List of burials at Salt Lake City Cemetery

The northern section of the cemetery at night, looking towards Salt Lake City

The Salt Lake City Cemetery is in The Avenues neighborhood of Salt Lake City, Utah. Approximately 120,000 persons are buried in the cemetery. Many religious leaders and politicians, particularly many leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) lie in the cemetery. It encompasses over 250 acres (1.0 km2) and contains 912 miles of roads. It is the largest city-operated cemetery in the United States.

Notable burials

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A-G

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Name Birth Death Notes
Truman O. Angell June 5, 1810 October 16, 1887 LDS Architect of Salt Lake Temple, Salt Lake Tabernacle, and other edifices
Melvin J. Ballard February 9, 1873 July 30, 1939 LDS Church Apostle
M. Russell Ballard October 8, 1929 November 12, 2023 LDS Church Apostle
Simon Bamberger February 27, 1846 October 6, 1926 Fourth Governor of Utah
Bob Bennett September 18, 1933 May 4, 2016 U.S. Senator (Son of Wallace Bennet)
Wallace Bennett November 13, 1898 December 19, 1993 U.S. Senator
Adam S. Bennion December 2, 1886 February 11, 1958 LDS Church Apostle
Mervyn S. Bennion May 5, 1887 December 7, 1941 US Navy Captain killed during Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
John Milton Bernhisel June 23, 1799 September 28, 1881 Delegate to U.S. Congress from Utah Territory
Albert E. Bowen October 31, 1875 July 15, 1953 LDS Church Apostle
Hugh B. Brown October 24, 1883 December 2, 1975 LDS Church Apostle
Thomas Bullock December 23, 1816 February 10, 1885 Member of the Council of Fifty and clerk to Joseph Smith and Brigham Young
John Thomas Caine January 8, 1829 September 20, 1911 Delegate to U.S. Congress from Utah Territory
Charles A. Callis May 4, 1865 January 21, 1947 LDS Church Apostle
Dr. Martha Hughes Cannon July 1, 1857 July 10, 1932 Elected Utah State Senator in 1896—first female State Senator in the U.S.
George Q. Cannon January 11, 1827 April 12, 1901 LDS Church Apostle and Delegate to U.S. Congress from Utah Territory
Sylvester Q. Cannon June 10, 1877 May 29, 1943 LDS Church Apostle
Thomas Battersby Child May 6, 1888 November 3, 1963 Creator of the Gilgal Sculpture Garden
J. Reuben Clark September 1, 1871 October 6, 1961 LDS Church Apostle, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico and U.S. Undersecretary of State
Rudger Clawson March 12, 1857 June 21, 1943 LDS Church Apostle
William Clayton July 17, 1814 December 4, 1879 Mormon pioneer, inventor, lyricist and scribe
Matthew Cowley August 2, 1897 December 13, 1953 LDS Church Apostle
John Christopher Cutler February 5, 1846 July 30, 1928 Utah Governor
Hugh W. Dougall March 6, 1872 May 2, 1963 LDS hymn writer. Works include "Jesus of Nazareth, Savior and King", music to "Come Unto Him". and "The Bridge Builder".
Richard L. Evans March 23, 1906 November 1, 1971 LDS Church Apostle
James C. Fletcher June 5, 1919 December 22, 1991 Administrator of NASA and University of Utah President
David Fullmer July 7, 1803 October 21, 1879 Utah politician
Heber J. Grant November 22, 1856 May 14, 1945 LDS Church President
Jedediah M. Grant February 21, 1816 December 1, 1856 LDS Church Apostle and Salt Lake City's first Mayor

