Roslyn cemetery a matter of history, pride for Sammamish resident

Taking care of the Slovak cemetery in Roslyn has always been a family affair for Sammamish resident Dick Watts. “My father-in-law carried buckets of water from the city to the cemetery to keep the flowers alive,” Watts said. “He took care of the Slovak cemetery from 1925 to 2004. After he passed on I simply went in and continued to maintain it.” The cemetery for people who came to the area from Slovakia is just one of 25 ethic and lodge cemeteries that make up the Roslyn Historical Cemetery, in Kittitas County. The Roslyn Historical Cemetery was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Watts went beyond just maintenance of the Slovak cemetery and started helping mow the lawn and clear the brush away from the other cemeteries and organized a plan to continue maintenance on the cemetery with the help of the community. “Last year we took out 200 tons of brush,” Watts said. “This year we want to work on the infrastructure, fixing the roads and getting a kiosk at the entrance with information about the cemetery and basic visitor etiquette.” His energy and passion for preserving the cemeteries is just one of the reasons that he was awarded the 2010 Humanities Washington Award. The award reception will be held at 5:30 p.m., June 3, at Big Bend Community College, and is open to the public. Humanities Washington is an organization the supports cultural and educational programming across the state. Executive Director of Humanities Washington, Julie Ziegler, said the Humanities Washington Award goes to a person who keeps their community culture alive. “It was tremendously refreshing to see an individual person with this much energy and passion for a cause,” Ziegler said. “Everyone was impressed with Dick’s ability to bring a variety of people together.” The Sammamish resident's leadership and ability to enthuse others was why President of Roslyn Cemetery Beneficial Association, Lea Beardsley, nominated Watts for the award. "I nominated him because Dick’s leadership has been an inspiration," she said. "Dick is up there doing manual labor no matter the weather. He works to raise funds and attention for the cemetery. Dick is everywhere; he has inspired people to take notice. He takes it very seriously. He has had an astonishing impact. By giving so much of himself it has inspired people to give back.” Watts was elected Board Chairman of the Roslyn Cemetery Commission in Fall 2008 and is a board member of the Roslyn Cemetery Beneficial Association. Ziegler also admired Watts’ leadership. “Given its history, despite being a small town the people in Roslyn are very divided in their opinions,” Ziegler said. “Everyone was impressed with Dick’s ability to bring a variety of people together.” Watts said the award came as a surprise to him. “I was in disbelief. I had no idea that I had been nominated,” Watts said. “We’ve got so many people who’ve been doing it longer.” Along with the award Watts will receive a $1,000 grant which he plans to apply it to the Roslyn Cemetery Beneficial Association. Watts hopes to eventually have a kiosk in each of the cemeteries to provide information on the history of the lodge or ethnic group that owned the cemetery. “This place is a real jewel,” Watts said. “We need to restore and protect it.”

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