As a child, I have many fond memories of times spent wandering around the graves of my ancestors in the Pleasant Green Cemetery in Magna, Utah. I remember looking at the two tiny headstones where my Uncle and Aunt were buried as infants, and wondering what kind of lives they would have lived, and what influence they would have had on my own life.
I remember gazing in amazement at the birth date on the headstone my Great Great Great Grandmother which reads 1797, such an unimaginably distant time for a young man to fathom.
I also recall noticing that my Great Grandmother Hazel Bertoch died only a few weeks after I was born. I wondered then, and still wonder now what our relationship would have been like, had she lived just a few more years.
In total my family has five generations of ancestors, all buried within a few feet of one another. I belong to the sixth generation, and my own children (of which there are seven) belong to the seventh.
Seven generations, what a remarkable thing. For us, the Pleasant Green Cemetery is a sacred place. I have stood on these grounds more than once, to say goodbye to a loved one.
When my grandfather died, our oldest daughter Hannah, was just five days old. Like me, she would only have a few short days to get to know an older direct ancestor. I see the wonder in my children’s eyes, as we look at the headstones, and talk about the legacy that these good people left behind.
On May 9th, of this year (2011) I was invited to attend a board meeting of the Board of Trustees for The Pleasant Green Cemetery Preservation And Development Association. This private non-profit owns and manages the cemetery. During this meeting, I was asked to serve on the board, and then asked to take the position of President.
How does one respond to such a call?
Like most, I am a very busy person. I own a rapidly growing educational company known as The KidsKnowIt Network (www.kidsknowit.com) With over 130 million monthly hits, we are the most popular educational website online. Running this business is something that keeps my time rather occupied.
In addition, I was already serving on two other boards. Each with its own commitments and deadlines. Add to that mix church callings, and a variety of responsibilities that come with having seven children, and the notion of taking on another responsibility, becomes a very difficult thing to find the time to consider, let alone fulfill.
But… how often does one get asked to fill the role of caretaker for a place that means so much to you and your family? Privileges such as these come along maybe once in your life, often never.
It is the kind of thing you make time for. The kind of thing you graciously step down from other commitments so that you can have the opportunity to serve. It is the kind of thing that you stick your arm out, smile, and shake the hand of the individual making the offer. Without hesitation. All though you know it means a lot of unpaid work and untold stress.
As that arm extends, to accept the offer, a lot flashes through your mind. It is an amazing thing how much you can think about in such a short period of time. ”I wonder what unknown problems the cemetery might have?” “What am I getting myself into?”…
Since beginning my tenure I have spent quite a lot of time in the Cemetery. It is a remarkable thing. I don’t believe that I have ever enjoyed a position as much as I have enjoyed this one thus far.
There is nothing quite like standing all alone, on holy ground, gazing across the valley, doing a job that you know no one is likely to notice, or thank you for. It is a job I hope to be able to do for a very long time.
If you asked me a month ago, whether I could fit a nearly full time responsibility into my life, I would have laughed. And yet, you never quite know what life holds in store for you. How privileged I feel that this particular honor has come into my life.
When I am gone, and my grandkids (8th generation) come to visit my grave, I hope that this old pioneer cemetery will, even then continue as it always has, as a quiet and sacred resting place, where wild flowers, and natural vegetation cover a rustic landscape overlooking the Salt Lake Valley.