H-P

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Name Birth Death Notes
Conrad B. Harrison July 15, 1911 February 12, 2008 Salt Lake City Mayor
Alonzo A. Hinckley April 23, 1870 December 22, 1936 LDS Church Apostle
Gordon B. Hinckley June 23, 1910 January 27, 2008 LDS Church President
William Henry Hooper December 25, 1813 December 30, 1882 Delegate to U.S. Congress from Utah Territory
Edward Hunter June 22, 1793 October 16, 1883 Third and longest serving Presiding Bishop of LDS Church.
Howard W. Hunter November 14, 1907 March 3, 1995 LDS Church President
Anthony W. Ivins September 16, 1852 September 23, 1934 LDS Church Apostle
William Jennings September 13, 1823 January 15, 1886 Salt Lake City Mayor
Edward P. Kimball June 2, 1882 March 15, 1937 Organist of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and a hymn writer.
J. Golden Kimball June 9, 1853 September 2, 1938 LDS General Authority
Spencer W. Kimball March 28, 1895 November 5, 1985 LDS Church President
William H. King June 3, 1863 November 27, 1949 United States Senator
Harold B. Lee March 28, 1899 December 26, 1973 LDS Church President
Sherman P. Lloyd January 11, 1914 December 15, 1979 U.S. Representative from Utah
Karl G. Maeser January 16, 1828 February 15, 1901 President of Brigham Young Academy (forerunner of Brigham Young University (1876-1892))
Herbert B. Maw March 11, 1893 November 17, 1990 Utah Governor
Neal A. Maxwell July 6, 1926 July 21, 2004 LDS Church Apostle
Bruce R. McConkie July 29, 1915 April 19, 1985 LDS Church Apostle
David O. McKay September 8, 1873 January 18, 1970 LDS Church President
Joseph F. Merrill August 24, 1868 February 3, 1952 LDS Church Apostle
Larry H. Miller April 26, 1944 February 20, 2009 Utah businessman and philanthropist
Thomas S. Monson August 21, 1927 January 2, 2018 LDS Church President
George Q. Morris February 20, 1874 April 23, 1962 LDS Church Apostle
Frank Moss September 23, 1911 January 29, 2003 U.S. Senator
Henry D. Moyle April 22, 1889 September 18, 1963 LDS Church Apostle
Joseph White Musser March 8, 1872 March 29, 1954 Early Senior leader of the Mormon fundamentalist movement
Alexander Neibaur January 8, 1808 December 15, 1883 Among the first dentists to practice in Utah, and one of the first Jews to join the LDS Church
Wayne Owens May 2, 1937 December 18, 2002 U.S. Representative from Utah
Charles W. Penrose February 4, 1832 May 16, 1925 LDS Church Apostle
L. Tom Perry August 5, 1922 May 30, 2015 LDS Church Apostle
William Wines Phelps February 17, 1792 March 7, 1872 Early LDS Church Leader and songwriter
Orson Pratt September 19, 1811 October 3, 1881 LDS Church Apostle

R-Z

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Name Birth Death Notes
Cal Rampton November 6, 1913 September 16, 2007 11th Utah Governor
Joseph Lafayette Rawlins March 28, 1850 May 24, 1926 U.S. Senator
George F. Richards February 23, 1861 August 8, 1950 LDS Church Apostle
LeGrand Richards February 6, 1886 January 11, 1983 LDS Church Apostle
Willard Richards June 24, 1804 March 11, 1854 LDS Church Apostle
Matthew Stanford Robison Memorial September 23, 1988 February 21, 1999 10 year old disabled boy - his memorial became an attraction
Porter Rockwell June 28, 1813 or
June 25, 1815
June 9, 1878 Bodyguard to Joseph Smith, Jr. and Brigham Young
Arthur Shepherd February 19, 1880 January 12, 1958 Composer and conductor
Eldred G. Smith January 9, 1907 April 4, 2013 Last Presiding Patriarch for the LDS Church
George A. Smith June 26, 1817 September 1, 1875 LDS Church Apostle
George Albert Smith April 4, 1870 April 4, 1951 LDS Church President
Hyrum Mack Smith March 21, 1872 January 23, 1918 LDS Church Apostle
John Smith July 16, 1781 May 23, 1854 Uncle of Joseph Smith and 4th Presiding Patriarch of the LDS Church
John Henry Smith September 18, 1848 October 13, 1911 LDS Church Apostle
Joseph F. Smith November 13, 1838 November 19, 1918 LDS Church President
Joseph Fielding Smith July 19, 1876 July 2, 1972 LDS Church President
Erastus Snow November 9, 1818 May 27, 1888 LDS Church Apostle
William Spry January 11, 1864 April 21, 1929 Third Governor of Utah
Joseph Standing October 5, 1854 July 21, 1879 LDS missionary murdered while serving
James E. Talmage September 21, 1862 July 27, 1933 LDS Church Apostle, scientist, and University of Utah President
Nathan Eldon Tanner May 9, 1898 November 27, 1982 LDS Church Apostle and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, Canada
John W. Taylor May 15, 1858 October 10, 1916 LDS Church Apostle
John Taylor November 1, 1808 July 25, 1887 LDS Church President
George Teasdale December 8, 1831 June 9, 1907 LDS Church Apostle
Elbert D. Thomas June 17, 1883 February 11, 1953 U.S. Senator
Mary M. Wallace January 8, 1847 September 27, 1847 The first known burial in the Salt Lake Cemetery[1]
Mere Mete Whaanga February 15, 1848 May 11, 1944 Maori tribal leader and missionary[2][3]
Daniel H. Wells October 27, 1814 March 24, 1891 LDS Church Apostle and Salt Lake City Mayor
Heber Manning Wells August 11, 1859 March 12, 1938 Utah's first Governor
Orson F. Whitney July 1, 1855 May 16, 1931 LDS Church Apostle
John A. Widtsoe January 31, 1872 November 29, 1952 LDS Church Apostle and University of Utah President
Lester Wire September 3, 1887 April 14, 1958 Inventor of the traffic light
Wilford Woodruff March 1, 1807 September 2, 1898 LDS Church President
Edward Woods July 5, 1903 October 8, 1989 American actor

