The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-06-29
Four Caskets Side by Side in
Shadow of the Meeting
House.
FUNERAL BIGGEST EVER
HELD IN DAVIS COUNTY
Widespread Sorrow Shown and
Caskets SmOthered With
Flowers.

There are four new graves in the
kaysville cemetery, side by side, buried
in flowers that came from the length
and breadth Of Davis stake and from
Ogden and Salt Lake. They are the
graves of Scofeld Kershaw, his wife
and two daughters, who met sudden and
terrible death together at the Layton
crossing of the Oregon Short Line Tues
day night.
Not in the history of Davis stake
has there been such an event When
the shock of the terrible accident abated
the people gave way to generous SYM
pathv for the Kershaw family, which
eliminated Friday afternoon in the
largest funeral ever known to the
stake. One thousand persons attended
the funeral services at the West Lay
ton meeting house, two imles west of the
scene of the accident, and the cortege
contained nearly 300 vehicles. Kays-
vile, Layton, West Layton and Syra-
cuse wards contributed the bulk Of the
crowd, though many came from Salt
Lake and Ogden.
Sympathy and Consolation.
The funeral services and their en-
vlronment were perfect expression of
sympathy and consolation. 1t was
guessed that the meeting house would
be too small and arrangements were
made TO hold the services in the grove
east of the house. This grove ia only
half grown, but IT made picturesque
setting for most beautiful picture. The
four caskets were side by side In the
pulpit had been brought out. In a
semi circle under the trees sat a weep
ing crowd. The unusual calamity, the
solemnity Of the service, the crowd, and,
above all, the abundance Of flowers,
made a picture that may not again be
seen IN the life of a generation.
The four csskets were sealed at the
Kershaw home, one mile west of the
meeting house, at l o clock, and brought
to the meeting house III farm spring
wagons. Other wagons brought the pail.
bearers. When the caskets reached the
meeting house the crowd was seated an
standing under the trees with. uncoy
cred heads. Miss Layton, daughter Of
Bishop Layton of the West Layton
ard played "Nearer Ny God to Thee
as the strange procession began.
Little Annie First.
First came the body of Annie Ker
shaw, aged IS, borne In Its little bro"
caded white plush casket by Otho Green,
Willie Layton, Clarence Bone, Clifton
Layton, Merlin Stevenson and Alex SEQ.
field, all Sunday school mates of the
dead child. Reverently their little hands
lifted the caslSet to its supports. while
they turned aside tearstained faces.
Six girls. iu white, who, this month,
graduated from the eighth grade at
with the remains OF Rhoda Kershaw,
aged 10, their classmate. They were
Jennie Cook, Hattie Bone. Vera Lay
ton. Ethel Bone, Estella Smith and Ju-
cinds Cobridgc. They lifted the white
casket alongside the sister, several OF
them sobbiug,
The casket of Mrs Rebecca Kershsw
was borne by James Ware, R, D. Ware
and John Ware, her brohters, and
Thomas II, Phillips, Willard Phillips
and Alma Phillips, her cousins. 1t was
ket of Scofeld Kersbaw by John E,
Thurgood, Thomas e. Williams, David
Stokes, Jr,, Thomas j. Thurgood. Will
ham T.. Criddle and Daniel III. Walker,
his co-membcrs in the presidency of
the One Hundred and Thirty sixth sew
cnties When the four caskets were
side by side women and children show
cred loose flowers and boquets upon
them until the ground about was COW
which were numerous, were placed on
the pulpit and organ The side of the
church, and even the trunks of the
trees, had been decorated with punches
of roses. sweet peas, sweet Williams
and all the wild flowers of the sward
and forest
Church Yard Ceremonies.
The ceremonies were confined entire
" To speaking, singing and praying,
They began with prayer by Bishop Jo-
seph Barton, formerly of Kaysville
ward, after which the choir sang the
favorito hymn of Mrs. Kershaw. "Sis-
ter, Thou Vast Mild and Lovely
The hvmn brought the first expression
shown by the general use of kerchiefs
TO the eyes. The first eulogy was by
Richard Scofield, the district teacher,
who spoke of the exemplary Christian
character Of the parents and their solic-
tudc for the correct instruction Of the
children IN the faith, Bishop II. H, |
Blood of the Kaysville ward, with |
whose father Scofeld Kershaw passed |
his irst night in Utah, said the lives
If the parents always would be beau
.iful message Of love for duty and |
honor to the surviving children.
Alexander Dawson; an old man, while
,uloCiziug the dcud was the only
speaker who alluded TO the accident |
md it's causes. He said ths calamity |
vas NOT the first at this crossing, nor
would il he the last, but he "declared
before high heaven tha. il was the
iuty of the railroad company TO safe
,uard the crossing Willard Funk and
Iohu +. Thorgood also eulogized tbe
lead
Principal Addresses,
The principal addresses were by Sev-
nour b. Young, senior member of the
irst council Of seventy, and n nephew
f Brigham Young. and Apostle David
}. Mckay of Ogden, Mr.. Young
Continued on Page SiS