity maintained.   

Flags marking grave sites.

The City had started a high-tech process to locate the various graves using echo type equipment to map out the cemetery.  The headstones had been removed and I was told they were being "restored" and would be replaced.  I was satisfied with what I had been told was happening and watched with interest as the project progressed.

That brings us to what you will find when you visit the little cemetery in Spanish Fork today.  The Pioneer Heritage Cemetery was re-dedicated July 22, 2009.  The monument has been removed, but the DUP marker set in the monument in 1943 has been re-set at the entrance gate of the newly renovated cemetery.

set  in original  monument

names of known pioneers buried here

Sculptors Erasmo and Alex Fuents

The statue was unveiled by the sculptors and assisted by Mayor Joe Thomas at the re-dedication.  The figure depicts a young pioneer family.  "The statue embodies all those who lost loved ones and buried them here; but looked forward with hope and peace to the future."

sidewalk around perimeter with benches for reflection

new concrete markers

One cannot deny the renovation to the Heritage Cemetery has resulted in a peaceful setting, and in keeping with the high rent housing that surrounds it.  But what happened to the red sandstone markers?  I called and they ceased their "restoration" efforts as it "wasn't turning out well".

Brock Larson learned of the cemetery restoration and decided to make placing headstones at the new Pioneer Heritage Cemetery his Eagle Scout Project.  "I thought that this would be cool because it was something to do for our ancestors."  It is lovely, but I will always remember the first time I saw this almost forgotten cemetery, and the feeling it gave me as I looked at those hand chisled, red sandstone markers, knowing that one may have been placed by John and Mary Ann for their beloved Alpharetta.  Still, now Alpharetta's name and legacy is known to all who come to this little cemetery and pause to read this bronzed plaque that tells her story.  Grandmother Asay would be very pleased.
to read Alpharetta's story:
 http://pioneerstories-asay.blogspot.com/2012/03/story-of-alpharetta-boice-indian-baby.html

1530 East 1884 South Spanish Fork