Appreciate veterans cemetery

Sat., Dec. 3, 2016

My dear wife Shirley C. Houk recently died and was buried in the Washington State Veterans Cemetery in Medical Lake, Washington, which is near the Spokane Airport.

I took my first pastorate of a Baptist church in 1952. Since then, I have been the officiate at many graveside services in a number of cemeteries.

This cemetery is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. The staff was very helpful in all the arrangements. My wife was not a veteran; however, I am a veteran of the U.S. Merchant Marine. The official flag of the U.S. Merchant Marine was a part of the graveside service for Shirley. Psalm 116:15 reads: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.”

Again, as far as the cemetery staff is concerned, everything was done “decently and in order” (I Corinthians 14:40).

Arthur Houk

Colville

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