Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Newpaper article on Jake Eagle Project!!

Eagle project to bring map, history to Herriman cemetery
By Crystal Liechty
5 days ago6 views
Jake Peacock, 12, wanted to do an Eagle Scout project that he could be proud of – something he could tell his children about years later. So when he realized the Herriman City Cemetery, 12465 South Pioneer Street (6000 West), didn't have a map detailing where each headstone was, he knew what he needed to do.
"I noticed the Herriman cemetery had no organization of where everyone was buried," he said.
Jake is no stranger to cemeteries. He and his family often visit them to connect with long-gone ancestors and to learn about family history. Even though they have no relatives buried in the Herriman cemetery, Jake's mother, Jennifer Peacock, still likes to take the family there to get a sense of history.
"We frequent cemeteries on Memorial Day and go through all the generations so the kids know. In Price, we can count back five great-grandfathers," she said. "In Herriman, you can't find out where people are buried. There's no map. If you want to see a gravestone, you have to go up and down every row of the cemetery."
Jennifer Peacock noted that the Herriman cemetery is a great place to visit if you're interested in ancestral history. "It's unbelievable," she said. "They have World War I and World War II veterans and this very tall statue that has poems on it and just a lot of little things."
To solve the Herriman cemetery organization problem, Jake is planning to make a map of the gravestones, detailing the name of each person buried there, their date of birth and date of death and whether they served in the military. Part of the project will be determining if people who have purchased plots are planning to be buried in them or if they purchased them for someone else. But he's not stopping there.
"We've also proposed to do a pavilion with cement underneath it and a four by eight foot glass casing to put the map in," Jennifer Peacock said, adding that Jake is also planning to find out and detail the history behind the cemetery.
"He's already talked to [Former Herriman Mayor] Lynne Crane and learned about how it began as a plot of land outside of Fort Herriman. It was a couple of acres donated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter -day Saints so they could bury people nearby but still outside the fort," she said.
Herriman City is planning to donate the funds for Jake's project, and his troop mates in Herriman Troop 1237 are planning to help with some of the work. Herriman City Manager Brett Wood will oversee everything.
"I'm really excited to do it," Jake said. He began work in early April and is planning to unveil the finished project at the Herriman Memorial Tribute Ceremony, Monday, May 30. Until then, he is hoping to gather more information on the history of the cemetery. Those with information or stories can email him at peacockfamily5@gmail.com with the subject line: Attention Jake's Eagle Scout.
"An Eagle project should bring the whole community together and this one really does," Jennifer Peacock said. "This will be something that will be around for a long time; something Jake can show his children someday."
CAPTION: Jake Peacock, 12, is planning to make a map of all the headstones in the Herriman City Cemetery and unveil the project at the city's Memorial Day celebration, Monday, May 30.

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