Jeb's Grave Rededication

I didn't think we would ever move Jeb's grave. But after driving through a blizzard last year to stop in Garrison for 2 minutes, not even seeing any friends there, and having a 4-hour detour on our trip to Arizona, Evan and I started discussing moving Jeb's coffin to Malta. We felt really good about it and decided to do it.

 

So, November 20th, Evan took Cort Wilson, a mortician out of Burley, down to Garrison to get Jeb. Robert Bennett was there with the backhoe, Edith Dearden was there in behalf of the cemetery, Jim White as a sheriff's deputy, and LaVon Rowley....well, I'm not sure why he was there other than just to be there ;) Just hearing that those people were there made me cry. They are the remaining few of our Garrison Branch friends that are still there.

 

November 21st,(almost 1 month away from Jeb's 9th birthday) after Evan, Cort, Dad & JC buried the coffin, we had a little graveside dedication...and it was COLD! Ev says it was just like the day we buried him. I don't remember the cold of that day-I was too numb to think about the temperature.

 

Dad conducted and we sang "I am a Child of God." Dad, Me and Hyrum bore our testimonies. Evan gave a beautiful prayer and rededicated the grave. We didn't even sing "Families Can Be Together Forever" because we were so cold. We let go of nine balloons that headed DUE SOUTH with the wind. After, we went to Cattle Country for some hot cocoa.

 

It was very tender for me. I cried but I cried a lot of happy tears. With Steve's death, being 9 months pregnant with Kelsey and it was so close to Jeb's birthday, it was a very emotional experience and tears were very close to the surface. Everything about Jeb happened in Garrison and it was kind of bittersweet to take him from there...kind of like closing the last door to that place but I love having him close to us here in Malta. As Dad put it, Jeb is actually one of the reasons our family is in Malta. Love you, Jeb.