In honor of police week coming up (May 15th) Evergreen Washelli wanted to share a unique story of one of the many Police officers we have buried in our cemetery. There will be a ceremony coming up where Charles O. Legate will be receiving a new marker in celebration of Police Week, and in honor of the sacrifice he paid carrying out his job as a Police officer. Legate was thought to have been murdered because he threatened to expose wrongful doings that were occuring at the time. Even at the cost of death Legate upheld his morals and duties to protect the city. Below is a picture of the proof of the new marker that will be replacing the old temporary marker that is now in place.
Officer Charles O. Legate is found murdered on March 17, 1922.
On March 17, 1922, Officer Charles O. Legate (1872-1922) is found murdered in a locked garage on his beat near 12th Avenue and Jackson Street. At first, the death is ruled a suicide, but is later discovered to be murder.
In the early morning hours of March 17, Legate went missing from his beat. Officers went to a garage where Legate kept his car and found him inside with the doors locked. He was dead with two gunshot wounds and a gash to his head. His revolver was found nearby with two rounds fired.
The suspects involved had manipulated the crime scene; leading detectives to originally believe his death was a suicide. Evidence later convinced investigators that Officer Charles O. Legate was murdered determined because the wounds to his head were later found to have come from a different gun.
Four years later, Police Chief William B. Severyns, who was appointed to clean up the Seattle Police Department after Legate’s death, wrote in a series of articles in the Seattle Union Record, “It was something in the inner workings of the tenderloin that brought Legate’s murder ….[It might have been] a quarrel over the division of spoils. There had been hard feelings between Legate, other policemen, and other underworld characters, and … Legate had threatened to squeal. One of two men, or both, did the shooting. One of these men was a policeman. The other was an underworld character, a dealer in liquor and dope” (Victor, 167).
Feel free to drop by our Seattle location for your complimentary bookmark – Our way of helping you celebrate mom this Mothers day.
I’ll Celebrate Instead of Cry
by Kelly Roper
Another Mother’s Day is here, And I still miss having you near. You were the best mom you could be, And I never once doubted your love for me.
I could spend each Mother’s Day in sorrow, Crying and wishing you were here, But instead I choose to celebrate your life, A life I still hold so dear.
I know you’d rather see me smile Than stand here with tears in my eyes. So I’ll do my best to honor your memory, And you’ll live on as long as I am alive.
On May 25th, 2013 there will be volunteers helping to prepare Abbey View Memorial Park Cemetery (Brier, WA) for Memorial Day coming up. Members from The Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints will be helping to hand wash and prepare the markers in time for the Memorial Day Celebration. A big thank you to this group who are choosing to do this as one of their service projects!
We invite you to come take a look inside our Seattle location, giving yourself a virtual tour using Google Maps. A new addition we’ve added to try and make things even more convenient for you!
The Purple Heart Medal is a United States military decoration awarded by the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving with the U.S. military. Being presented with this medal is a way to honor these military members with their courageous acts in the name of their country. This medal is something to be proud of, and wear with honor. That being said, one might wonder why anyone would part with their medal if they were to receive one? That is one of the many thoughts and questions that occurred in our minds when a Purple Heart Medal was left on Washelli’s very own “Doughboy” statue, which stands tall in front of the Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery at Evergreen-Washelli.
The “Doughboy” statue was given as a gift to the Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery at Washelli, as a dedication to all that have served. The “Doughboy” depicts a young soldier as “just returning from a victory- with a grim smile on his face”. The statue holds the cremated remains of veterans and their spouses. Needless to say, this is a treasured and loved statue to many, especially veterans because of what the statue represents; those who have made it home from service, and those who did not have the chance to return.
