Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Abe Gardner, who 25 years ago spearheaded the campaign to establish a memorial at the Huff'n'Puff Trail to Shelton-area youths who died young, told the Shelton City Council on May 21 he has the names of 21 others to add - and needs donations for two granite benches to add them.
The names of 21 Shelton-area youths who died young will be added to memorials at the trailhead of the City of Shelton's Huff'n'Puff Trail across the street from Shelton High School.
Abe Gardner, who led the campaign to create the memorial as his Eagle Scout project 25 years ago, and fellow Shelton Rotary Club member Kristin French gave an update on the student memorial to the Shelton City Council at its regular meeting May 21. The Shelton Rotary Club just signed up for a second year adopting the park, French said.
No names have been added to the memorial since 2014. Gardner, an emergency prevention specialist with North Mason Regional Fire Authority, sought permission from families to add the names to the two-sided memorial. He told the council that 25 years ago, he began finding names looking through yearbooks and newspapers, and from word of mouth. This time, many of the names came through social media, he said.
Gardner said he has 21 names to add.
The current memorial doesn't have enough room to accommodate the new list of names, Gardner said. Donations are being sought to purchase a two granite benches to add names, he said.
To make a donation, call 360-801-9555.
Robert Vermillion and Marjorie "Monique" Burnett will be added to the middle school side of the upright memorial.
Added to the high school side of the upright memorial will be Jesse Weston (who died in 1997), George Hickam (1969), John Sutton (1970), Tracy West (1988), Jeffrey Harber (1987), Mike Newby (1986) and Christine Michaelis (1981).
The names proposed for the granite benches are Evan Barnaby-Shintaffer (who died in 2022), Megan Grey (2012), Marshall Cowles (2018), Matthew Smith (1997), Theron Keegan Wilson (2016), Jarek Andersen (2022), Ryan Johnson (2004), Gabriel Paulson (2014), Jennie Osborn (2001), Tim Kennedy (1990), Roland Zellmer (2016), Jerame Humphreys (2012), Steven Schuler (2000) and Kevin Andrew Schuler (2007).
Several mothers expressed appreciation that their child's name will be immortalized, Gardner said.
"They thought their children's names would be forgotten forever," he said.
Last September, Gardner told the Journal he got the idea for the memorial when he was 14 or 15 years old from listening to stories about members of his class who died before graduation. Most died from illnesses or car accidents, he said.
"I started thinking it would be neat to commemorate those we lost too soon," he said.
Gardner asked residents for names, and raised the money for the memorial, a three-year process. Residents donated $5,000 in cash, supplies and labor. After considering sites in downtown Shelton, the City of Shelton gave him the site at its Huff'n'Puff Trail, close to four schools.
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