Daniel Buckley Funk descendants celebrate his legacy

MANTI—The progeny of Daniel Buckley Funk descended on Manti Saturday, Aug. 8, to honor their progenitor, the creator of Palisade State Park.

Also in attendance were state park representatives, state and city government representatives, as well as interested Manti City residents.

The donor recognition pages stood as a testament to the hard work of Barbara Funk Barton, with more than 100 donors contributing to an effort to create an informational gazebo about Daniel Buckley Funk, including his headstone, previously located in the Manti City Cemetery.

While other Funk family members helped raise funds, Barton was the driving force behind the ambitious effort to create a lasting memorial at the state park.

Benefactors who donated $5,000 or more included Ilene Roth, Barbara Barton, Denise and Peter Kroff and Custom Electric.

The history of Daniel Buckley Funk and the lake he created will be recounted in the new gazebo featuring an interpretive tri-panel display and a shadow-box containing Funk’s headstone, which formerly stood in the Manti City Cemetery.

Highlights of the program included two musical performances by Brian Stucki, accompanied by Dr. Michael Huff. Stucki performed, “They, the Builders of the Nation” and “Battle Hymn of the Republic.”

As the audience joined in singing the chorus “Glory, glory, hallelujah! His truth is marching on,” a palpable energy of unity and love filled the gathering for a family that brought food, recreation, memories and beauty spanning generations to the gathering.

Utah Rep. Troy Shelley stepped in for keynote speaker Sen. Darrin Owens, who had been called away at the last minute to a funeral.

Shelley noted he had undergone a liver transplant seven weeks earlier yet felt compelled to attend. He praised Funk’s visionary leadership: “To be a leader, you just have to lead… it means that you (have) found a way to get people to work side by side with you, not to follow you, but to see the vision of what you have. And that’s the credit to Daniel Funk.”

Shelley recalled Funk’s 1857 identification of the dam site and purchase of the land from the Ute Tribe, adding humorously that modern permitting might have delayed such a project for generations. He also shared perspective on a historic boating accident on Funk’s Lake that occurred against Funk’s advice, attributing it partly to the long travel times of the era.

Shelley emphasized the enduring value of places like Palisade: “I see the value of human interaction, as artificial intelligence continues to progress, we’re losing human interaction… So anywhere that we can develop human interaction, I think is critical.” He thanked Barton for involving him and applauded the progress of the memorial at the state park.

Master of Ceremonies Brian Paul, a third-great-grandson of Funk, guided the program with warmth and personal insight. He lauded Barton’s extraordinary drive, quoting her advice: “Don’t be ordinary. Be extraordinary.”               

Paul noted her decades of community service, including with the Mormon Miracle Pageant and being named Utah Businesswoman of the Year in 2004.

State Parks manager Brian Jensen, reading remarks prepared by Justina Parsons-Bernstein, senior program manager and interpreter for the Utah Division of State Parks, described the gazebo’s construction. The project included design assistance from Snow College and fabrication help from inmates at the Central Utah Correctional Facility in Gunnison.

Jensen invited attendees to view the draft interpretive panels and learn how Funk traded with Native peoples, diverted water and built a dance hall whose reconstruction remains a park goal. Jensen said Palisade State Park, established in 1962, stands among Utah’s oldest state parks thanks in large measure to Funk’s foresight.

William H. Funk, great-grandson, delivered a rich historical address. He traced Daniel Buckley Funk’s 1820 birth, westward migration, marriage to Mariah and arrival in snow-covered Sanpete in November.

Hardships included frozen potatoes, sego lily bulbs, grasshopper plagues and cultural clashes with local tribes. Funk’s ingenuity shone through as he built three ponds and the main lake primarily for food security, stocked fish (including German carp still prized by the family), constructed a steamboat and towboats, and produced ice cream, furniture, Dutch ovens, baking powder, and refined silica.

Recreation features followed—circuses, a pavilion, and later dance bands—until the lake was sold for irrigation.

William Funk closed by praising park improvements in recent years and predicting Daniel would be “happy with the cabins” and facilities.

Steve Funk, great-great-grandson, talked about the origins of the monument to Daniel Funk going in at the state park.  Deteriorating headstones at the Manti City Cemetery sparked the effort, which expanded under Barton’s leadership into the gazebo, shadow-box display of the original headstone and the tri-panel interpretive exhibit.

Steve Funk recognized architects, builders and supporters of the historic display by name, noting there had been more than 100 donors of money, labor, and materials. The project, he said, aims to connect people across divisions and inspire future generations.

Vocalist Becky Barton Hollinger, great-great-granddaughter, offered stirring renditions of “God Bless America” and “This Land Is Your Land.” The program closed with a benediction by Steve Funk and an invitation from Paul for each person to build a legacy of blessing others, just as Daniel Buckley Funk’s vision continues to do.