STANWOOD, WA - Read about a beautiful tombstone based on Love for 9-yr.old Willie Goodridge who lost his life at play - Stillaguamish River close to his home. Willie was son of " a prominant settler" Gardiner Goodridge and his 2nd wife, "Jennie Whittier-an Upper Skagit Indian" lady. Read the story of how this beloved tombstone was vandalized and disappeared from Florence Cemetery near Stanwood. For 40 yrs. the beautiful stone was missing but via a genealogical find, the stone has been cleaned and returned to its "rightful place" in honor of Willie Goodridge, age 9 -110 yrs. ago to the day that Willie drowned in the river. Ref. The HERALD, Everett, WA. Date: Wednesday, Aug 13, 2003 Section: Headline Site: http://www.heraldnet.com/about Article: Resting in its rightful place After 40 years, 9-year-old Willia Goodridge's headstone is back where it belong in a Stanwood cemetery, returned after bad behavior and a combination of a good citizen and plenty of luck. Boy drowned in Stillaguamish River By Jennifer Warnick, Herald Writer 2 PIX -Color titled: Carol Ronken admires the recently returned headstone of her great-uncle, Willie Goodridge, at the Florence Cemetery in Stanwood. PIX by Justin Best/The Herald Black and White PIX titled Willie Goodridge (seated) and his brothers Ira (left) and Orin. The photo was taken in 1896 or 1897. COMMENT: Good genealogical "detective work" has resulted in this being a success story. So many cemeteries are decimated by those who "could care less" therefore they become those who are careless, and non-thinking of what they are doing, or have done. I am reminded of Snohomish Cemetery, located at 2nd and Cypress in Snohomish, where the Snohomish Senior Center and its blacktop parking lot resides on top of the Cemetery; and a portion of the Cemetery spilling over into 2nd and Pine where a pioneer village has appeared in later years. (On either side of the 1947 Hwy 2 Cut through the off-center portion of the original Cemetery). What history lies below, and what stories abound among whose remains are still there. Vandals did their share, but so, too, were those who wished to use the cemetery grounds for Other Reasons - just because it was an old, neglected cemetery. But, who neglected it? Who owned it, or had title to it? Will the truth be known among the true history of Snohomish, or will it continue to be a distorted history by those who could know better? Carroll - in Snohomish, a "Resident Ruminator" a tag I apparently earned- a sort of regurgitator, ad nauseum! * * * 30 * * *