e /() 7 TITLE PAGE PIONEER (full name) BIR TH (date and place) DEA TH (date and place) PARENTS MARRIED (who and date) ARRIVAL IN UTAH (date) (Company arrived with) HISTORY (who wrote) (date written) (who submitted) (address) Croydon Cemetery located in Morgan County, Utah Margaret Thackeray 1980 Margaret Thackeray - January 1980 Morgan, Utah 84050 CAMP & COUNTY SUBMITTINGS_ o_ u_th_M--,--o_r=g_a_n_ ________ Camp Morgan County ( Camp Historian & address ) __ M_a_r_g_a_r_e_t_M_cK_i_n_n_o_n ________ _ Morgan, Utah 84050 County Historian &: address }_ __v e_l_o_y_T_o_n_k_s_D_ic_k_s_o_n ________ PO Box 203, Morgan, Utah 84050 SOURCE OF INFORMATION & PAGE NUMBERS: .. ~ W J THE CROYDON CEMETE~Y ,7 f ;hackera, vf by /Vra r3ttre, ..J The croydon cemetry is located on a 40 acre sage brush flat in the south east part of eroydon on the road leading to Henefer. The land was donated to the Croydon Ward by W.H. Toone Sr. with the stipulation that the ward bishop was to be the custodian. It was a dry, uni~viting hill but \ a paradise for jackrabbits, deer, squirrels, chipmonks and snakes. In late spring wild flowers were in abundance. Among the most popuQar are the indian paint brush, sego lilly, butter cup~ and bluebell. In the beginning the lot was not fenced and cattle and sheep were at liberty to run and graze everywhere. Many of the families who had loved ones buied there built individual fences to keep the animals out. Lilacs and Iris were planted in some of these lots to help make it a more inviting spot. These two kinds of plants received enough moisture to keep them active from year to year. Every ye~r about one week before Memori al day the men in the Ward banded togheter ahd with rakes, hoes and shovels would clean up the cemetery and have it orderly and inviting for that special day. The sisters in the Ward joined hand and prepared a nice dinner for the men when they had finished their work. The first bur&als in the cemetery were young children, each about two years old. They were; J ames Swan, Alma Edwards and Bill Walker. Since that thime a few of the prominent names of those buried there include Toone, WalRer, Hopkin, Reese, (2) Coraie, London, Wilde, and Thackeray and even a couple of Japanese from the nearby town of Devils Slide have loved ones buried there; Kimaki Nakumura and Kenache son of Shumichire Teni; There used to be a small Japanese village at the North end of the Cement Plant, but was abandoned at the time of world war two. About three acers of the original forty emcompass the actual burial site, In the nineteen hundred and thirty's this three acre plot . was fenced to help protect the grave y a r d . . . George R. Thackeray donated the cedar posts for the project. Some time later the entire forty acres was fenced and at times rented out in the late Spring for sheep and cattle grazing. SC/ About ninteen sixty nine or nineteen seventy Mark Thackeeray became very concerned about trying to improve the three acre plot. A spring down the hill and at the north west corner of the cemetery was cleaned out atta -:;ti.,,dam:.C.wa§ constructed to hold the water, then he had a pipeline laid so all lots could be sprinkled. A pumphouse was built about one fourth mile below the dam, so the water could run down the hill to the pump, the water was them pumped back up on to the cemetery proper. Grass was planted and under Mark's tender loving care t t has become a very lovely hill-side rsting place. Mark passed away soon after completing this p~oject and is buried there with with his loved ones. Many people helped with this fine under-taking but because no definate records were Rept it's impos-sible to try to name any one of those who helped or donated to ( 3) l:>7) this choice endeavor, a special thanks geos to Morgan County ~oad crew for grading the cemetery road that leads off the main traveled road, the Wilde family for the ground to house lhe pump, the cement from Ideal Cement Co., pipe from 4d West and a beautiful flag pole by L.D. Wild given in ninteen seventy three. When it became a problem to cut the grass with all the standing privately woned fences, those families who had their Io s enclosed were contacted to see if they would have any objection to having the fences removed. All were in agreement but one and it still stands. When the fences were removed they we~e placed along the southside of the three acre plot. The :~emetry has been plotted and numbered. Many &ots have been sold to families both in and out of the town. About two years ago concerned citizens of the community came together and formed a vew organization to dtermine the needs of the cemetery. Reed Wilde was selected as