About

The land now constituting the present cemetery was originally part of a 160 acre parcel procured by James and Diana Eckersell by patent from the U.S. government on September 28, 1893.  Several subsequent owners of this land held title to the property up to the formation of the “Sugar City Maintenance District.”  On January 11, 1931, Edward Skidmore, H. D. Wilding and others filed a petition with the Madison County Commissioners proposing the creation of the cemetery district.  A public hearing was held on February 9, 1931, and on March 9, 1931, an order approving the formation of the cemetery district was made by the Madison County Commissioners.

The current cemetery plat shows approximately 7,336 gravesites.  The first burial we have record of in the cemetery took place in 1892.  The cemetery has come to be known as a “family plot” cemetery because so many families have asked to own plots neighboring each other.  The southeast portion of the cemetery has solid lava rock approximately 18” below the surface and until at least four (4) feet of fill dirt can be brought in, 440 gravesites in that area cannot be used for burials.  The cemetery board plans to develop the north area of the cemetery by enclosing the Rexburg ditch in a culvert and developing this remaining area of the cemetery to provide approximately 760 more gravesites.

Recently, one of the greatest concerns of the cemetery board is the annual operating costs.  Income from county taxes only makes up half of the maintenance cost of the cemetery; the other half has been brought in through the sale of gravesites.  When we run out of gravesites to sell, we run out of our secondary source of income.  To properly prepare for that future event, the annual levy from property taxes for the Sugar Salem Moody cemetery district must be raised.  Another challenge which is being addressed is the flooding of certain portions of the cemetery each spring.  Through the combined efforts of private donors, Madison County Road and Bridge and the cemetery board members, there is a retaining wall being constructed on the southern boundary where water typically enters during runoff.  Dirt is being hauled into the southeast of the cemetery and the trees and other needs are being worked on.

Please come to the cemetery and see the changes which are taking place.