Child’s headstone found beneath Salt Lake City deck leads to decades-old mystery

SALT LAKE CITY — What began as a backyard renovation turned into an unexpected mystery for a Salt Lake City homeowner after he uncovered a child’s headstone buried beneath an old deck. The search then led to Salt Lake City Cemetery, where Elva’s grave is still marked with a headstone. Donny DePasquale, owner of Utah Headstone Design, reviewed photographs of both markers and believes the stone found beneath the deck was likely Elva’s original marble headstone. While that offers the most likely explanation for why two headstones exist, it does not answer how the original marker ended up buried beneath the deck. Ocegueda said he now plans to build a small memorial to Elva near the place where her original headstone was discovered.