Silverdale Cemetery - Washington

01/06/2026

Our historic - and still active - cemetery could use your help in 2026.
⬇️Donate or volunteer - see comments for details.

05/29/2025

08/02/2024

ARE YOU A RELATIVE OF SOMEONE BURIED IN THE CEMETERY? IF SO, WE WOULD LIKE TO CONNECT WITH YOU!! PLEASE EMAIL US

07/21/2024

Chris Braendlein, 6 Dec 1861 - 4 Jun 1932
Wife Lizzie “Ruef”, 28 Oct 1863 – 11 Jun 1942

The man who named the town Silverdale

Chris was an early pioneer, arriving in 1888 to a literal wilderness, with no roads or means of transportation. For 44 years, he was a valuable pillar of the town, even coming up with its name when the first choice of Goldendale was already taken. He started with 31 acres, where he built a cabin and created an orchard. He prospered by delivering butter, potatoes and fruit to Charleston and Port Orchard, all by canoe. In 1891, he married Lizzie, and started a family. In 1898 he was granted a contract to supply meat to ships and barracks at the Navy Yard. He traveled countrywide to locate the cattle he needed. By 1902, he and Lizzie were a family of 9. His diverse contributions continued:
• In 1907, he completed the Silverdale-Tracyton bridge.
• He worked on many roads and was a Road Supervisor.
• He held positions as County Commissioner & Acting Coroner.
• He was always on the school board.
• He even worked with the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, tracking how fruits & vegetables grew.
Considered as one of the best known and best liked men of the community, so many friends attended his funeral that the church overflowed its capacity, and many were required to remain outside.

02/09/2024

William H. Littlewood
The headstone of William Littlewood stands out due to its uniqueness. Littlewood was a logger and the earliest recorded settler in the Silverdale area, starting out in the 1850s in Seabeck. To honor him, community members erected a headstone built of cement in the shape of a tree stump with a cross-stick supporting an ax and maul, above which a dove holds a branch in its bill. As you can see from the photos, vandals have unfortunately caused significant damage to this monument. We hope that someday we will be able to have it restored. Littlewood was born in England, and it’s reported that in the early days of his time in the area, he held a contract with the government to keep a trail open from Manette point to Seabeck. He cleared it once a year for payment of $100. In 1887, at the approximate age of 62, he built a log cabin on land that the following year was platted as the Silverdale township. He was granted a right to remain on his property. He died in 1895 and was one of the first buried in Silverdale’s Pioneer Cemetery.

01/25/2024

Silverdale Cemetery was established in 1896 by William A. Acker. It is the oldest cemetery in Silverdale and is still active. It is owned and managed by the Silverdale Cemetery Association, which was formed in 1917. Buried here are historic members of the Silverdale community and their families, including pioneers, politicians, women's suffragists, and military veterans. We look forward to sharing with you the stories of these amazing people and others, along with photos and updates about the cemetery itself and the progress of various enhancement projects along the way.