Story and photos by Larry Vogel

The Edmonds community honored its armed service veterans Monday with a special observance at the Edmonds Memorial Cemetery and some tasty offers from local merchants.

For the second year in a row, Edmonds Memorial Cemetery board member Dale Hoggins conducted the Veterans Day Memorial Tour in which he highlighted the lives and service history of some of the more than 400 veterans interred there. While most of these served in World War II, the earliest date back to the Civil War.

Hoggins has served on the Cemetery Board for more than a decade, and has a vast knowledge of local history and people. Personally acquainted with many of the veterans he spoke about, he gave a lively presentation to approximately a dozen attendees.

He was joined this year by Betty Gaeng, author/complier of the book Etched in Stone, which details the lives and service contributions of those local service people named on the monument that stands in front of the Edmonds Museum on Fifth Avenue.

“I’ve always been interested in local history,” said Betty, who has lived in Edmonds since 1937. “I knew many of these individuals personally, and writing this book is my way of saying thank you to them for their service and sacrifice.”

Betty began compiling her book in 2010, and in 2011 her book was awarded the Snohomish County Heritage Organizations’ Outstanding Commendation recognition.

In addition to the cemetery program, Revelations Frozen Yogurt and Dick’s Drive In had some tasty offers for veterans and current members of the armed forces.

Blame the rainy, cold weather for dampening enthusiasm for Revelation’s free frozen yogurt offer. As of noon on Monday they had yet to serve a single veteran. “We have high hopes for the afternoon,” said Elizabeth Elnemr, Revelations cashier.

But the same weather didn’t keep the hungry veterans away from Dick’s, where they could enjoy their choice of any burger with fries and medium drink, all for free.

“This is our fourth year of doing this, and we had tremendous response at all our restaurants,” said Ken Frazier, spokesperson for Dick’s. “But the Edmonds location topped them all. We were busy all day and gave away hundreds of meals to our veterans.”