Local Memorial Day ceremonies live once again

Monday was a Memorial Day in the La Conner area that will not soon be forgotten – and not just because of ideal weather.

The public was again able to honor sacrifices of deceased veterans with solemn ceremonies at the Pleasant Ridge and Swinomish Tribal Community cemeteries, rituals suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re grateful for the opportunity to gather again,” said Rev. Don Robinson, who officiated a service under warm and sunny skies at Pleasant Ridge, the oldest cemetery in Skagit County.

“We’re here,” Robinson added, “to honor those veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice that allows us to enjoy our freedoms and to remember the pioneers and settlers who are here as well.”

Robinson, a 1972 La Conner grad whose family came to the ridge in 1963, opted for “the paths we choose and tracks we leave” as the theme for his brief remarks.

“We stand here because of the many people who came before us,” Robinson said. “And we stand here as beneficiaries of someone who made a path, made a road. So, today, we honor the forerunners – those here who have gone before us.”

He said each generation is given the opportunity to serve, whether in the military or otherwise. “We, too, get to run ahead,” he stressed. “Maybe we, too, can be the ones to make crooked paths straight and rough paths smooth. We’re forever known by the trails we leave behind.”

Laurie Lane drove up from her home in Gig Harbor to speak. She is a descendant of Louise Johnson, who came to the Valley at age 16 from Norway, joining three older brothers. Lane said getting her family members and others from Scandinavia to immigrate was not a hard sell.

“As I drove over the crest of Conway Hill this morning and saw Mount Baker,” Lane explained, “it looked so much like Sweden. I knew why so many Scandinavians picked the Skagit Valley.”

She said these pioneers built homes and legacies to stand the test of time.

“Those structures are still here,” she said. “They got up early, got things done and were proud of their work.

“What’s a blessing,” she said, “is that the people are so proud of their heritage. They’re proud to be Swedish, Finnish, Danish, whatever ‘ish’ you want to be.”

Including Swinomish, whose community enjoys a rich tradition of military service. As part of services there, a long list of deceased Tribal veterans was read aloud.

“We have a lot of veterans from Swinomish,” noted Tribal Senator J.J. Wilbur, who also serves on the La Conner School Board and Fire District 13 Board of Commissioners.

“All gave some,” he reminded those assembled at the Swinomish cemetery, “and some gave all. Today, we’re honoring those who didn’t come back. We’ll never forget what they did for us. The great lives we enjoy today we owe to the sacrifices they made for us.”

Tribal Senator Brian Porter served as master of ceremonies for the 90-minute services, pointing out that three Swinomish veterans – including his late grandfather, Chester Cayou, Sr. – survived the famed World War II Battle of the Bulge.

“It does us good to remember,” Porter insisted.

Cayou, a revered tribal leader, is remembered for having coined the phrase “loving, caring, sharing” as the official slogan when Swinomish hosted the Salish Sea Canoe Journey nearly a decade ago.

Doug York, among a full lineup of speakers, said some memories are more difficult than others. As an example, he said social media has made it possible for him to reconnect with former shipmates with whom he served during the Vietnam era.

“There are good memories,” York said, “but there are also memories that remind me of war. This is a solemn occasion. We pray a blessing over all the graves, but a special blessing over the graves of those who stood up nobly to face danger and war head on.”

Former Tribal Senate Chairman Brian Cladoosby said taking time to honor veterans has long been a Swinomish tradition.

“We come here,” he said, “because this is what our elders taught us. Now, when we look in the mirror and ask where the elders are, they’re right in front of us.”

In related notes:

* Retiring Pleasant Ridge Cemetery Commissioner Curt Buher was recognized for his 13 years of service and presented with a card and gift certificate following the service.

*Pleasant Ridge Cemetery Secretary Lori Buher said that despite the pandemic the district has been able to install a new water line and remove dead trees from the grounds, terming that work “a huge accomplishment.”

*Former Tribal Senator Kevin Paul performed “Soldier Boy,” a 1980 Blackfeet Singers composition, as a tribute to Swinomish veterans.