Each year before Memorial Day, communities across the country prepare their cemeteries and place flags on the graves of military veterans for Memorial Day ceremonies. In Spanaway, there is no particular caretaker for the old cemetery at 176th and A Street.

The Spanaway Historical Society and the local Latter Day Saints Wards in Elk Plain, Pioneer Valley, and Spanaway have adopted this cemetery over the past eight years and come out with dozens of their youth and adults to do a proper cleanup.

This year’s cleanup is: May 20, 2026
Time: 4:15pm – 6:45pm
Location: 102 176th Street, Spanaway, WA
Parking: on A Street or in the adjacent shopping center parking lot

The volunteers mow, trim blackberries, prune bushes and pull weeds. In some cases, they clean headstones. Other spaces, they have received directions to let the family handle maintenance. Yes, many of the families connected to those old headstones are still in the area.

If you are interested in the history of Spanaway, there are two books. One, Early Spanaway, is available from the office at Fir Lane Memorial Park, 924 East 176th Street. The other is Jean Sensel’s Spanaway (Arcadia Publishing, 2014). There is also a brief video created by the Bethel School District: Ultimate H2 SnackPlateTrailMix AD It VTD 14995 16×9 251216B

You can reach out to Brother Hardy Awadjie with any questions or concerns, Loretta Fulk will be off to her grandson’s graduation. The weather forecast looks great for the 20th.  Youth participating need to bring water and tools. Gloves, weed whackers, rakes, trowels, buckets, brushes, and again, water to drink! There are no porta potties on sight.  

Here are some photos from 2025: