Remembering youths who died young

Twenty-three names of Shelton youths who died while in grades six through 12 will be recognized at a rededication ceremony from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 18 at the student memorial at the City of Shelton's Huff'n'Puff Trail across the street from Shelton High School.

The ceremony will also note the installation of two granite benches. The event will be presented rain or shine. Parking is limited at the Huff'n'Puff trailhead and attendees are invited to park nearby at the Shelton YMCA.

Twenty-five years ago, a teenage Abe Gardner as an Eagle Scout project spearheaded a campaign to create a memorial to Shelton-area students who died young.

Gardner - an emergency prevention specialist with North Mason Regional Fire Authority - said he got the idea 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.

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. The memorial was dedicated in 1999.

No new names have been added since 2014. During the past two years, Gardner has reached out to the community to find more names to add, with the permission of family members.

In an interview with the Journal, Gardner remembers that his search for names in the 1990s included looking through school yearbooks, the Journal and the Mason County Historical Museum,

This time, "I'm feeling thankful for the power of social media," he said.

Gardner said the memorial "is creating a space for family, loved ones or community members to gather and remember, a safe place to feel all the emotions attached to loss."

The 23 new names of youths who died between 1969 and 2022 were added to the memorials and the granite benches are Marjorie "Monique" Burnett, Jesse Weston, George Hickam, John Sutton, Tracy West, Jeffrey Harber, Mike Newby, Christine Michaelis, Evan Barnaby-Shintaffer, Megan Grey, Marshall Cowles, Matthew Smith, Theron Keegan Wilson, Jarek Chase Anderson, Ryan Johnson, Gabriel Paulson, Jennie Osborn, Tim Kennedy, Roland Zellmer, Tyler Drake, Jerame Humphreys, Steven Schuler and Kevin Andrew Schuler.

Two years ago, the Shelton Rotary Club adopted the Huff'n'Puff Trail to support efforts related to maintenance and use.