When the Purple Heart Medal was left upon the foot of the “Doughboy” statue anonymously, it was clear that it was left in a manner of respect for the Veterans and those who currently serve in the military. Although this was understood, we are still left one to ponder what the thought process might have been behind leaving this medal here, and why it was left anonymously? Perhaps the person who left the medal had previously earned it in the line of duty, and was ready to share it with others. Perhaps the medal had been passed down to them, and they thought that it should be with those who deserved it- such as the fallen soldiers in our Veterans Cemetery. Maybe there are cremated remains of someone in the statue who the person believed deserved the medal. Maybe the person left the medal anonymously because they simply wanted to honor the veterans as a whole? The mind is truly left to wonder, what the true meaning behind this gesture was, because there could be so many possibilities and explanations.
Although it might never be possible for us to fully understand this gesture without knowing who left this medal, we can say that this medal is something that we will treasure and display in our Funeral Home for time to come. There have been anonymous items left in the past that Evergreen-Washelli has speculated as to what the significance is, and what it means to the individual who left it. Because there are so many stories and people, it is an interesting and fun thought thinking you will truly never know what you could find.
On Monday, May 13th, 2013, 100 Alaska Airlines workers and families will be helping to prepare the graves for the upcoming Memorial day event. They will be helping to hand wash and prepare the 5,000 veterans’ headstones in time for the Memorial Day Celebration. A big thank you to Alaska Airlines who are choosing to do this as one of their HR events- helping make this day even more special.
This is a closed event, but if you would like to find out more information about this event and what you can do to help please contact Brenda Spicer at Bspicer@washelli.com.
For many Americans, Memorial Day is not just a day for getting together with family and friends. It is a day to celebrate a life lived, a time to decorate the grave with fresh flowers, but even more importantly, to clean and maintain the grave marker.
For tips on how to clean your granite marker or monument click here
At 7:00 AM the morning of Memorial Day, there will be a Flag Placement at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery. Each of the 5000 white marble upright markers in our Veterans Section will receive a flag placed by hundreds of volunteers that will come out for this event. Veterans, Scout groups, neighbors, Veterans, churches, local organizations and families, to name a few, will be among those who place the flags.
This is a Public event, and we would love for you to join us. If you have any questions please feel free to call Brenda Spicer at 206-362-5200, or email us at Veterans@washelli.com
This Ceremony is a way to remember and honor those who have served and are currently serving.
This is news coverage from King 5 News, on our Flag placement Ceremony the previous year.
To Learn more about of Veterans Section, click here.
Monday September 8th, 2013 is National Grandparents Day. It is the 34rd Anniversary since President Jimmy Carter signed the proclamation creating a National Grandparents Day in 1978. At the time, Carter said the holiday would recognize “the importance and worth of the 17 million grandparents in our nation.”
The official flower of the United States National Grandparents Day is the Forget-Me-Not, which blooms in the spring. In honor of this, Evergreen Washelli is offering free Forget-Me-Not seed packets on Sunday September 8th. Please visit our main office any time between 9am and 5pm on Sunday, September 8th to receive a seed packet and plant some beautiful flowers in honor of your grandparents. After all, as President Carter wrote, “Grandparents are our continuing tie to the near-past, to the events and beliefs and experiences that so strongly affect our lives and the world around us.”
On Friday June 14th, 2013, Evergreen Washelli will celebrate Flag Day, which commemorates the adoption of the United States flag in 1777. The American flag flies free – a unifying symbol of our nation that soars proudly above our homes, camp sites, small businesses, corporate offices, hospitals and schools. The U.S. Flag Code states that the flag “when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.”
Evergreen Washelli is in need of 5’ x 9 ½’ flags for The Avenue of Colors in our Veterans Memorial Cemetery, as well as for retiring flags upon Veteran’s cremations.
You may donate by bringing in a flag for donation, donating any dollar amount towards a new flag, or donating $70 for a new flag in memory of a loved one.
If you wish to donate a flag or funds to purchase them, please contact Brenda Spicer at (206)362-5200.
On March 17, 1922, Officer Charles O. Legate (1872-1922) is found murdered in a locked garage on his beat near 12th Avenue and Jackson Street. At first, the death is ruled a suicide, but is later discovered to be murder.
