Bainbridge Grave Folk by Ashley Riley

Bainbridge Grave Folk by Ashley Riley The histories and stories of cemeteries and their inhabitants on Bainbridge Island, Washington. But why cemeteries?

Did you know that Bainbridge Island has a total of 8 cemeteries and columbariums? Bainbridge Grave Folk is curated to educate, entertain and inspire the stories of cemeteries and their inhabitants on Bainbridge Island, Washington. Cemeteries are more than just burial grounds; they are a reflection of the communities they reside in. Our goal is to create a deeper connection between people and their

local cemeteries, and to foster a greater appreciation for the stories and lives that have come before us. We not only focus on the individuals buried within, but also on the history and culture of the surrounding area, bringing life to the stories of those who have passed on, as well as stories of the cemeteries themselves.

"Taking in the air at Crystal Springs," is the only captain on this 1920s photograph from Bainbridge Island. This beauti...
06/08/2026

"Taking in the air at Crystal Springs," is the only captain on this 1920s photograph from Bainbridge Island. This beautiful snapshot features four fashionable women relaxing on a lawn in Crystal Springs, possibly at the prominent Furuya property. They are wearing the cloche and feather brimmed style hats that were popular in the 1920s flapper era.

Representative of the more independent and casual vibes of the Roaring Twenties, they are posed informally and relaxed, as opposed to the stiff poses usually seen during Victorian era photos. Notice the shorter hemlines on their dresses, and the way the woman on the left appears to be playing a joke on the photographer by showing the soles of her shoes.

Although we don't know their names, or whether they lived on Bainbridge Island or were visiting from Seattle, they seem to still somehow represent a coming-of-age moment in time. Leisure was a defining part of the Roaring Twenties and "modern" youth culture, something that previous generations had not had the luxury to experience. Sandwiched after the struggles of early 20th century immigration and World War I, but before the devastating impacts of the Great Depression, this photo seems to perfectly encapsulate carefree young adulthood on the Puget Sound.

📸 Courtesy of the Nippon Kan Heritage Association
Collection, Densho.

This weekend marked the 137th anniversary of the Great Seattle Fire. At the time of the fire, Bainbridge Islanders were ...
06/07/2026

This weekend marked the 137th anniversary of the Great Seattle Fire. At the time of the fire, Bainbridge Islanders were no strangers to the dangers fire posed to pioneer towns. Both the Port Blakely Mill and Port Madison Mill faced multiple devastating fires, along with homes and buildings across the island during a time when burning oils and open flames were common in every household.

This passage from "Port Blakely: The Community Captain Renton Built" by Andrew Price reflects the experience Bainbridge Islanders had watching the city burn from across the Sound:

"If Port Blakely was important to Seattle, and vice versa, they also had something else in common. In 1888, people in Seattle watched in awe as the Port Blakely mill burned. Just a little over a year later, on the afternoon of June 5, 1889, Bainbridge islanders were mesmerized by a sight even more spectacular and disastrous: the great Seattle fire. Helped by a wind straight out of the north, the fire destroyed 80 acres of business blocks and about 40 acres of Wharves. For a city of only 40,000 people, that was a devastating Loss. Nils Elofson and his family and neighbors, unable to help save it, sat on the top of Mosebacke, the high point of the Elofson farm, and watched Seattle burn."

📸 "Aftermath of the Seattle fire of June 6 showing Frye's Opera House catching fire, with Minneapolis Art Studio on the right and a large crowd of people gathering in the street." University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections (Seattle Photographs Collection). Photographer: William F. Boyd (Boyd & Braas).

It was 82 years ago today that the greatest seaborne invasion in history took place in Normandy, France during World War...
06/06/2026

It was 82 years ago today that the greatest seaborne invasion in history took place in Normandy, France during World War II. The price of freedom had never before been so obvious for the world to witness.

Nearly 160,000 Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, which included soldiers from the United States, Canada, and 13 other Allied nations, with an additional 23,000 airborne troops jumping from aircraft and gliders. The Allies suffered over 10,000 casualties, with over 2,400 of those at Omaha Beach alone. It marked the beginning of the end for Germany during the war, shifted the momentum, and showed the strength of Allied forces.

The emotional impact of the stories behind D-Day, and the sacrifices of the Greatest Generation, should never be forgotten. In many ways, D-Day has remained symbolic of the experiences of the Greatest Generation. They were ordinary people confronting extraordinary circumstances, simply because they felt it was their duty to do so.

Visiting Bainbridge Island cemeteries, and seeing the sprawling number of military markers, helps to paint a picture of our island's immense services during World War II. As I've continue to research the stories behind those buried in our island cemeteries, I've tried to pay particular attention to veterans and any indications of awards they received or unique experiences they had during their service. Thus far, I have found three service members that participated in D-Day, with many more to surely be uncovered. Let today be a day that we honor their memory and heroism.

