Mayor Kristie Overson’s mother, veteran school teacher Mavis Steadman, is credited with coming up with the original idea of Tombstone Tales nearly three decades ago. Several other people were involved in getting it off the ground in those earliest days; but Steadman is credited for the original idea, along with virtually all of the early scriptwriting. 

However, the woman who is about to become Taylorsville’s longest serving mayor was never involved in any of those previous productions. This year will be her first.

 “I told them I would portray my mother and I provided them with notes about Tombstone Tales,” Overson said. “My mom was very good about keeping a journal – so I went back to read about how the show was started. My mom was a speech and drama teacher – mostly at Eisenhower Junior High – for many years. She was very dramatic, well-respected, well-loved. I want to honor my mother; but I know I have some big shoes to fill.”

This year’s production is the sixth in this infrequent series. Previous Tombstone Tales were presented in 1998, 2003, 2009, 2015 and 2022. The free production is a joint effort from the Taylorsville Arts Council and the city’s Historic Preservation Committee. This year’s presentations will be September 18, 19 and 20, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. The 30-minute show will run on the hour and half hour each night. Visitors must arrive no later than 8:30 p.m. to see the production.

Patrons should park at Eisenhower Junior High (4351 S. Redwood Road) and walk the two blocks south to the Taylorsville Cemetery (4575 S. Redwood Road). Both are on the east side of Redwood, so the busy street will not have to be crossed. A shuttle service will be provided for anyone with difficulty walking.

“Tombstone Tales tells the history of prominent members of our community who have passed away,” Taylorsville Historic Preservation Committee Chair Susan Yadeskie said. “It’s a very unique show. Audience members walk to several different headstones in the cemetery and hear short stories about each of those people. The stories are presented by performers in period clothing, speaking as if they are the deceased person. None of it is ‘scary.’ It simply brings Taylorsville history to life in an entertaining way.”

In the previous five Tombstone Tales, no person has ever been depicted more than once. But that tradition is being changed with one of the vignettes this year.

“I’m the only performer who has appeared in all of the previous Tombstone Tales,” Yadeskie added. “This year, we decided to repeat the same script I used in my first performance, 27 years ago. It’s the story of Mary Ellen Cook, a survivor of the Martin Handcart Company. Her story is so compelling – and it’s been so long since we presented it – it just felt like time to do it again.”

Born in 1847, Cook was age 9 when her family got stuck in the Wyoming snow while part of the Martin Handcart group. She lost her father in the storm but lived on to a productive life herself, here in Utah. She is the great grandmother of another well-known Taylorsville resident, former Salt Lake County Parks & Recreation executive Gary Swensen, for whom Valley Regional Park is named.

Taylorsville Arts Council Chairwoman Susan Holman is thrilled Overson has agreed to portray her mother in this month’s Tombstone Tales.

“I asked the mayor personally if she would do it and I am absolutely thrilled she said yes.” Holman said. “The notes the mayor provided from her mom’s journal were extremely helpful. I think it will be a wonderful tribute to Mavis Steadman and the other originators of Tombstone Tales.”

One of the other earliest creators and scriptwriters of Tombstone Tales was Helene Smith. Like Steadman, Smith is now deceased. The other two founders of the production are still alive and well, in their 80s. JoAnn Buck has been in charge of all the production costuming for 27 years. Former Historic Preservation Committee Chair Connie Taney is also credited with offering assistance in several ways from the earliest days. 

Buck was a founding member of the Taylorsville Arts Council, established the same year the city was incorporated, 1996. The city celebrated its 29th “birthday,” two months ago.

“I was at that very first meeting in 1998 when Mavis Steadman came in to ask ‘Could we use the Taylorsville Cemetery for a theatrical production?’ and we thought it was a good idea,” Buck said. “I believe Mavis also already had the name ‘Tombstone Tales.’ As far as I know, it was an absolutely original idea. I’ve never heard any talk of Mavis getting the idea from something like that being done anywhere else in the country, or around the world.”

Buck has scoured Goodwill Thrift Stores and Deseret Industries over the decades in search of the perfect period piece clothing.

“I will be there early on the three performance nights, just checking to make sure the costumes and everything else are good to go,” Buck said. “I’ve never wanted to act in Tombstone Tales myself; but I have been a script adviser. I’ve been in Taylorsville so long, I am either related to or at least know nearly everyone.”

As for Taney, she also credits her fellow Historical Preservation Committee member Margaret Player with being one of the Tombstone Tales “founders.”

“We’ve both done all kinds of different jobs to help out – a little bit of everything,” she said.

Not all of the five-to-seven-minute vignettes will focus on Pioneer Era people. One deceased person in the spotlight this year was a Vietnam War veteran. And, of course, Mavis Steadman was much more contemporary.

There are no ticket sales for Tombstone Tales, although donations to the Taylorsville Arts Council and Historic Preservation Committee will be generously accepted at the gate. Again, the dates are Thursday, Friday and Saturday, September 18-20.