Miners who were killed in Summit and Wasatch County buried in Heber Valley Cemeteries
Robert Lavon Thompson Sr KWDD-TGM Judge Mine 17 April 1923
Robert Lavon Thompson Sr was born on 30 August 1896, in Heber City, Wasatch, Utah, United States, his father, William Thompson Junior, was 24 and his mother, Nancy Ellen Barnes, was 18. He married Esther Ivie on 25 April 1917, in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States. They were the parents of at least 2 sons. He lived in Center Creek, Wasatch, Utah, United States in 1910 and Duchesne, Duchesne, Utah, United States in 1920. He died on 17 April 1923, in Park City, Summit, Utah, United States, at the age of 26, and was buried in Heber City, Wasatch, Utah, United State.
Edmund Roy Moulton KVP1-QJ8 Star Mine 17 January 1928
Edmund Roy Moulton was born on 11 September 1888, in Heber City, Wasatch, Utah, United States, his father, James Heber Moulton, was 40 and his mother, Euphemia Ann Carroll, was 32. He married Lucy Dickson on 8 April 1914, in Salt Lake Temple, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States. They were the parents of at least 2 sons and 2 daughters. He died on 17 January 1928, in Heber City, Wasatch, Utah, United States, at the age of 39, and was buried in Heber City Cemetery, Heber City, Wasatch, Utah, United States.
Accident at Star of Utah Mine Two Men Killed appeared in the Heber newspaper, Wasatch Wave, on Friday, January 28, 1928.
“This community received one the most severe shocks in its history last Tuesday evening when the word was received here that Edmund R. Moulton of Heber Second Ward and Frank J. Chap had been instantly killed in a blast in the Star of Utah Mine. Preparations were immediately made to recover the bodies; and Sheriff Fraughten, Henry Moulton, T. DeVere Smith, and Warren Hicken went to the mine and brought the body of Mr. Moulton home. The body of Mr. Chap was sent to Park City for burial preparations and to find relatives if possible. Mr. Chap was born in Wisconsin of Austrian parentage but the whereabouts of his relatives at this time seems to be unknown. Mr. William Trevathick, foreman of the Star of Utah Mine, called on us on Wednesday afternoon and gave us an account of the accident as follows: "A few days ago, Edmund R. Moulton had been employed at the mine to take the place of Mr. Martin who was ill having his tonsils removed. At noon on Tuesday, he informed Mr. Moulton that Mr. Martin would be back to take his place the following day, but that Mr. Moulton would be reemployed again as soon as a place could be found to use him, because he was liked by men in the mine.
The two men and Mr. Trevathick had gone on shift at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, and worked together practically all day long in an attempt to finish the work of the day a little earlier than the previous day, when they were late coming off shift. At 4:30 p.m., eleven holes had been drilled, and the boys tore down the machine ready to be taken away before blasting began. Mr. Trevathick took the machine away, while the others were doing other work and placing the fuse ready for shooting, having loaded the holes. When the foreman returned from taking the machine away, the others were "spitting" the holes. Mr. Moulton's light was not as good as that carried by the foreman so they exchanged lights. Then it was that Mr. Trevathick noticed that the first fuse lighted had burned almost to the edge of the rock, and told the other men it was time to get out of the way. At this, Mr. Moulton smiled, and Mr. Chap said, "Wait a minute." The foreman called, "Come on," and started out of the tunnel thinking the others were following, but he said they were still standing where he had left them. Then there came a sudden flash and in succession five others corresponding to the six holes that were loaded. The force of air caused by the first shot knocked Mr. Trevathick into the ditch, and from there he had to group his way in the darkness 1000 ft. before he could get help. With the aid of other men he tried to get back to where Mr. Moulton and Mr. Chap were last seen; but the hot smoke was more than they could stand, and they had to wait about 1/2 hour for the air to clear away, then they went in.
The first to enter returned with the report that there were no men in the works. The foreman knew that the two men must be there, since there was no way of escape for them. He designated a place where they most likely would be found, and they started to dig, and there under about two feet of rock and dirt they found the bodies of the two unfortunate men. They were taken out and doctors were immediately called and relatives notified. Both men received the fatal blow in the back of the head. Other parts of the bodies were not cut or mangled. The foreman thinks they were in a stooping position or in the act of lifting something when the explosion occurred. We drew Mr. Trevathick's attention to the current rumor that defective or poor grade of fuse was being used at the Star of Utah, but this he denied, saying that they had bought and used only the best obtainable fuse; and that the best always proved to be the cheapest in the long run. We also drew attention to the rumor that he and others had left the mine, and were eating their supper before the two men were missed. This he reported as being wholly untrue, and said that not only had he been with the men practically all day, but that he had eaten neither supper or breakfast. So the matter seems to be one of those wholly accidental happenings that no one can explain.”