Grave of Lilly Gray

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The headstone of Lilly E. Gray, located in the far northeast of the cemetery, has long attracted attention and visitors from all over America, on account of its unusual inscription:

Lilly E. Gray / June 6, 1881 – November 14, 1958 / Victim of the Beast 666

Little is known of Lilly Gray's life beyond basic records. On July 10, 1952, she married Elmer Gray, a serial felon who had served time in the Missouri State Prison, the Oklahoma State Prison, the Colorado State Prison, and, for eleven years, in the Utah State Prison. Lilly and Elmer were 72 and 71 respectively. Lilly died in 1958 of natural causes with no indication of foul play. The reason for the inscription is not known, but her husband had shown some indications of possible paranoia, and presumably ordered the headstone. But much amateur speculation has surrounded the grave, and rumors and legends of paranormal or Satanic associations have circulated.[4]

The Tomb of Jacob Moritz

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The tomb of Jacob Moritz, sometimes referred to in local legends as "Emo's Grave," is associated with various stories. According to these tales, actions like walking around the grave six times with lights or chanting the name "Emo" are believed to cause supernatural events. Reported occurrences include sightings of red eyes through the tomb's grate or a face in the mausoleum window. Some stories suggest that the grave glows at night or associate "Emo" with different figures, such as a miner or someone involved in rituals.[5][6]

Jacob Moritz, an early Utah politician and founder of the Salt Lake Brewery, was interred in this tomb after his death in Germany in 1910. His ashes were initially placed in the mausoleum, but due to repeated vandalism, the urn was removed, and its location is now unknown. Despite the tomb’s history, these legends continue to be part of local folklore.[7][5]

Notes

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  1. ^ "Salt Lake City Cemetery". Retrieved April 8, 2014.
  2. ^ "Maori Tribal Leader, 90, To Live Here". Salt Lake City Tribune. 14 November 1938. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  3. ^ Newton, Marjorie (2014). Her Very Presence is a Sermon: Mere Mete Whaanga. In Richard E. Turley Jr. and Brittany A. Chapman (Eds.), Women of Faith in the Latter Days (Vol. 3). Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book, p. 262.
  4. ^ Gina Strack (October 31, 2017). "For the Record: Lilly E. Gray". Utah Division of Archives and Records Service website. Retrieved July 21, 2023. "The mystery of Lilly Gray 'victim of the beast' unearthed". Fox TV Channel 13 [Salt Lake City]. Oct 31, 2016. Retrieved July 21, 2023. Andrew Reeser (November 1, 2018). "Records uncover mystery behind Utah grave bearing Antichrist reference". ABC TV Channel 4 [Salt Lake City]. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Wilson, Kristi (October 22, 2012). "Emo's Grave". L. Tom Perry Special Collections Blog. Brigham Young University. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  6. ^ "Salt Lake City Cemetery". Salt Lake City Parks. Salt Lake City Corporation. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  7. ^ "Interview with Elske Barreto, 1993". Digital Library. Utah State University. Retrieved August 21, 2024.

References

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Further reading

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40°46′28″N 111°51′49″W / 40.774497°N 111.86348°W / 40.774497; -111.86348