Issue 47.10
I am not a relative of the Bundy family. I have never been to a Bundy Family Reunion, but I most definitely feel like family. It has been my distinct privilege for many years to serve the Bundy family as their Funeral Director. Most recently, I have twice made my way to the Mt. Trumbull Cemetery.
It is amazing to me that the Bundy family is so large. “Bundyville” or Mt. Trumbull is residence now to only a few. Both of my grandfathers ran cattle on the Arizona Strip, but as for me, the way to Mt. Trumble is as follows: Head South out of St. George on River Rd., cross the Arizona State Line, then up the long driveway which levels out a little. Seegmiller Mt. is to the North. Nearby is a small cedar post corral with side by side posts and a water catch pond. Next is Wolf Hole, Atkins Ranch; then Big Old Square Top comes into view. Follow the cliffs, which tower over many different family ranches. I especially always look for the fire hydrant in front of the Iverson Homestead. Follow the road to the schoolhouse. Turn right, driving for about one mile, then through a gate on right. Twist and turn through perilous flats and hill sides to Mt. Trumbull Cemetery. It is in the middle of the good old Wild West.
Actually, a burial in Mt. Trumbull is about as original as it could possibly be. Every occasion seem to linger in my mind. Some highlights which come to my mind include the time I had a flat tire, and of course the time we got stuck in a flash flood. I remember an airplane cortege and shuttle as we laid Jim Ripley and his wife to rest near the Ranger Station.
These are the names which grace this sacred place: Van Leuven, Bundy, Hughes, Iverson, Whipple, Nelson, Faught, Penman, Welch, Gifford, Snyder, Lariette, Hallmark, Hymer, Gilstrap, Barnum, Carroll, Thayne, Esplin, Beach, Horrocks, Turner Bryant and Griffith. I may have missed a few, but not many. It truly has been my privilege to help lay to rest many loved ones who belong to these families. Yes, I do feel like family.