One of the Valley’s historical cemeteries, dating back to about 1907, is in need of help. The Mount Si Memorial Cemetery in North Bend is looking for a new owner after being in the care of  the late Jerry Kaasa of North Bend for more than four decades.

Jerry and Deanna Kaasa bought the Snoqualmie Valley Funeral Chapel and the Mount Si Memorial Cemetery when they moved to North Bend in 1975. In 1986, they sold the funeral chapel and moved to Redmond. Although Jerry didn’t live in North Bend he still took care of everything to do with the cemetery until he passed away in 2010, his wife said.

Left with a cemetery she was not able to maintain, Deanna was approached by Allen Flintoft of Flintoft’s Funeral Home and Crematory in Issaquah, who offered to help her maintain the cemetery for a year. Flintoft had worked with Jerry in the past and knew the cemetery would need to be maintained.

“Allen Flintoft called me about two weeks after Jerry died and said he and his dad wanted to help me out and wondered if he could take care of the cemetery for me for a year,” Kaasa said. “Well, it’s been five years now and they’ve been taking care of it on a voluntary basis for that long and it’s time to do something. Flintoft’s Funeral Home has absolutely gone way above the call of duty.”

Kaasa noted that the Flintofts are volunteering their resources and staff to take care of a cemetery they don’t own.

She wants to find a new owner for the property, saying she doesn’t think she could do the cemetery justice. She is looking for someone who cares about preserving history, maintaining the grounds and would be willing to step up and help.

Allen Flintoft, business manager at Flintoft’s, said that he’s been able to provide only a minimal level of care to maintain the property.

“I send somebody up and cut the grass and take care at the minimum level. Does it take more care? Absolutely, but I can only spend so much,” he said. “It’s $6,000 to $7,000 just in staff labor a year. That’s all I can do.”

Kaasa can’t sell the property because, according to her, it has no value.

“I am the legal owner and the cemetery has no value so I have to gift it. I can’t sell it. It’s just a matter of changing over the title and I would get an attorney to do all that,” she said.

Both Kaasa and Flintoft would like to see the city of North Bend take over, but since the city does not have a parks department, there is no cemetery board to oversee its care. Giving it to a non-profit organization would also be a direction that Kaasa and Flintoft would like.

“I’d be willing to continue helping this person or the board of directors, I’d still meet with families and update records and there is more that needs to be done,” Flintoft said. “Or better yet, if the city of North Bend took it over and formed a cemetery board, I would, for free, advise the cemetery board and meet with families. That way the cemetery is cared for, there is oversight, and for pennies they could mow the land.”

Londi Lindell, city administrator of North Bend, said the city doesn’t have enough resources and staff to maintain the cemetery. North Bend is partnered with Si View Metro Parks to keep its parks maintained.

“We do not have a separate parks department, we have been partnering with Si View Metro Parks which has more funding than we do for a parks department,” Lindell said.

North Bend recently entered into an agreement with Si View Metro Parks for maintaining and operating Torguson Park. Lindell suggested Kaasa might try talking to a park district.

According to Kaasa, the only responsibilities the new owner would have would be to mow the lawn and do occasional upkeep to maintain the property.

The new owner would not have to worry about additional burials, either. The Flintofts will still be involved with the cemetery and will manage any burials that are scheduled. They are also taking care of the incomplete historical records for the cemetery that date back to 1907.

Because Kaasa no longer lives in the Valley, she isn’t readily available to local people who might be able to help. Elizabeth Gildersleeve, a resident of North Bend, contacted Kaasa after a friend was looking for a local place to bury a relative. After she spoke with Kaasa, Gildersleeve wanted to help get involved with finding and reconstructing missing parts of the records.

“I offered to be a point of contact for people interested in helping so that it would be someone who was local,” Gildersleeve said. “The hope is that people who have plots will come in and all that info can be collected so they know how many people have plots to be buried there.”

Gildersleeve wants to talk with people who have information or interest in the cemetery and is available to answer questions.

“We don’t like to think about cemeteries but it’s our history and much of the Valley’s history is there,” she said. “I think it’s an important memorial for the Valley in remembering those people, particularly as the Valley changes. It’s one of those visions of the past.”

Both Kaasa and Gildersleeve are available to be contacted for information or offers of help for the cemetery. Kaasa can be contacted at (253) 922-4537. Gildersleeve can be reached at (425) 766-1133 or by email at preserveprotectpassalong@outlook.com.

“I really just want to get somebody that is interested in preserving the cemetery,” Kaasa said. “Preserving it and maintaining it, as is, for the future. I want to be assured that in Jerry’s memory it is taken care of.”

Civil War veterans gathered for a ceremony in 1924 at North Bend Cemetery, now known as Mount Si Memorial Cemetery.