By Sharon Salyer The (Everett) Daily Herald
EVERETT — There was the formal military goodbye: the playing of taps, the firing of three volleys of shots, and folded American flags given to family members.
There also were tearful farewells as an estimated 350 people turned out Sunday morning at the Everett Holiday Inn to honor four people killed in the massive Oso mudslide: Thom Satterlee, 65; his wife, Marcy Satterlee, 61; their 19-year-old granddaughter, Delaney Webb, of Marysville; and Alan Bejvl, her 21-year-old fiance, from Darrington.
Tamara Lenzen, a Quilcene-area resident, is the sister of Thom Satterlee and has spoken recently to the Peninsula Daily News about the impact of losing four loved ones in the mudslide: http://tinyurl.com/oydr8mt
There was laughter as people recalled stories and watched a slideshow with pictures from birth to adulthood of Webb, Bejvl and the Satterlees.
Jim Boulet, Marcy Satterlee’s brother, said his sister once remarked that as children they had never really played together.
“It’s not too late,” she told him, reaching for two kites she kept at the house for her grandchildren to play with.
They drove to Kayak Point and there was just enough breeze for the kites to be launched. “I will never see a kite again in my life without thinking of Marcy,” he said.
Thom Satterlee was remembered for his service in the Marines during the war in Vietnam.
Another sister, Debbie Satterlee, had previously said that her brother carried the emotional scars with him for decades before finally being treated for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in his 50s.
No mention was made Sunday of Thom Satterlee’s skepticism of government, including his ardent campaign to carve a new Freedom County from a 1,000-square-mile area in Snohomish County.
Instead, there was stories and pictures of how much he and his wife enjoyed their home and garden near the banks of the North Fork Stillaguamish River, an area with views framed by the Cascade Range.
An honor guard from the Washington National Guard played taps and fired a ceremonial salute before marching into the room to present American flags to each of the relatives.
The chaplain Sunday, Linda Haptonstall of the King County Sheriff’s Office, reminded the audience of how far-reaching the emotional impact of the mudslide has been.
She said she had received a message from someone in Africa, offering prayers for the families of those who had lost loved ones.
Family members of Webb and Bejvl recalled how much joy the pair took in their relationship.
The couple had planned a wedding at the Satterlee’s Oso home Aug. 16.
Sunday’s remembrance was the fourth memorial service held for people killed in the mudslide, which is known to have killed 30 people.
Another 13 are officially listed as missing.
On Saturday, memorial services were held for Linda McPherson, a retired Darrington librarian and longtime school board member; Summer Raffo, a hard-working young woman who loved caring for horses; and Joseph Miller, who cherished spending time in the outdoors with his father.
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Latest slide and Snohomish County information can be found on the Herald’s website, www.heraldnet.com.
