Bear Creek Cemetery
(Turner Corner Cemetery)
Grace, Snohomish County, Washington
Kirkyard, Graveyard, or Cemetery???
This is the second in our series of Kirkyards. A Kirkyard,
Graveyard, or Cemetery can differ according to past history and
location. This resting place is a cemetery and is distinguished
from other burial grounds by the fact that it is purpose built, and
not adjoined to a church or place of worship.
Bear Creek Cemetery dates back to the early 1900s and is still
in use today. The cemetery has several points of interest, with two
being noteworthy. One is a curiosity and the other is a sad and
unfortunate story.
Parking Area with graves
Upon entering the cemetery, you’ll notice an interesting set of
approximately eight graves in the middle of the parking lot. These
appear to be recently interned but oddly built and mounded with
dirt. I can find no clue as to why they were isolated from the
rest. Most markers in the area are the typical engraved stones,
concrete, bronze, and marble. These graves have plain wooden slab
markers that may have been placed there by the county.
Phaedra's Story
While walking the cemetery looking for names of nobility, how
they assumed large tracks of land, made their fortunes, etc., we
came across a grave that caused us to stop in our tracks. The grave
isn’t old and didn’t come from a family of class. The headstone
tells of a young girl named Phaedra Char Ritting born 10 July 1989
and died 28 July 1996. Our interest in this unique hand-made
headstone and the many objects that family and friends have placed
as homage to someone they loved, led us to the internet and
discovery of the very unfortunate circumstances around Phaedra’s
death.
On July 28 1996, Phaedra was attending a family reunion in a
small bedroom community north of Houston named Tomball, Texas. She
was riding in the back seat of her aunt Mary and Uncle Bobby
Winborn’s Chevrolet Blazer with three other children. The Blazer
stopped at a light and was violently struck from the rear. The
Blazer burst into flames. Phaedra, her uncle, and her cousin
Phillip perished in the fire. The collision was caused by a drunk
driver (see links below) with a Blood Alcohol Content of almost
three times the legal limit...3 hours after the accident! He was
convicted of intoxicated manslaughter and intoxicated assault. But,
due to some paperwork errors, he was released and quickly
disappeared.
The suspect was on the run for almost five years before being
apprehended February 11, 2001 in Mississippi as a result of being
featured on America’s Most Wanted television series. It took
America's Most Wanted five hours to take him down after airing a
brief segment causing tipsters to call in saying that they
recognized him. Information was passed on to the local police who
checked out the information at a local motel and found their
man.
It is difficult to comprehend the amount of pain and sorrow
Phaedra's family encountered due to this senseless accident.
Details of events are within the following links:
America's Most Wanted
DUI Case
General Notes:
As a note of importance, we will not locate a cache in any area
that disturbs a resting place or requires inappropriate activity.
In other words, you will not need to walk on any graves or disturb
anything on or around the grounds.
Cache Notes:
** Congratulations to Aeolus for being FTF.
** Container will hold small bugs and GeoCoins.
** If you take a bug or coin, please also leave one.
** It has been suggested to bring some handy wipes.
** Please don’t disturb the clientele.
** Have fun!