Washington State Firefighters' Association Memorial Page
TABLE FOR ONE
The TABLE SETTING: the place setting is small symbolizing the frailty of human life and symbolizes the loneliness we feel without them. The table is round to show our everlasting concern and our unending love for our fallen brothers and sisters.
The TABLECLOTH is white symbolizing the purity of their motives and willingness to respond when answering the call to duty.
The SINGLE RED ROSE, displayed in the vase, reminds us of the life of each of the missing, and their loved ones left behind. They will always be a part of our family.
The SINGLE WHITE ROSE is for those who witnessed and experienced tragedy and destruction firsthand, and are still with us today.
The PURPLE RIBBON tied so prominently on the vase, represents our strength in healing.
A SLICE OF LEMON is on the bread plate to remind us of their bitter fate.
There is also SALT upon the bread plate, symbolic of the river of tears shed by families and loved ones.
Their GLASS is inverted - to symbolize their inability to share this evening's toast.
Their CHAIR is empty … they are not here. Our lives are incomplete because they cannot sit with us tonight.
The CANDLE is reminiscent of the light of hope which lives in our hearts to illuminate their memory.
The FOLDED AMERICAN FLAG and the BIBLE represents those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their community and country, which was founded as one nation under God.
In Memories of those who Gave to the Communities they Served 2019
*denotes line of duty death
Gene Aarstol / Whatcom County FPD #1
Pedro Alvarado / Mabton Fire Dept
James Avery / Jefferson County FPD #1
James Bailey / Whatcom County FPD #1
Robert Baunach / Bellinham Fire Dept
Jack Beard / Whatcom County FPD #4
Martin Bednar / Marysville Fire Dept.
Dale Beerbower / Grays Harbor County FPD #5
Robert Belsaas / Kittitas Valley F&R
Michael Berman / Thurston County FPD #7
Albert Birdsell / Spokane County FPD #3
Gene Bloom / Cheney Fire Dept
Maurlen Blossom / Kitsap County FPD #2
William Bramstedt / Cosmopolis Fire Dept
Richard Boa / Yakima County FPD #14
John Bond / Kent Fire Dept.
Earl Bothman / Fairfield Fire Dept.
Albert Bowden / Yakima County FPD #12
George Bowman / Thurston County FPD #9
Elizabeth Brannan / Lewis County FPD #8
Lee Briggs / Snoqualmie Fire Dept.
Ellis Buchanan / Skagit County FPD #4
Paul Burns / Wapato Fire Dept
Thomas Bullion / Whatcom County FPD #7
Robert Burke /Whatcom County FPD #1
Duane Butler/ Skagit County FPD #3
Lee Caldwell / Port Orchard Fire Dept.
Robert Calvert / Selah Fire Dept.
James Cameron / Washougal Fire Dept.
Wayne Carlock / White Salmon Fire Dept.
Ed Carlson / Spokane County FPD #3
Robert Cloyd / Kittitas County FPD #7
Bruce Carroll / Oroville Fire Dept
Michael Compton / Chelan County FPD #1
Edward Earl Cooper / Morton Fire Dept.
Marvin Coulter / East Jefferson F&R
Charles Crumpacker / Washougal Fire Dept.
Douglas Daniels / Klickitat County FPD #8
Michael Dickerson / East County F&R
Eugene Dixon / Uniontown Fire Dept.
Thomas Doyle / Pacific CountyFPD #5
Robert Edwards / Kittitas Valley F&R
Curtis Eliason / Richmond Fire Dept
Irene Erickson / Whatcom County FPD #9
Fernando Espinosa / No. Kitsap F&R
Beverly Estes / Pierce County FPD #13
Raymond Esty / Richland Fire Dept
Willard Farrell / Spokane County FPD #4
Judith Garber / Lincoln County FPD #4
Earl Gish / Battle Ground Fire Dept.
Donald Glancy / Stanwood Fire Dept.
James Glossen / Toppenish Fire Dept.
John Gordon / Chelan F&R
Larry Green / Okanogan County FPD #2
Lyle Griffith / Chelan County FPD #5
Richard Hart / Bothell Fire Dept
Donald Hannah / Whatcom County FPD #14
Richard Hansen / Douglas County FPD #5
John Heston / Grant County FPD #13
Roberta Hoctor / Klickitat County FPD #7
John Hooley / Grant County FPD #4
Earl Houchin / Benton County FPD #1
Nathan Howell / Riverside RFA
Richard Huseby / Auburn Fire Dept
Calvin Idler / Yakima County FPD #5
Lorne Jensen / Whatcom County FPD #15
Miles Johns / LaConner Fire Dept.
Alan Johnson / Ilwaco Fire Dept.
Charles Johnson / Spokane County FPD #12
Christian Johnson* / Okanogan County FPD #3
Ingvert Jones / Camas Fire Dept.
Karl Jones / Amira Fire Dept.
Milton Jones / Whatcom Co. FPD #14
Jerry Joubert / Blaine Fire Dept.
