RNT Family History

The Community of Syracuse, 1820 to 1995, Our Heritage Centennial Edition



Source Information

  • Title The Community of Syracuse, 1820 to 1995, Our Heritage Centennial Edition 
    Short Title The Community of Syracuse, 1820 to 1995, Our Heritage Centennial Edition 
    Author Syracuse Historical Commission 
    Publisher Cedar Fort, Inc. 
    Source ID S99 
    Text On July 17, 1896 two small girls died from whooping cough within a few hours of each other. They were the daughters of James G. Wood and Thomas E. Briggs. There was no place in the community of Syracuse to bury the dead. Burials prior to this were in Kaysville or Bountiful cemeteries. Bishop David Cook quickly organized a committee consisting of Alma Stoker, Bishop John Stoker of the Bountiful Ward and Thomas J. Thurgood. A parcel of land was selected and donated from Alma Stoker's farm. It had been used for an adobe brickyard from which several nearby homes were built.
    The services for the two girls were held jointly on July 19 at 2 p.m. in the school-church located on the corner of Peter Christensen's farm. An account of the occasion is as follows.

    Upon entering the house and beholding the two little caskets which stood side by side, it caused a feeling of sadness to come over your scribe, and yet there was a consoling influence be-speaking the innocence of the contents of the two white caskets. There was a feeling of gloom cast over the congregation at first, but that soon vanished, and a sweet heavenly feeling prevailed. Consoling indeed were the comments of Elders William Beazer, Amos Cook, Bro. Cook of Syracuse, and Henry Rampton (counselor to bishop in East Bountiful), Thomas Briggs Sr., Bishop Christensen, T.J. Steed and counselor James T. Walker. Thirty five conveyances followed the remains to the new cemetery.

    The graves were about a rod apart, and were in the northeast part of the cemetery. After the caskets were lowered into the graves, Bishop Christensen from the South Hooper Ward stood between the two graves and dedicated them and the new cemetery to the Angels of Peace. Also in his dedicatory prayer he gave the new cemetery the name of Syracuse. Two small white stone lambs mark the graves of these girls.
    Ironically, the third person to be buried in the new cemetery was its donator, Alma Stoker, who died the following year from heart failure. The cemetery has expanded and has served well the Clearfield-Syracuse community for nearly 100 years.

     
    Linked to Briggs, Lovenia