Sculptor hopes new statue brings comfort to families of buried infants


8 photos
Save Story

Show 1 more video

Leer en español

Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

LEHI — Scott Streadbeck has sculpted statues before, so he knows how nerve-racking it is to put them into place.

But this one kept him awake.

"Mostly it was last night. I was asleep and I kept waking up. I had one dream it melted in the night,” Streadbeck said Saturday with a laugh.

It's not because his bronze statue of a man and woman holding a baby is any heavier or bigger than others he has done before. It’s just that this one means more to him.

“Hopefully, this is something families can look at and say, ‘We had that moment. It was short, but we had that, and we're still that family,’” Streadbeck said.

At first glance you wouldn't know the statue was being placed in a cemetery until you start seeing headstones at ground level and realize those buried here died way too soon.

"These are young babies. What did they all have in common? Well, those families had a moment, no matter how short it was, to cuddle and be together,” he said.

The infant area at the Lehi City Cemetery was created on the cemetery's north side in December of 2013. There are now 24 infant headstones, many of them decorated with stuffed animals, toys, or pinwheels spinning in the wind.


Hopefully, this is something families can look at and say, 'We had that moment. It was short, but we had that, and we're still that family.'

–Scott Streadbeck, sculptor


"The positive side for us is that when families visit, it looks like someone cares when they come,” said Shawn Winters, Lehi’s cemetery sexton.

The bronze statue, called “Closer to Heaven,” stands 8 feet tall and is located in the middle of the infant area.

"Oh, I think it's wonderful,” said Dee Fowler, one of several dozen people at the cemetery Saturday to watch the statue be put into place. “I can only imagine how heartbreaking it is for a family to lose a child.”

Which is why Streadbeck felt more pressure than normal when the city of Lehi commissioned him to sculpt this statue.

He wanted to get it right.

"It’s fun in the studio, but it doesn't feel right or complete until it's in,” he said.

Now that it's in, just in time for Memorial Day, he's hoping it brings comfort to families who visit the cemetery and remember.

"For a family to go through this, there's nothing harder. There's nothing harder,” he said.

Photos

Related stories

Most recent Utah stories

Related topics

UtahFamily
Alex Cabrero

    STAY IN THE KNOW

    Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast