Dedication will honor Civil War Union veteran

METHOW – A tombstone dedication for a Civil War veteran who served in the Union Army is scheduled for 11 a.m., Saturday, August 19, at the Methow Cemetery, at 935 Highway 153, south of Methow.

James W. Fox, who died on February 11, 1912, and is buried there will be honored with placement of a new Civil War style headstone provided by the Veterans Affairs and already delivered to the gravesite. Fox was born on February 23, 1843, and enlisted with the 9th Kansas Cavalry in Union Army on July 21, 1861. He was discharged from service on November 21, 1864.

In 2021, Mrs. Brenda Brady of Pateros brought the poorly marked veteran’s grave - distinguished only by a stone for the past 111 years - to the attention of Donald Jameson, Camp Commander of Fort Walla Walla (FWW) Camp 3 of the Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War. FWW Camp Graves Registration Officer Clifford submitted the requisite paperwork to the VA last winter. The headstone was approved and received by the late George Brady at his Pateros warehouse.

The public is invited to attend the outdoor ceremony and visitors are advised to bring a folding chair for seating accommodations. Speaking at the dedication will be Jameson and Mrs. Brady. Chaplain readings, music by FWW Camp Secretary Hank Cramer of Winthrop, a rifle salute by the Columbia Post 97 American Legion Honor Guard, and taps will conclude the dedication. The Region 11-2 Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association will also be in attendance.

The Methow Cemetery is 1.9 miles south of Methow and is accessed by a dirt road that will be designated for the occasion by signage and possibly a guide person.

Following the dedication, the public is invited to reconvene at the Columbia Post 97 headquarters at 103 Third Street in Brewster for a no-host lunch. Following lunch anyone with a history or Civil War story is invited to share it.