A gravestone in a Salt Lake City cemetery is the focus of a curious mystery

[Philosophia]

A gravestone in a Salt Lake City cemetery is the focus of a curious mystery

IN A NONDESCRIPT section of the Salt Lake City Cemetery lies a small gravestone that bears an inscription so unusual that it has for years aroused curiosity, rumor, speculation – even fear – within those who have encountered it. While surrounding grave markers are inscribed with such common inscriptions as “devoted mother,” “beloved husband” or simply “in loving memory,” the gravestone of Lily E. Gray is inscribed with the mysterious and highly provocative phrase: “Victim of the Beast 666.”
This is an allusion, of course, to the New Testament’s Book of Revelation, 13th chapter, which has been interpreted to refer to the Antichrist:

"And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon....

And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred threescore and six [666]."

“The Beast” and “666” have henceforth become synonymous with Satan and the Antichrist.

From here (http://paranormal.about.com/od/hauntedplaces/a/aa102306.htm).

I've never heard of this before. Has anybody else?

[number_the_dead]

Maybe she was pagan and the stupid mormons couldn't think of her as anything but evil and associated with the devil. Mormons are dumb like that.

[ShadowcatX]

I think it's likely that she either died at the hands of someone too powerful for the family to strike out at / untouchable by law enforcement and so they considered the killer the beast, 666, just as kind of a personal insult or perhaps she died of unexplained causes and that was their way of looking at it.

[Astara Seague]

I think it's likely that she either died at the hands of someone too powerful for the family to strike out at / untouchable by law enforcement and so they considered the killer the beast, 666, just as kind of a personal insult or perhaps she died of unexplained causes and that was their way of looking at it.

Shadowcatx is probaly right.. i dont know the real story though.. and I have seen that headstone.. its one of the "darkest's" favorite hang out , personally seeing it once in the daytime was enough for me :ghostie:

[Dio]

I love that cemetary. I have not seen that gravestone, nor heard of it before. Maybe next time I'm wandering around I'll look for it.

It is curious that there has been no explanation found that would give any reason for the inscription. Lily appeared to have died of natural causes at an old age. Perhaps just the concept of death in and of itself was considered evil to her.

[Philosophia]

This is definitely an interesting topic to discuss. I wonder what really occured to this poor woman.
http://static.flickr.com/78/161851689_b6e6dce6dc_m.jpg

[ValD]

The paranormal Utah group are investigating this, according to this post (http://www.paranormalutah.com/ghost/News&file=article&sid=20):We are currently doing some research on Lily Edith Gray. She is buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery and has one of the most well known headstones in Utah folklore. Below her dates of birth and death, 1881-1958, is an inscription “Victim of the beast 666". There is very little known information about her, however she was fairly new to the Salt Lake area, married, and died in an area hospital of “natural causes”. Her husband outlived her by several years and is buried on the opposite side of the cemetery. I hope to soon have some more insight into this Utah enigma.
So her husband most likely chose the inscription. Maybe he was some sort of religious nut who thought her death was caused by demons, or something. But why did he choose to be buried in another part of the cemetary? The mystery deepens.....

[Merrilyn]

Very interesting. According to this site:
http://paranormalusa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7&Itemid=2
some of the info on the marker is incorrect (name spelling and birth date),
and the husband died on Halloween, 1964. Curious.

[Meadhbh]

It would be interesting to see which of the natrual causes she died of. It may shed some light on the whole matter.

[number_the_dead]

I wonder if anyone is reserching "the witches" grave here in sunny St. George Utah. Sorry I know it is sorta off topic but I have to tell u all about this other grave in utah (as if u guys really care but too bad ur gonna hear about it anyways!) Any whoo... Here is St. George (the bigish city in southern utah) there is a grave that everyone refers to as "the witches grave" The grave is in the older section of the main city cemetary. It looks like a globe on a pedastle (if I remember correctly Its been years since I was there) Any ways the inscription on the stone says "Not Dead, Just Sleeping" wich sounds like a tragic denile from a former loved one or (as many people choose to beleive) a creepy warning.... Dun Dun Dun!!!... No really it is really there. If any of u are accually interested tell me and I will go take a picture of it k?

[Cliona]

I wonder if anyone is reserching "the witches" grave here in sunny St. George Utah. Sorry I know it is sorta off topic but I have to tell u all about this other grave in utah (as if u guys really care but too bad ur gonna hear about it anyways!) Any whoo... Here is St. George (the bigish city in southern utah) there is a grave that everyone refers to as "the witches grave" The grave is in the older section of the main city cemetary. It looks like a globe on a pedastle (if I remember correctly Its been years since I was there) Any ways the inscription on the stone says "Not Dead, Just Sleeping" wich sounds like a tragic denile from a former loved one or (as many people choose to beleive) a creepy warning.... Dun Dun Dun!!!... No really it is really there. If any of u are accually interested tell me and I will go take a picture of it k?

I know this was posted a while ago, but I would be interested in seeing the picture if you still want to go take one!

[Rowan Darkmoon]

Maybe she just wanted that on there?

[Fairy_Princess]

I think it's just some family drama stuff. Doubtful it's anything more than sadistic relatives or anything less than a "why did you honor that?" last request.

[Hærfest Leah]

Interesting story, I'm also thinking the husband was a religious nut. But why wasn't he buried next to her? Why the opposite side of the cemetary?