Memorial Day

We have a tradition, with many other Americans, to visit the graves of our ancestors on Memorial Day weekend.  We usually go on Sunday afternoon after church.  My Mom and Dad are faithful goers.  When we were kids, we did not really like to go, in fact I think as we got older, as teenagers, we never went.  When I "grew-up" and was married, I began going again with my parents.  Norm came along a few years and then I realized how painful it was for him When I told him that I I didn't really care if he went along he seemed relieved.  The people's sites we visit are people he never knew. Irealized that it didn't matter to me if he came or not.  We like to chit-chat at the graves and remember things about those who have gone before us.  Norm is not a chit-chatter, especially at a cemetery for people he has no idea who they are.  But,  for whatever reason, my kids like to go.  We go every year, take our marigolds, stake them down with a clipped off hanger.  We visit Provo Cemetery, Orem Cemetery and Elysian Gardens in Salt Lake.  Last year, I realized that my kids didn't know these people, and I don't even know if they were clued in that they were THEIR relatives too.  I think they like walking around the cemetery finding the oldest dates on the headstones.  This year they found one born in 1810!  That is a LONG time ago.  Last year, I had the idea that we should make a book. We should have the names, the ancestry, a picture and directions to all the graves we visit. Well, another year flew right by and we didn't do it.  This year we found pictures of all the people we were visiting and I took my camera, took pictures of the headstones and made very good notes on how to find each spot.  It gets very tricky walking around in large grassy area looking for a flat headstone if you don't know where you are going.  We now have the info we need to make the book.  It was fun this year to have my Mom show the kids a picture and tell us something she remembered about each person.  I hope the cemetary book doesn't seem morbid but will be  a lasting legacy for our family to keep track of our ancestry and family history.  Also, I know I would never be able to find most of the headstones without my Mom's help so a written record will be key for the tradition to continue.