While we were in Nauvoo, we decided to go to the Pioneer Memorial Cemetery really quick to see my 4th great grandfather, William Casper’s grave. He died in Nauvoo, shortly before the exodus.
I hadn’t ever been to the Old Nauvoo Burial Grounds (also known as the Pioneer Memorial Cemetery) before and until learning about William, I didn’t know that I had any ancestors that were buried there. I was expecting the cemetery to be near all of the other Old Nauvoo sites, but it was actually 2 miles down the road, out in the countryside area.
When we pulled up to the cemetery, it was already dusk so it was getting darker. I was expecting a typical cemetery that is just off the side of a road, but this one was different. it was so beautiful! We had to walk down a gravel path and then up a hill in the woods to get to where the gravestones are.
And as we were walking down the path, there was a gift waiting for us… fireflies. Fireflies started lighting up all over the place. I was so excited! I had been looking forward to going out to my parents’ house all summer so that we could hopefully see some fireflies. My mom said that the fireflies had been super active out at their house this summer and I was just hoping that they would still be around when we got there at the beginning of August.
Well, Jershon and I had checked that first couple nights that we were in Missouri and hadn’t seen any at their house. 🙁
So to see the fireflies here, in Nauvoo, at this sacred cemetery, was a gift from heaven. Fireflies! 🙂 Maybe William Casper had them special delivered for us. Heavenly Father really does know how to send good gifts.
We had a lot of fun watching the fireflies and catching/releasing some of them. Landon and Porter even caught some. It was pretty magical.
As we were catching fireflies, we were wandering around the cemetery, trying to find William’s grave before it got too dark to see.
We finally found it! It was neat to see his gravestone and think about his life and all he sacrificed for us.
(See the next few posts for more gifts that God has given to me recently…)
