REMEMBER WHEN FROM THE PAST--PAYSON MORTUARIES

REMEMBER WHEN
Thursday, 22 May 2008
Kenna Holm

PAYSON MORTUARIES

    I’m having to think harder about what to write these days (I think my brain is on vacation). I’ve have been thinking about Memorial Day coming up and Mondayis when we celebrate it. I don’t know about anyone else, but I wish we still had Memorial Day on Memorial Day instead of the Monday before. The same with all the other holidays. It just doesn’t seem the same but I guess it s nice for those who work to have a long weekend.
    Anyway-- back to my remember when. Since Memorial Day is Monday, I was thinking about the different mortuaries we have had here in Payson. The first one I remember is Rigby’s Mortuary across from the park on the corner of Main Street and 200 South. I recall reading that the first mortuary was call the Deseret Mortuary and came in about 1930 (before my time) Walter Rigby worked for them and then bought the building and the business. 
    He and his wife lived in the upstairs. I think they had 2 children, a girl and a boy.  The boy was Kenneth and he married Molly Manwill and I m not sure what happened to the daughter.
    They held some of the funerals there in the mortuary. I sang at a lot of funerals there so felt more acquainted with it than with the Jolley Mortuary. I remember Gene Braithwaite played a lot of beautiful soft music for the viewings at Rigby’s. He was so generous with his talent.  There wasn’t a lot of parking space with the mortuary. People had to park up the street and over by the park.
    Mike DeWitt took over when the Rigby’s retired before they passed away. Mike run it for awhile and then moved on to Walker Mortuary.

   About the same time that the Deseret Mortuary opened,  C.O. Claudin established a funeral home in a home on 64 West 100 North. He remodeled that home and made it into a funeral home.
    In 1952,  Keith Jolley bought the business out and the new mortuary was built. It was where the La Hacienda Mexican Restaurant was located there.  Keith Jolley was the mortician and he and his family lived in the back of the building. They had a lovely place where they raised their 5 children. The mortuary was decorated beautifully and was a very nice place.
    My good friend Connie (Simpson) Nelson used to baby sit for the Jolley’s and also answer the phones when they were gone. She hated being their alone so she would ask friends to come be with her. Diane (Beddoes) Hansen was there a lot with Connie. They always felt it was kind of spooky.
    Payson had no ambulance at that time and Keith had a big station wagon he used as a ambulance as well as a hearse.
    Later on he and his wife Barbara divorced and they went their separate ways. Keith died a few years ago. He was a nice and likable fellow.

     In 1971,  Lynn Walker from Spanish Fork built a new mortuary up on600 East and100 West.  His oldest son Stewart was the first manager of it. He and his wife lived in the home adjacent to the mortuary. Since then there have been a few others and now Mike DeWitt is the manager and lives in the house. He is always so friendlyand helpful. I’ve enjoyed working with him when I sing there for funerals.
They now have beautiful limousines for the families and such a beautiful hearse.  It’ s fun to look back and remember when....