Mendon and Paradise

Last weekend I went to some cemeteries in Mendon and Paradise Utah. You're going to think that all I do is go to cemeteries lately. I've really been into seeing how the uncles, aunts and cousins of my ancestors fit together, especially since there are so many relatives buried in one area or another. My sister Marla and niece Katie were coming down to keep my niece Margie company. She is going to school at Utah State and the friends of Marla's who Margie stays with were going out of town so it was a good time to do that....well anyway. Marla wanted to go over to Mendon and to Paradise, which are within 20 minutes of Logan to see some great grandparents graves. I told her that I wanted to come up and go with them. So I left home about 8:00 Saturday morning and met them at the Mendon Cemetery. In this cemetery is buried my 3rd great grandfather, Charles Bird, and my great grandmother Mary Ann Kennedy Bird. They are on my mother's father's side of the family. He was the first out on the ice with his team to test it when they left Nauvoo. My 2nd great grandfather and grandmother, John Pratt Kennedy Bird and Sarah Ann Hoopes, are also buried there along with many of both of their children.











We weren't too far into our looking around when Marla didn't feel well. She has diabetes and she thought her sugar was low. When we tested it, it was over 300 so that was not good. She took some insulin and thought she felt better so back out she came looking at the graves. We continued taking pictures of other family member's graves when all of the sudden she said go get the car I need to sit down. Well she didn't want to sit on the grass, because she has recently had a knee replaced and didn't think we could get her off the ground. However, before we could get the car to her she went down on the ground, scraping her arm and chin on someones big grave stone. I promised her I wouldn't put the picture I took of her on the ground on the Internet so I won't. Although I really want to because it is such a precious picture :) She was laughing a little at that time. We got her over to the car, but the day just didn't get any better for her. She also has seizures and had one of those too...however she insisted that we go on over to Paradise. I won't go on to say all the troubles she had that day, but I was a little concerned that she shouldn't go on. I think she should have just gone home and seen the pictures later...but I understand her wanting to see the actual place. I love you Marla and am glad that you're feeling okay.
So off to Paradise we went!!

Marla just stayed in the car and Margie stayed with her..she wasn't to with it anyway, while Katie and I tried to find the graves. In this cemetery is my 2nd great grandfather and mother on my mother's, mother's side. They are Charles Cook Housley and Mary Orgill. Also Mary Orgill's parents are buried there too, again with brothers and sisters of my great grandparents.






I was very dissappointed that I did not find my grandmother Birds grandparents here. They are suppose to be buried here but the cemetery does not have there records or her or her great grandparents. They were Davis and Merrell (or Merrill) They did have a lot of unknowns there and maybe they were one of them. All the genealogy records I have looked at including my mother's say they are buried there. HMMMMMmmmmmm... don't know what to think.
So I took some pictures of the empty areas where the unknowns are.. maybe these are them and they will love me for trying anyway!!



I have loved seeing the areas where they lived and standing on the ground where they stood. Seeing the beautiful valleys that they must have loved so much. This has been special to me. When I was born I only had my maternal grandmother living and so have known so little about actually doing things with grandparents, so maybe this is why I'm reaching out, who knows. :) I guess I'm not getting a lot of new genealogy done by doing this, but I think that I am coming to know my great grandparents much better and learning to love my heritage. Thanks to the Hegerhorsts for not minding me coming along on their adventure. Love you all!!