🇵🇱 Wladyslaw Alexander Jerzy "Oto" Otorowski: (1917-2008), Kane Cemetery

According to Oto's obituary, "Wladyslaw, affectionately known as "Oto," was born July 30, 1917, in Kraków, Poland. He lived a long adventurous life. Escaping the German invasion of France, where he was working in 1940, he was transported by ship to England and joined the Polish Air Force division of the Royal Air Force, becoming a signals officer and squadron leader, commanding RAF squadrons throughout the war, including D-Day. When World War II ended, seeking a new life, he sailed to America in 1948 with the aid of sponsors, and began his career as an architect in New York City. In addition to his award-winning designs, he was a gifted pianist, artist, skier, and had an uncanny memory for detail throughout his 90 years."

🇺🇸 William Edward Pile: (1920-2007), Port Blakely Cemetery

According to Willliam‘s obituary, "He was born and raised in Macon, Missouri. He graduated from Macon High School in 1937. He went on to attend Missouri Valley College and the University of Illinois. He enlisted in the Navy in 1942 and reached the rank of captain during World War II. He fought at Utah Beach on D-Day."

🇺🇸 Robert Martin Snellman: (1921-2010), Port Blakely Cemetery

According to Robert’s obituary, "After reading "Mein Kampf" as a teenager Robert realized World War II was inevitable. He hated the thought of soldiering in the tropics of the South Pacific so he enlisted at the age of 18 in the Washington National Guard. He was assigned to the 205th Coast Artillery Unit Battery B "Res Verae" where he made lifelong friendships. In September 1942 Robert's cadre was reassigned to the 461st Anti‐Air‐Craft Artillery Battalion where he made rank of Staff Sergeant. In anticipation of the D‐Day invasion of France the battalion was reassigned to the Army V Corps. The 461st landed at the inferno of the Omaha Beachhead on D7. The battalion fought with V Corps through the hedgerows of Normandy, the Falaise Pocket, the Bridge at Remagen, the Siegfried Line, and the Battle of the Bulge. In March 1945, the 461st joined the Fighting 69th Infantry Division as it became the first Allied force to link with the Soviet Army at Torgau on the Elbe River. Recalling the historic event Robert remembered the Soviet troops as being the toughest people he had ever met. Robert's military service as an American of Finnish descent gave him profound personal pride but the excesses of war challenged his deepest convictions. He believed in the duty of service to one's nation yet questioned the morality of the Vietnam War."

If you've ever wandered around the northeast corner of the Bainbridge Public Library, you may have noticed this bronze p...
06/05/2026

If you've ever wandered around the northeast corner of the Bainbridge Public Library, you may have noticed this bronze plaque just before the stairway leading up to the frog pond: "Property donated - May 17, 1960 - Edmund Stafford." Think of how many islanders and visitors have passed these steps and walked through the library doors, all thanks to one man's generous gift to the island community he loved.

Edmund Joseph Stafford was born on July 2, 1903 in Dubuque, Iowa. He was the son of Matthew Stafford (1861-1915) and Mary Catherine Ahern (1865-1951), and he was the second born of their four children.

Beginning in the mid-19th century, a large number of immigrants, specifically Irish and German, flocked to the area in search of reprieve from overcrowded cities and a chance at a better life. They helped to make Dubuque one of the largest urban areas in the United States by the end of the 19th century. Both Edmund's maternal and paternal grandparents were among the Irish immigrants that seized on this opportunity.

Edmund was raised and schooled in Dubuque, where his father worked as a railroad laborer and later owned and operated a successful grocery store for many years. After high school, he attended Columbia College (known as Loras College) and graduated from the University of Iowa Law School in Iowa City. He arrived in Seattle in 1926 where he practiced law as an attorney.

On January 27, 1931, Edmund married Elizabeth Aurelia O'Brien in Spokane, Washington. They moved to Bainbridge Island in 1934 where they raised three children: Shannon Edmund Stafford (1932-2023), Brien Michael Stafford (1933-2022) and Elizabeth June "Betty" Stafford (1937-2017). Edmund and Elizabeth would later divorce.

Edmund was still practicing law when he enlisted in the United States Navy in 1942. He served during World War II as a Lieutenant in the South Pacific and was a staff officer for the infamous Admiral William "Bull" Halsey. Following the war, Edmund came back to the island and continued his work as an attorney. In addition to also being a reporter at the Telegraph-Herald, he served as a Kitsap County Superior Judge for two years in the late 1940s.

It was around this time that Edmund became engaged in large-scale real estate operations and business ventures across Bainbridge Island. He built the Village Shopping Center, Martinique Restaurant, Tillicum Apartments, and the Bainbridge Marina in Winslow.

Beyond being a businessman, he was also a philanthropist. Unbeknownst to him at the time, his decision to donate property to build the Bainbridge Public Library in 1960 would have a positive impact on the island for generations to come.