Gordon Kaufman / Spokane County FPD #9
Wilfred Kavanagh / Colfax Fire Dept.
Kay Kempe / Spokane County FPD #9
Lee Kinart / Clark County FPD #1
Norman Koepke / Lewis County FPD #2
Fred Korr / Darrington Fire Dept.
Kenneth Lauterbach, Sr. / Snohomish County FPD #4
Ernest Lawrence / Thurston County FPD #2
Carl Lindholm / Grays Harbor County FPD #1
Wayne Longfield / Vancouver Fire Dept
Alfred Martin / Whitman County FPD #8
Dan Martin / Walla Walla County FPD #5
Leroy Mattly / Adams County FPD #6
F. Pete Miller / Metaline Falls Fire Dept.
Donald Mills / Pierce County FPD #6
Hubert McKinney / Tieton Fire Dept.
James Milliron / Pierce County FPD #5
John Moore / Island County FPD #3
Robert Myrick / Yakima County FPD #3
Ray Nelson / Skagit County FPD #3
Robert Nixon / Kitsap County FPD #13
Fred Nuffer / Spokane County FPD #4
Alfred Nydegger / Jefferson County FPD #4
Robert Oestrich / Ritzville Fire Dept.
Robert Olson / Kitsap County FPD #2
Ronald Paavola / Pacific Co. FPD #4
Lowell Paull / Grays Harbor Co. FPD #4
Malcom Pearson / King Co. FPD #27
Jim Posey / North Bend Fire Dept.
Jack Prince / Elma Fire Dept.
Clarence Rider / Medical Lake Fire Dept.
Archie Rodgers / Camas Fire Dept
Gilbert Rushton / South Cle Elum Fire Dept.
Joan Russell / Mason County FPD #17
Michael Ryan / East Jefferson F&R
Bill Schoepflin / Farmington Fire Dept.
LeRoy Sells / Colville Fire Dept.
Frank Shaughnessy / Auburn Fire Dept.
Dean Simmons / Grant County FPD #3
Glenn Smerdon / Thurston Co. FPD #8
Henry Smith / Snohomish Co. FPD #8
Richard Sorensen / Buckley Fire Dept.
Paul Spain / Lewis County FPD #7
Paul Stearns / Spokane County FPD #11
Ralph Stearns / Medical Lake Fire Dept.
Alan Swanberg / Whatcom County FPD #18
Louella Twidwell / Mason County FPD #9
Ray Tracy / Orting Fire Dept.
Mike Urhausen / Kettle Falls Fire Dept.
Abner Waldron / Cowiche Fire Dept
Donald Waller / Winthrop Fire Dept.
Frank Walley / Pierce County FPD #9
Edward Walsh / Spokane County FPD #9
Larry Ward / Chelan County FPD #6
Bobby Weaver / Connell Fire Dept.
Ronald Wertz / Thurston County FPD #8
Ted Wiersma / Pierce County FPD #14
Glenn Williams / Yakima County FPD #7
Richard Wilson / Skagit County FPD #8
Donald Witham / Cathlamet
Inger Wittmann / North Whidbey
Joseph Wittwer / Pierce County FPD #23
Donald Wright / Cathlamet Fire Dept.
William Zanol / Douglas County FPD #4
In Memory of Braden Hegewald from Skamania County Fire District 1 passed away in a tragic accident. Despite his young age, he had spent many years serving his community as a firefighter, SAR volunteer, and Army Reserves MP.
Bereavement Uniform Program
Personal invite from Lighthouse Uniform Company
Remember the song, “Please don’t let me be misunderstood”. The tag line was actually, “O’Lord, please don’t let me be misunderstood”…
… and it is with that reservation I write this note and the (participating association) has so graciously agreed to forward it on to you.
For the sake of complete transparency; the Lighthouse Uniform Company has sold dress uniforms and accessories to America’s Firefighting Community for well over 60 years. We hope to still be in business when we get through this nightmare and also hope you and your department ultimately become a Lighthouse customer.
That said, the reason for this note is to introduce and personally invite you and your department to find out more about the Bereavement Uniform Program (BUP). It is there for any firefighter family wanting to use it.
For those unfamiliar with the BUP, very briefly, it a joint effort between the Lighthouse and the Fire Service to make available a Class A Dress Uniform for burial purposes, to any family wanting one, at no charge to the family. The program makes no distinction between paid and volunteer, active or retired.
A Bereavement Uniform Program Manual is attached. Take a look. See if it makes sense for any of the families in your department.
The Bereavement Uniform Program is a nation-wide effort, available in every state and has had almost two hundred departments and individuals donate, some departments more than once.
That’s it. I know this is ‘preaching to the choir’ but it really is all about doing whatever you can and this is something we can do. If you find the need to engage the Bereavement Uniform Program, either as a recipient or donor, please don’t hesitate to do so. It is the reason the program exists.
Thanks for all you do in all of our communities. Hope to shake hands with all of you, one of these days.
Good luck. Try to stay safe. Do your best.
Steve Cohen, Pres.
Lighthouse Uniform Company
America’s Class A Solution ™