Virgil Earl Murdock K24Y-2SD Ontario Drain Tunnel 21 Sept 1929
Virgil Earl Murdock was born on 1 April 1911, in Heber City, Wasatch, Utah, United States, his father, Earl Sharp Murdock, was 22 and his mother, Mabel Bell, was 19. He lived in World in 1925. He died on 21 September 1929, in Heber City, Wasatch, Utah, United States, at the age of 18, and was buried in Heber City Cemetery, Heber City, Wasatch, Utah, United States.
Ernest Ervin Sonderegger KWZC-SWZ Silver King Mine Leg crushed by elevator door Died Aug 3, 1933
Ernest Ervin Sonderegger was born on 5 April 1892, in Midway, Wasatch, Utah, United States, his father, Johannes Sonderegger, was 61 and his mother, Bertha Bühler, was 35. He married Grace Watkins on 3 September 1913, in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States. They were the parents of at least 6 sons and 3 daughters. He immigrated to Vermont, United States in 1895. He died on 3 August 1933, in Midway, Wasatch, Utah,
United States, at the age of 41, and was buried in Midway, Wasatch, Utah, United States.
Reese Arthur Wilson KWCF-PP6 ‘Star Tunnell May 30, 1940
Reese Arthur Wilson was born on 13 January 1896, in Midway, Wasatch, Utah, United States, his father, James Brigham Wilson Sr, was 39 and his mother, Margaret Powell, was 37. He married Eva Huber on 29 June 1921, in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States. They were the parents of at least 5 sons and 3 daughters. He registered for military service in 1918. He died on 30 May 1940, in Keetley, Wasatch, Utah, United States, at the age of 44, and was buried in Midway City Cemetery, Midway, Wasatch, Utah, United States.
Loses Life In Accident While at work at the Park City Utah property near Keetley. Last Thursday R. Arthur Wilson of Midway a well-known and longtime resident of Wasatch County was fatally Injured. Manager Paul Hunt of Park City Utah gave the following facts to the press. Mr. Wilson had been operating a donkey hoist at the mine. After hoisting the other workers lunch pails, Mr. Wilson leaned over the shaft railing. As he did so, one of the workers on the upper level accidentally knocked a block of wood down the shaft. The block struck Mr. Wilson on the head and crushed his skull. He died en route to Heber City Hospital.
Charles Franklin Luke KWZM-ZWS Frank) Silver King Mine 12 June 1942
Charles Franklin Luke was born on 26 November 1888, in Midway, Wasatch, Utah, United States, his father, William Andrew Luke Sr., was 28 and his mother, Ellen Matilda Busby, was 28. He married Cordelia Shelton on 8 November 1911, in Midway, Wasatch, Utah, United States. They were the parents of at least 7 sons. He lived in Star Election Precinct, Beaver, Utah, United States in 1920 and Midway Election Precinct, Wasatch, Utah, United States in 1940. His occupation is listed as laborer, farmer, freighter, & miner in Utah, United States. He died on 12 June 1942, in Park City, Summit, Utah, United States, at the age of 53, and was buried in Midway, Wasatch, Utah, United States.
Robert Simpson Watson Park Utah Mine 13 May 1944
Robert Simpson Watson I was born on 24 September 1914, in Charleston, Wasatch, Utah, United States, his father, Henry Fowles Watson, was 44 and his mother, Ella Maria Murdock, was 43. He married Yvonne Loraine Cummings before 1947, in Utah, United States. They were the parents of at least 1 son. He lived in Heber City, Wasatch, Utah, United States in 1940 and Heber City Cemetery, Heber City, Wasatch, Utah, United States in 1944. He died on 13 May 1944, in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States, at the age of 29, and was buried in Heber City Cemetery, Heber City, Wasatch, Utah, United States.
