Presidents’ Day

In the coming week we will celebrate Presidents’ Day. Observed on the third Monday in February, this special day honors the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, and all those who have served as president. I recently came across an interesting online article from Encyclopedia Britannica entitled “5 Wacky Facts about the Births and Deaths of U.S. Presidents.” Written by Terrence Jacobs, this article brings to light some “strange facts and coincidences in the lives and deaths of the U.S. commander in chief.”

Mr. Jacobs writes that “perhaps the most coincidental events in U.S. history are the deaths of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. They died on the same day, in the same year, and on the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence—July 4, 1826…James Monroe also died on July 4, but in the year 1831. The only president of the United States to be born on July 4 was Calvin Coolidge in 1872.”

Millard Fillmore and William Howard Taft both died on March 8 – Fillmore in 1874 at age 74, and Taft in 1930 at age 72. “At 340 pounds, it is somewhat remarkable that Taft exceeded the life expectancy of his time. He once wrote to a friend: ‘Took a long horseback ride today, feel fine.’ The friend replied: ‘How’s the horse?’”

Harry Truman and Gerald Ford both died on December 26 – Truman in 1972 and Ford in 2006. “At the time of his death, at age 93, Ford was the president who had lived the longest life, though his record was later broken by George H.W. Bush.”

We may never reach presidential status, but we certainly deserve to be honored at the time of our death. Our mission at Serenity Funeral Home is to help you decide how to best honor your life or the life of your loved one. We are located just off Riverside Drive at 1316 S. 400 E., St. George, UT, (435) 986-2085, www.SerenitySTG.com.

Submitted by Larry L. Hansen, Licensed Funeral Director/Owner

https://www.britannica.com/list/5-wacky-facts-about-the-births-and-deaths-of-us-presidents