Lehi People
Heritage Day: Mercers recognized for leadership during floods of 1983, service with youth
Editor’s Note: The Lehi Historical Society is proud to present the stories of its Lehi Heritage Day 2024 honorees. The story of Julian and Diana Mercer is the eighth of eight articles featuring this year’s honorees. Each couple will be celebrated at Lehi Heritage Day on Sept. 2, from 2:30-6 p.m., at the Legacy Center at 123 N. Center. For more information on Lehi Heritage Day, see lehihistory.com or call 801-768-1570.
When ferocious mountain runoff threatened Lehi in 1983, the late Julian Mercer was head of the Emergency Preparedness Committee for the most impacted area of downtown Lehi. His ward, the Lehi 10th Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was the only area with two waterways—the waste ditch and Dry Creek—running through it.
Julian set up block captains with radios, served as a liaison for the ward with the city, organized sandbagging, oversaw shifts to guard the banks and helped create bypasses for the flooding around bridges.
In his account of the event, which is the best-known account, he wrote, “None of us had a clue about sandbagging. We weren’t sure what a sandbag looked like, how big it was or how full it should be.”
After figuring out the sandbags, he said, “The purchase of sandbags by the individuals presented our first major problem because those people wanted to use the bags for their own homes. … The committee soon realized this could not be an individual effort … we must work together to keep the water in the ditch, thus protecting everyone. The beehive concept soon came to fruition. The battle could not be fought from house to house, this would be an impossible task.”
Although some damage from the flood took years to come back from, the community came together, and no homes were lost.
Julian coached Little League baseball and Mustang League. He was a leader in Boy Scouts and loved to attend the Klondike. He ran for mayor in the mid-1970s, served on the Board of Adjustment for the county, helped his kids with FFA projects and sponsored a few children by donating lambs to show.
Julian was born in a home on the corner of 400 East and 500 North to Charles Emmett and Katherine Geneve Evans Mercer. He grew up running through the streets of Lehi. His best memories were of working with his dad in the gold mines at Mercur and American Fork Canyon. He loved plowing the ground on the bench north of Lehi.
Julian graduated from Lehi High School and had a love for this community. He married Diana Brown, daughter of Dee Glenn and Ruth Nuttall Brown, in 1964. She grew up in American Fork and competed in multiple Miss American Fork beauty pageants. Upon graduating from American Fork High School, she obtained her beautician’s license and worked in the little salon on Main Street for several years.
Diana later worked in the lunchroom at Lehi Jr. High School. She enjoyed taking care of Lehi’s children. She served in many LDS Primary and Relief Society presidencies. She could always be found taking care of others and helping young moms get settled into the calling of motherhood.
Julian held many LDS church callings. He wrote countless articles for The Daily Herald and the Lehi Free Press. He loved being involved with the Lehi Historical Society. He was devoted to the history and culture that makes Lehi great today. He passed away on Feb. 5 of this year.
The Mercers have three children, Susan Mercer (1962-1965), Jeff Mercer and Julie Mercer Black (1971-2020), five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Julian and Diana loved the family farm they inherited from Julian’s mother. The well-manicured farm and home has been affectionately referred to as a “golf course.” They spent countless hours pulling weeds, mowing the lawn and planting flowers. Diana’s beautiful flower gardens were photographed for many magazines. Until recently, they always had a half-acre garden. They used most of what the garden yielded but were always quick to share with those in need.