Marlow Mair KWJJ-2P8 Park Utah Mine 14 June 1946
Marlow Mair was born on 4 August 1910, in Heber City, Wasatch, Utah, United States, his father, Andrew Mair Jr, was 21 and his mother, Myrtle Young, was 17. He married LaPreal Mason on 28 May 1933, in Heber City, Wasatch, Utah, United States. They were the parents of at least 2 sons and 1 daughter. He lived in Heber Election Precinct, Wasatch, Utah, United States in 1940. He died on 14 June 1946, in Wasatch, Utah, United States, at the age of 35, and was buried in Heber City, Wasatch, Utah, United States.
Edward Pratt KWJJ-2P8 Park Utah Mine 14 June 1946
Edward Pratt was born on 2 June 1913, in Park City, Summit, Utah, United States, his father, Charles Christopher Pratt, was 50 and his mother, Mary Hannah Jenkins, was 39. He married Muriel Erma Lewis on 13 January 1933, in Salt Lake, Utah, United States. He lived in Tooele, Tooele, Utah, United States in 1920. He died on 14 June 1946, in Keetley, Wasatch, Utah, United States, at the age of 33, and was buried in Heber City, Wasatch, Utah, United States.
George Duke Nichol KWZ7-28D, New Park Mine, December 15, 1950
George Duke Nicol was born on 2 December 1905, in Heber City, Wasatch, Utah, United States, his father, Gabriel Blake Nicol, was 27 and his mother, Stella Jane Duke, was 28. He married Manilla Bisel in November 1930, in Heber City, Wasatch, Utah, United States. They were the parents of at least 3 sons and 1 daughter. He lived in Duchesne, Wasatch, Utah, United States in 1910 and Center Election Precinct, Wasatch, Utah, United States in 1940. He died on 15 December 1950, in Hailstone, Wasatch, Utah, United States, at the age of 45, and was buried in Heber City Cemetery, Heber City, Wasatch, Utah, United States.
William F Beckendorf New Park Mine 11 August , 1951
William Beckendorf was born on 5 April 1910, in Lehmrade, Herzogtum Lauenburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Prussia, Germany, his father, Frederick Martin Carl Beckendorf, was 32 and his mother, Mary Magdeline Lehmitz, was 23. He married Erma Eunice Nash on 17 August 1932, in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States. They were the parents of at least 1 daughter. He lived in West Jordan, Salt Lake, Utah, United States in 1930 and Heber City, Wasatch, Utah, United States for about 1 years. He died on 11 August 1951, in Hailstone, Wasatch, Utah, United States, at the age of 41, and was buried in Heber City, Wasatch, Utah, United States.
Archie Dee Graham KWCV-3MB New Park Mine August 11, 1951
Archie Dee Graham was born on 4 April 1927, in Heber City, Wasatch, Utah, United States, his father, Albert Graham, was 37 and his mother, Bessie Elisabeth Ivie, was 23. He married Nola Gordon on 1 January 1947, in Heber City, Wasatch, Utah, United States. He died on 11 August 1951, in Hailstone, Wasatch, Utah, United States, at the age of 24, and was buried in Heber City Cemetery, Heber City, Wasatch, Utah, United States.
Joseph Melvin Street KWZ4-WKX Park Utah Mine January 27, 1953
Joseph Melvin Street was born on 12 December 1915, in Midway, Wasatch, Utah, United States, his father, Simon Street Jr, was 25 and his mother, Rachel Melvina Casper, was 19. He married Margaret Clayburn on 8 April 1936, in Provo, Utah, Utah, United States. They were the parents of at least 3 daughters. He lived in Heber City, Wasatch, Utah, United States in 1940. He died on 27 January 1953, in Park City, Summit, Utah, United States, at the age of 37, and was buried in Midway City Cemetery, Midway, Wasatch, Utah, United States.
Neil Rasband KWZQ-JCK Ontario Mine 10 June 1977
Neil Clifford Rasband was born on 27 August 1925, in Heber City, Wasatch, Utah, United States. He had at least 2 sons. He registered for military service in 1943. In 1961, his occupation is listed as automobile mechanic/service station operator in Heber City, Wasatch, Utah, United States. He died on 10 June 1977, in Park City, Summit, Utah, United States, at the age of 51, and was buried in Heber City Cemetery, Heber City, Wasatch, Utah, United States.
Rexford Scott Russell (Scott Allen) KWCY-VBS Noranda Mining Company March 17, 1980
Rexford Scott Russell was born on 10 June 1957, in Provo, Utah, Utah, United States. He died on 17 March 1980, at the age of 22, and was buried in Wallsburg Cemetery, Wallsburg, Wasatch, Utah, United States.
