A Final Return to Lynden
The local Grange and community mourn the passing of John J. Lay, who returned home to be laid to rest.
The members of Lynden Grange are joining with many others in deploring the death of a former Brother and friend, John J. Lay, who left for Idaho but a few short months ago to return last week wrapped in silence and the shroud, to rest in Bay View Cemetery. In profound sympathy for his family, with all his former associates we say: 'For thee, O now a silent soul, my brother, take at our hands this garland and farewell.'
“Take at our hands this garland and farewell.”
This memorial captures the tight-knit nature of early 20th-century Lynden, where community organizations like the Grange played central roles in social life and mourning. It serves as a reminder of the transient migration patterns of the era, where residents often moved between Washington and neighboring states for work or opportunity.
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