by John Bennion
On May 13, 2023, Mark Bennion and I worked on repairing the family monument in Bennion Canyon, Rush Valley. Mark provided the skilled masonry and cement labor, and I did the unskilled grunt work. Mark and I are first cousins and descendants of John Bennion and Esther Anne Birch, Israel and Jeanette, Glynn and Lucile, and respectively George and Joye and Colin and Sergene.
Mark on the left; John on the right.
We removed loose stones and reseated them with new grout. The top stone was also loose, so we reseated it. Then we poured new cement around the base, shoring it up. We plan to contour the ground above the monument so spring runoff will not erode under the monument and to build a fence to keep cattle from rubbing against the stones. It should last another ninety years.
The monument was dedicated as part of a Bennion family reunion in Vernon, Utah, held on July 24, 1933. After speeches, lunch, and sporting activities in the Vernon Ward meeting house, the group drove south to the mouth of Bennion Canyon, where Israel Bennion dedicated the monument.
Left to right: Israel Bennion, Elizabeth Harker Bennion, Emma Bennion Linsay, Rebecca Ann Bennion Sharp. In the background can be seen David Bennion.
To read a brochure about the reunion and dedication see the Bennion Family Association website (bennion.org). On the landing page, click on “Archives” and then “Places.”
The owner of the property where the monument stands, Jim Ekker, has been generous to work with us. He put in a gate so people can easily get access to the monument. On the Bennion website is a Google map that can guide those interested in visiting the monument and other Bennion family sites in the south end of Rush Valley. On the landing page, click on “Archives” and then “Places.”