Self-Guided Visit
Weeping Lady Statue Visit
Find the kneeling statue of Laura Ferreday in the cemetery grounds—a poignant Victorian memorial with century-old water stains that feed the weeping legend.
- Duration:
- 30 min
Photo coming soon
Cemetery / Burial Ground
Spanish Fork City Cemetery
A 32-acre Utah County cemetery established in 1853, home to the Weeping Lady statue memorializing Laura Ferreday, said by local legend to cry real tears after dark.
420 S 400 E, Spanish Fork, UT 84660
Wheelchair Accessible
Research-Backed · 4sources
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Free public cemetery
Access
Wheelchair OK
Paved paths throughout the 32-acre grounds
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1853 · One of Utah County's oldest continuously operating municipal cemeteries, established 1853/1868 · Ferreday statue is a local landmark cited in Deseret News and regional folklore collections · Over 12,000 interments representing pioneer-era through modern Utah County residents
Spanish Fork City Cemetery was established in 1868 and has been the primary municipal burial ground for Spanish Fork, Utah County, since the first interment in 1853. The 32-acre property is maintained by the city's Parks and Recreation Department and holds more than 12,000 headstones representing generations of the local community.
The cemetery's most celebrated monument is the kneeling stone figure over the grave of Laura Daniels Ferreday of Payson. Laura died in Provo in 1929 at age 32 from an infectious tumor. Her husband Horace Ferreday, a well-known plumber in Spanish Fork during the 1920s, commissioned the striking statue in her memory. The sculpture depicts a woman kneeling with one hand pressed against a wall and her face buried in her other arm. Horace had a poem inscribed beneath the figure—'Warm summer sun shine kindly here / Gentle breeze blow softly here / Mother earth above lie light, lie light / Goodnight sweetheart, goodnight'—words drawn from a poem by 19th-century poet Robert Richardson and adapted by Mark Twain for his own daughter's headstone.
Horace Ferreday was laid to rest beside his wife in 1972, reuniting the couple the statue had long symbolized. The cemetery remains in active municipal operation under Spanish Fork City, with updated records accessible through the city's online Cemetery Lookup portal.
Sources
- https://www.deseret.com/2005/10/18/19917855/shhh-do-you-hear-someone-weeping/
- https://stowawaymag.byu.edu/2020/05/02/ghosting-utah/
- https://www.spanishfork.gov/departments/parkrec/cemetery/
- https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/77440/spanish-fork-city-cemetery
Stone statue appearing to shed tears after darkWater stains on statue face cited as evidenceSounds of weeping audible when walking with eyes closedVoice calling for a child
The legend of the Weeping Lady of Spanish Fork Cemetery has circulated in Utah County for generations. According to the tradition—documented by the Deseret News (2005) and the BYU student magazine Stowaway (2020)—visitors who approach the Ferreday statue after dark may see tears streaming down the figure's stone face. Old water stains on the statue's cheeks are often cited by believers as physical evidence of the phenomenon, though these are also consistent with decades of natural weathering.
One version of the legend holds that if visitors walk around the cemetery with eyes closed, they can hear the statue weeping. Some tellings add that the statue cries out for her baby, a detail not supported by the documented history of the memorial: Laura Ferreday's statue was commissioned by her grieving husband Horace as an expression of marital loss, not maternal bereavement. The 'baby' element appears to be an accretion of folk narrative over time.
A longtime resident who had lived across from the cemetery for 44 years told the Deseret News he had walked every street in the cemetery during the day and never experienced anything unusual, providing a skeptical counterpoint to the legend. The statue's actual inscription—a grief poem adapted by Mark Twain for his own daughter's grave—lends a genuine pathos to the monument that likely sustains the legend's emotional resonance regardless of paranormal claims.
Notable Entities
The Weeping Lady (statue of Laura Daniels Ferreday)
Plan Your Visit
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Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Spanish Fork City Cemetery family-friendly?
Entirely family-appropriate; paved paths make it accessible for all ages. The statue story is melancholy rather than frightening. Overall family fit: High.
How much does it cost to visit Spanish Fork City Cemetery?
Free public cemetery This location is free to visit.
Do I need to book in advance?
No advance booking is required, but checking availability is recommended.
Is Spanish Fork City Cemetery wheelchair accessible?
Yes, Spanish Fork City Cemetery is wheelchair accessible. Terrain: Paved paths throughout the 32-acre grounds.