FILE – Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, looks down as he speaks during a news conference Wednesday, May 2, 2018, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
SALT LAKE CITY — U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch will be laid to rest Friday afternoon in the Newton Cemetery, following funeral services in Salt Lake City. The longest-serving Republican senator in history died April 23, at age 88.
Funeral services will begin at 1 p.m. in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Institute of Religion in Salt Lake City. Immediately after, the Utah Highway Patrol will escort the procession to the Newton Cemetery, where the senator will be laid to rest following a military salute.
The Orrin Hatch Foundation is coordinating the funeral with family members and predicts that the services will conclude around 2:30 p.m. The procession will then travel north along Interstate-15 to Riverside. It will then exit the freeway and travel into Cache Valley along Valley View Highway, State Route-30, and then north along State Route-23 to Newton.
Citizens are invited to line the route. The procession is expected to arrive at the cemetery between 4 and 5 p.m.
Sen. Hatch was born on March 22, 1934, in Homestead Park, Pennsylvania—just outside of Pittsburgh. He attended Brigham Young University in 1952. To pay his way through college, he worked as a janitor during the school year and as a journeyman lather in the summers. When he was 19-years-old, he was called to serve a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ohio and Indiana.
Upon returning from his mission, Hatch met Elaine Hansen, from Newton. The two were married in the Salt Lake City Temple. They were married for more than 60 years and were the parents of six children.
The Hatch’s visited Newton on a number of occasions during his years as a prominent politician. The couple has a joint burial plot at the Newton Cemetery.
UDOT is predicting heavier traffic along the Wasatch Front, due not only to Sen. Hatch’s funeral but also graduation ceremonies at Utah State University and University of Utah. They are asking drivers to plan ahead and allow extra travel time.
will@cvradio.com