In addition to being a multi-decade member of the Washington Bar Association, he was a charter member of the Washington Athletic Club, the American Legion Colin Hyde Post, and Saint Cecilia Catholic Church.

Edmund passed at his home in Winslow on July 19, 1970. He was just a couple weeks shy of his 68th birthday when he died after a two year battle with cancer. A mass was held for him at Saint Cecilia's followed by burial at Kane Cemetery in Port Madison.

A beautiful little slice of Americana on Bainbridge Island. This photograph, taken around 1900, features a Port Blakely ...
06/04/2026

A beautiful little slice of Americana on Bainbridge Island. This photograph, taken around 1900, features a Port Blakely Mill company house occupied by Henry Frederick Ziegler (1876-1941).

Notice the porch overflowing with bright flowers, vines climbing the posts, the white picket fence, and decorative Victorian-style porch woodwork. Most notable is the American flag displayed on the porch. At a time when the United States is now celebrating the 250th anniversary of its founding, it's remarkable to look back at this image of Port Blakely over 100 years ago, and see a similar sense of patriotism on fully display.

Displays of the American flag became increasingly common following the 1898 Spanish-American War and the rise of patriotic civil organizations like Daughters of the American Revolution and Sons of the American Revolution. Company towns like Port Blakely, with a distinctly diverse workforce that included many immigrant workers, flag displays signaled both patriotism and assimilation into an American identity.

Henry Ziegler, born in Colorado, was the son of German immigrants, he married Margaret Augusta Meins (1977-1910) in 1898 and they had one child together. Henry is buried next to his mother, Christina Holman Ziegler, at Port Blakely Cemetery.

📸 Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) collections.

Super excited to be doing a Bainbridge Island cemetery tour with the Bainbridge History Museum and Bainbridge Island Sen...
06/03/2026

Super excited to be doing a Bainbridge Island cemetery tour with the Bainbridge History Museum and Bainbridge Island Senior Center! We will be visiting Kane Cemetery, Seabold Cemetery and Port Blakely Cemetery, giving insights into their respective histories and stories on some of the notable people buried in them.

[Picture below is from the Senior Center weekly newsletter]

"Be ye also ready." This epitaph is a message to you, the visitor or passer-by, from beyond the grave of Gust Smith. Whi...
06/03/2026

"Be ye also ready." This epitaph is a message to you, the visitor or passer-by, from beyond the grave of Gust Smith. While epitaphs like this are commonly seen on Early American headstones, they are much less common past the mid-19th century, especially in Victorian-era pioneer cemeteries. It evokes the Latin phrase Memento Mori, which essentially means "remember that you [too] must die." During a time when early death was an everyday part of life, these were often carved onto gravestones as a reminder for others to live with purpose and intention, value the time you have, and always remember that life is finite - because you never know what day may be your last.

Gustaf "Gust" Smith was born on April 7, 1832 in Vänersborg, Västra Götaland, Sweden. The names of his parents and siblings, as well as any details about his early life, are still unknown. Vänersborg is a mid-sized town located along an important waterway on the shores of Lake Vänern. It's prime location allowed it to grown in importance for the trade and transportation of timber and iron, and it served as an vital port during Sweden's industrialization.

Gust arrived in America around 1875, and made his way out west to the mill town of Port Madison on Bainbridge Island in Washington Territory. He married Johanna Nelson in 1877 in Seattle. Johanna was born on March 4, 1847 in Sweden, and just like Gust, we do not know many details about her early life. She also immigrated from Sweden to America in 1875.

Gust was working as a carpenter in Port Madison when his and Johanna's only child, a son named Nelse Alexander Smith, was born there in 1881. By the mid 1880s, when the Port Madison Mill began to face closures and final failures, the Smith family moved to Port Blakely near Eagle Harbor. Gust continued to work as a carpenter, presumably at the Port Blakely Mill, and his son Nelse worked as a ship caulker when he came of age.

The details surrounding Gust's death in Port Blakely on September 8, 1902 remain uncertain. His death certificate reads "accident - killed" and his obituary states only that he was "crushed to death at Port Blakely on Monday." Was this an accident that happened while 70 year-old Gust was working at the mill? Or perhaps on his land at home? Or could it have been a terrible accident that occurred while helping a neighbor? We may never know the full circumstances. His funeral, officiated by the Reverend T.P. Ravelle, was held two days later under the auspices of the Association of United Woodsmen, followed by burial at Port Blakely Cemetery.

Johanna continued to remain in Port Blakely after she was widowed, while their son Nelse moved to Seattle and worked on steamboats. Johanna passed away on August 25, 1919 in Seattle at 72 years-old. She died of lobar pneumonia during an outbreak of the Spanish Flu pandemic. Although there is no inscription for her on Gust's headstone, her death certificate states that she was buried at Port Blakely Cemetery, and it's safe to presume she most likely rests beside him there.

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