“Halloween reminds us that cemeteries aren’t scary—they’re just neighborhoods where the residents throw the quietest parties.”
As autumn settles into Heber Valley and the leaves begin to turn, the bright blooms left on headstones in late spring have long since faded—yet the memories they honor remain vivid—stories of grit, sacrifice, faith, and community spirit. The Heber Valley Heritage Foundation believes those stories deserve more than seasonal remembrance; they should live on, accessible to future generations, a constant reminder of the people who shaped this place we call home.
In a recent exchange with Jason Moulton, retired FBI Assistant Special Agent and Director of the Research and Discovery Center for the Heber Valley Heritage Foundation, and Wayne Farr, businessman, historian, and Vice President of the Foundation, the depth and urgency of this mission came into focus.
The Cemeteries of Heber Valley
Our valley holds more history than most people realize. Beyond the bustle of Main Street and the expanding neighborhoods lie resting places that tell the story of how we became who we are. From the sprawling Heber City Cemetery to the Midway City Cemetery, the old Midway burial ground, the Wallsburg Cemetery, Charleston Cemetery, and the Center Creek Pioneer Cemetery, each site contains its own chapter in our shared heritage.
There are also hidden or lost burial sites—graves in Snake Creek and those once located where the Jordanelle Dam now stands. Before the reservoir filled, the remains were carefully moved to the Heber City Cemetery. That relocation sparked conversations among community members about the importance of preserving these stories, leading to a broader initiative to document and honor our cemeteries.
How the Heritage Foundation Became Involved
In the spring of 2025, the Foundation set out to create a self-guided historical walk through the Heber City Cemetery. The vision was simple but powerful: identify significant individuals, provide a printed and digital map, and place QR codes at each grave so visitors could instantly access short narratives about the lives buried there.
Memorial Day arrived before the project could be completed, but the research didn’t go to waste. Short biographies and photographs for 45 notable pioneers, business leaders, farmers, ranchers, Native American leaders, and early religious figures were posted on the Foundation’s website and social media channels. These profiles bring to life the diversity and resilience of those who built the valley from the ground up.
Why These Stories Matter
Heber Valley has grown from a handful of hardy settlers breaking the earth with plows to a thriving community of more than 35,000 residents. In that transformation, it’s easy to lose sight of the hands—and hearts—that laid the foundation.
For Jason, preserving these stories is about fostering gratitude and perspective. “As we appreciate how this valley became so special, we need to know about those who made it the way it is,” he says. Wayne agrees, pointing to the ingenuity of the early settlers and the communal spirit seen in everything from barn raisings to building the iconic Tabernacle.
Lives That Shaped the Valley
Among the notable figures is Chief Tabby’s son, whose burial in the Heber cemetery was followed by a traditional Native American ritual; an event which speaks to the valley’s intertwined histories. There’s John Crook, whose sandstone quarry supplied the material for the community Tabernacle, and John Watkins, who built a distinctive home in Midway for two of his wives. There’s also the Wherrett Mansion—originally built by a prosperous sheep rancher, later owned by Dr. Wherrett, and still in the family today.
These are not just names and dates; they are stories of ambition, endurance, and deep connection to place.
What Cemeteries Teach Us
Studying these cemeteries offers lessons far beyond genealogy. We see the care our ancestors took in choosing burial sites with sweeping views, the dedication to perpetual upkeep, and the way floral tributes and tokens continue to affirm love across generations. For Wayne, the Midway Cemetery’s panoramic view is more than scenic—it’s spiritual, “a vista of the valley that speaks to the deep love our predecessors had for this place.”
Preserving History in the Digital Age
While physical memorials endure, the Foundation is also working to ensure history is accessible in our increasingly digital world. Research often begins with the Wasatch County Daughters of Utah Pioneers’ book How Beautiful Upon the Mountains, supplemented with census records and personal histories from FamilySearch.org.
Jason is passionate about encouraging everyone—regardless of faith affiliation—to open a free FamilySearch account, upload photos, record memories, and write their own stories. “There is nothing as valuable as the words of an ancestor,” he says.
In recent years, the HVH Foundation digitized and indexed the entire Dr. Raymond Green Collection, now available through FamilySearch. This resource is a goldmine for anyone researching local history.
A Call for Community Involvement
Cemetery preservation is not just the work of historians—it’s a community responsibility. Families often gather at gravesides and, in the process, share stories that would otherwise be lost. These moments are opportunities to capture and record history for future generations.
The Midway Historical Committee is leading by example, gathering oral histories and making them available for public enjoyment. Interest is growing, as seen in the packed cemeteries each Memorial Day—a testament to the human longing for ongoing connection.
The Foundation is also exploring additional cemetery walks, such as one honoring local miners who lost their lives in accidents. Community input is welcome, especially as the Heber Cemetery constructs its new office space.
The Challenge Ahead
There is, however, a pressing challenge: a historical gap. Since the 1963 publication of How Beautiful Upon the Mountains, no comprehensive record has captured the last six decades of Heber Valley life. Without action, we risk losing vital pieces of our collective memory.
Jason warns that we live in a “disposable generation” where images stay trapped on phones and stories go untold. Without deliberate preservation, the richness of our present will not survive into the future.
Why This Matters to All of Us
For Jason, learning about his ancestors has also been a journey of self-discovery. “As we learn about our ancestors, we learn a lot about ourselves,” he reflects. Cemeteries are places of remembrance, but they are also classrooms, teaching us about resilience, values, and the threads that bind generations.
Wayne sees them as bridges between the living and the dead, spaces where the stories of the past continue to shape the lives of descendants.
Looking Forward
The Heber Valley Heritage Foundation hopes to engage younger generations not just as passive consumers of history but as active participants in preserving it. Whether that’s through technology—such as QR code tours—or oral storytelling and writing, the goal is the same: to make history vivid, personal, and lasting.
As Jason notes, many cemetery records contain only names and dates; without stories, those records are incomplete. By adding context, we transform data into legacy.
How You Can Help Keep Our Heber Valley Heritage Alive
The preservation of Heber Valley’s history is not a spectator sport—it’s something each of us can do.
- Record your family stories: Write them down, record audio, and upload to familysearch.org.
- Share photographs: Digitize old pictures and add them to online archives.
- Support the Heber Valley Heritage Foundation: Volunteer, donate funds, or contribute research to ongoing projects.
- Participate in cemetery walks: When the QR code tours launch, bring your family and learn about
the people who built our valley. - Encourage the next generation: Teach children the value of history, not just as a subject in school, but as a living connection to identity and place.
History is not just in textbooks or museums—it’s under our feet, in our neighborhoods, in the names on street signs and buildings. Each time we preserve a story, we strengthen the bridge between past, present, and future.
The past is a gift we can only keep if we choose to carry it forward. Let’s ensure that the voices of those who built Heber Valley will still be heard a hundred years from now.
To explore the stories already collected, learn about upcoming projects, or find out how you can get involved, visit hebervalleyheritage.com.