President, with Douglas Thackeray, Reed Wilde Sr., Horace Thackeray, :, and Ted London as directors. The past several years the large lot has been rented to Steve Pentz as a sheep pasture. Last year(1979) he ploughed and planted it to grain. The deed to the cemetery is recorded in the Morgan County Court house. After the death of Mark Thackeray the cemetery lot has been under the of David Wilde, with all the towns folk giving assistance, If the spring fails to produce enough a, water for the needs of the grave yard then Croydon irrigation water can be used. • ( 4) ~, I am including an interesting article found in the Croydon Centential and taken from the journal of Gibson Condie (by family permission). 11 I will relate an incident which occured at Croy·.. : - don on Sunday 17 July 1884. On that day the following little girl resident of Croydon attended Sunday School, also the usual cermonies of worship held in the afternoon. Martha Wainwright, Vinie Toone, Agnes Toone,Minnie Toone, Martha Bowers and Irene Condie; They ranged in age from six tb thirteen years. After meeting they resolved to take a walR to the burial grounds of the settlement. As they went along they picked flowers by the way, with these they decorated all the graves at the cemetery and while doing so sang Sunday School songs. When they reached the grave of sister Elizabeth Condie (his wife) they became deeply interested as the deceased was the mother of little Irene who was wi th::;the party. The other girls were full of sympathy and joined their tears with her. Finally they turned away to go home. They had gone but a short distance when they were impressed to return to the grave. They had felt a desire to see sister Condie and when they reached the burial spot Martha Wainwright said something about not leaving till they should see her. They began to sing the well known song entitled "The Resurrection Day" when they reached the end·' of the first verse they seemed to hear a voice which did not appear to be audible say "That will do", something said to them "Lookup". They did so, it was about fouro'clock in the afternoon, the moon was up at the time. They beheld a strange sight, it seemed to them the moon opened and they sa~ a personage clothed in white with arms extended decending rapidly to the • . ' - • earth. This personage came down close t o the grave but her feet did not touch the ground, being a few inches above it. • ' (5.2 ,'l- The personage had avail over her face. The little girls were f :rightened at first and began weeping. She took off the veil and turned slightly around as if to say "Don't be lafraid, you see it is I 11 Irene exclaimed "Why it's MA". The woman beamed upon them with a lovely smile, looked upon the flowers that had been placed on her grave and on the graves of her three children who had bean buried vear her remains. She made no sound, however all the six girls recognized the face as that of sister Condie. All fears left the little girls, little Icrene addressing the personage said "Ma will you come home and and have supper? Annie is cooking it". The little girls left the cemetery and walH:ed toward my home. Sister Condie followed a short distance behind the girls going along a good deal of the time with heads turned so as to see her. On getting close to the house, all the girls rushed into the lot, Irene entere1d the house in great hast exclaming to her brother "Jonny come see mother, she is out there:. Johnny ran out crying "Where is she"? "There she is right thereon that knoll, can't you see her?" Johnny declared his inability to see anybody at or near t h e place to which his attention was directed. The girls were greatly astonished at xhis, . I came out and I was in the same predicament as Johnny. I could not see anything. While the grils insi sted that sister Condie was still there. Finally the beautiful figure suddenly disappeard from the vi ew of the girls, • • ' . ( 6) 6.9 How little Irene went into the house and brought out her mother's portrait, exibited it to the girl's and they all insisted that it was the likeness of the lady they saw. I douteted their statements at first. Then I wrote down what they say and read it before there parents of the other children. They said it was correct as their girls had told them so the parents of the girls are satisfied that they have told the truth, and that it was a reality. Sister Agusta Toone mother of the three girls said to Vinie Toone, the youngest of the three "If you have told a lie, sister Condie will will come to you". The little girl said. "Ma if you don't believe me ask God". I am ·' satisfied myself the girls told the truth. C .Gibson Condie)