My childhood memories of Memorial Day include traditional visits to “the valley” – Ogden Valley. I remember some visits with Grandpa and Grandma Eggleston on their farm, then after Grandpa passed away we visited Grandma Stella. We would always visit this little Cemetery to put flowers on graves even when there were no living grandparents to visit.

The Meadow View Cemetery in Eden, Utah was established on land that was owned by Orson Hyde Eggleston. Orson moved from Ogden to Eden in the fall of 1877, purchasing the home and farm of Richard Ballantyne.  In 1882 a committee was formed to pursue the creation of a cemetery, apparently a piece of Orson’s land was offered. There were some issues involved with this as was reported in the Eden Ward records: “Bishop John Farrell stated that he wished to say something in regards to the burying ground for our dead, as the people were not satisfied with it at present. He wished Brother Eggleston to make a statement in regard to the land which had been purchased for that purpose located in his field. He (brother Eggleston) stated that he let the people have the land with the understanding that they pay him $25.00 for the same, which as yet he had never been paid. It was decided that the teachers, in visiting the people, inquire of them if they were willing to buy the land from brother Eggleston and have it fenced in and deed to the people, that they may be sure of a place to bury their dead, and report at the next priesthood meeting what the people are willing to do in regards to this matter.” November 30, 1882 “the committee appointed to see to the grave yard reported their success in purchasing the land for the same and what it would cost to fence it in by itself.”(Melba and Ren Colvin, History of the Eden Ward, Ogden Stake Utah 1877-1977, 1977)

Orson moved to Afton, Wyoming in 1885, shortly after all this was settled, where he lived the rest of his life and where he and his third wife Annie Christine Johnson.

At the time this cemetery was created and named, it apparently had a “meadow view”, however after the creation of the Pineview Dam, it now has a beautiful view of the lake.

 

The only posterity of Orson Eggleston to be buried in this cemetery was his son Joseph Smith Eggleston. After growing up in Afton and homesteading Mormon Row in Jackson Hole, Joseph moved back to Eden where he and his wives died. His wife Talitha Cuma Cheney died rather young in 1940. Joseph later married her niece Stella Mae Cheney Robinson.

Orson’s third wife and the mother of Joseph S. was Annie Christine Johnson. She and Orson were buried in Afton, Wyoming, but Christine’s family was from Eden and they are buried in this cemetery. Her father Peter Johnson died unexpectedly in December 1878. This was prior to the establishment of this cemetery, but after the marriage of Christine and Orson. He may have actually been buried here on Orson’s farm at that time, or this marker may have been placed here in the cemetery at the time of his wife’s death. Ane Marie Madson Johnson passed away in March 1917 in Ogden at the home of her son Hyrum. She was 85 years old.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the Johnson sons were also buried in this family plot. Peter Johnson Jr. suffered from some form of dementia in his later years and passed away at the Utah State Mental Hospital in Provo, Utah May 9, 1939.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ephraim Johnson died in 1950 in Salt Lake City and was buried here.

 

 

 

 

David H. Johnson died in Salt Lake City in January 1961, after being incarcerated at the Utah State Penitentiary. The State of Utah would have sent his remains to the University Medical School, if not for his nephew Joseph Eggleston making arrangements for him to be buried here in the Meadow View Cemetery by his parents.