Midlakes Cemetery | Heritage Corner

Published 4:35 pm Thursday, March 15, 2012

One of Bellevue’s earliest cemeteries was located near what is now 116th Avenue NortheastNE and Bellevue-Redmond Road.

The cemetery began as the Warren family’s private burial grounds. Over time it expanded to include their neighbors. Eventually the Lakeside Masonic Lodge of Bellevue gained ownership of the land. In 1969 the lodge sold the parcel to developers, and received legal permission to move the bodies elsewhere.

Green’s Funeral Home oversaw the relocation of the remains, a process which included disinterring, transporting and reinterring the bodies, as well as contacting and learning the wishes of next-of-kin. About 45 bodies were reinterred at Sunset Hills Memorial Park.

Unfortunately, many of the headstones at the Midlakes Cemetery had been vandalized or stolen over the years. Sunset Hills marked the graves of these unidentified individuals with “Unknown Bellevue Pioneers” plaques.

Heritage Corner is a feature in the Bellevue Reporter. Material is provided by the Eastside Heritage Center. For more information call 425-450-1049.