Lacey has a pioneer cemetery on Ruddell Road SE. The arched entrance is near the intersection of Mullen Road SE. It's adjacent to the Woodlawn Funeral Home and cemetery.
In 1852 Stephen D. Ruddell donated 2 acres of his land from his Donation Land Claim to bury Eliza Jane Hicks, the wife of his stepson following her unexpected death from tuberculosis in his home. The cemetery gave free burial to the first white settlers of Thurston County who were mostly Ruddell's neighbors. In 1914 an association was incorporated to manage the cemetery and burial permits are strictly limited to Association members and the descendants of Thurston County pioneers. There are many unmarked graves and several graves of unknown persons.
Stephen Ruddell was born in Kentucky and came here over the Oregon Trail. He was an influential pioneer -- he was a farmer and a soldier in the so-called Indian War of 1855-1856. He was the first territorial assessor, a two-term county commissioner and a one-term state legislator.
Logging Requirements:
To get credit for this virtual you must complete both of the following tasks. All logs failing to meet them will be deleted.
1) At the listed coordinates you will be at Stephen Ruddell's memorial stone. It's not the original marker but one that was erected in 1965 by the Ruddell Cemetery Association. Take a photo of a piece of paper with your caching name and the date of your visit, placing it on top of the monument showing Ruddell's name, and add it to your log.
2) Walk about 100 feet down the road towards the arch to the only obelisk monument by the road. It is the marker of the Grover family. Facing the road lists James Grover, the back lists his wife Catherine, and the right side lists their two children. Message me the place of their birth. Do not put it in your log.
I hope you take time to look around the cemetery. There are several interesting grave markers of early pioneers.
Virtual Rewards 5.0 - 2026-2027
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between February 3, 2026 and February 3, 2027. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 5.0 on the Geocaching Blog.