SALT LAKE CITY — A surprise proposal at Bryce Canyon National Park may not seem out of the ordinary but the backstory is a touching tribute that's 63 years in the making.
Bryce Canyon National Park shared the sweet story on their social media over the weekend.
In the summer of 1959, Elva met Steve Orton while looking out the window of a Utah Parks Company employee bus headed to Bryce Canyon for the summer.
Evla wished Steve would ask her on a date and thanks to a friend beside her who knew him, an invitation to a fireside program came shortly after.
The couple soon fell "madly in love," and discovered many romantic spots in the park during their summer at Bryce.
Steve left on a church mission and two years later, Elva was working at the Grand Canyon and caught the first bus back to reunite with her sweetheart at Bryce Canyon.
The couple married and celebrated nearly 55 years of marriage together before Steve passed away in 2017.
When it came time to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary, Elva, her children and her grandchildren went to Bryce Canyon, a spot that holds so many memories for the family.
One of the grandchildren, Paige, was set for a surprise of her own when her boyfriend, Garrett, drove through the night and proposed to her along the canyon rim.
The couple followed in the footsteps of Paige's grandparents and recreated a photo taken of Elva and Steve at Bryce Point in 1959.
The Orton family also saw the signature of their beloved father and grandfather Steve in a lodge cabin where employees covered the walls and rafters with signatures.
