CLARION – Organizations throughout Clarion County have announced plans for Memorial Day observances.
Clarion
CLARION – American Legion Post 66 and Ross A. McGinnis Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2145, both of Clarion will host a Memorial Day service at 11 a.m. Monday, May 30, in Clarion Cemetery on Second Avenue.
Lieutenant Colonel Robert F. Griggs of Port Matilda, a native of Colusa, Calif. is the guest speaker. Lt. Col. Griggs retired from the Army after 26 years of service. He completed seven tours of Iraq and Afghanistan and received many medals and honors for his service.
The Rev. Harold “Jake” Jacobson will lead the invocation and benediction.
The Clarion Area High School will play the National Anthem and “Taps,” and the Clarion Community Choir under the direction of Stuart Estes will provide musical selections.
The American Legion Post 66 Honor Guard will provide the rifle salute and auxiliary presidents from the American Legion and VFW will place the wreath.
Following the services at the cemetery, Naval services will be held at the Wayne R. Weaver Memorial Bridge at Toby.
In the event of inclement weather, the services will be held at the America Legion.
Following both services, a lunch will be held at the American Legion.
East Brady
EAST BRADY – The following schedules are for American Legion Post 402 in East Brady and Post 488 in Brady’s Bend on Memorial Day, May 30.
American Legion Bishop-Madden Post 488 of Brady’s Bend: 8:30 a.m., Flag Razing at Post 488; 9 a.m., Perry Township Honor Roll;9:30 a.m., Robinson Cemetery in Hillville;10 a.m., Brady’s Bend Honor Roll;10:30 a.m., Oak Grove Cemetery; 11 a.m., Brady’s Bend Cemetery; 11:30 a.m., St. Mary’s Cemetery; noon, at the Sargent Carl F.Curran II Memorial Bridge at East Brady; 12:30 East Brady Memorial Park Honor Roll.
Knox
KNOX – The Berlin Bowser Post 720 American Legion in Knox will hold Memorial Day services Monday, May 30, at the following cemeteries:
- 9 a.m. St. Mark’s at Kossuth
- 9:30 a.m. Mt. Pleasant at Shippenville
- 10 a.m. Providence
- 10:30 a.m. Mt. Joy
- 11 a.m. St. Paul Twin Church at Knox
- 11:30 a.m. Knox Union Cemetery
The public is invited to attend any of these services.
There will also be a Luminary Celebration of Veterans service held at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, May 29, at Knox Cemetery and will then travel to Knox Community Park for services at 7 p.m.
Lamartine
LAMARTINE – The DeHart-Rossman-Wenner Post 997 will meet at 7:45 a.m. Monday, May 30,, at the community building and proceed to the following cemeteries for services:
8:20 a.m., Zion
8:45 a.m., Richland
9:05 a.m., Crossroads
9:25 a.m., Starr
9:45 a.m., Valley
10:15 a.m., Monroe
10:45 a.m., Salem United Church of Christ
11:15 a.m., Salem Lutheran
11:30 a.m., Veterans Memorial
All legion members and any other service men, auxiliary, Boy and Girl Scouts and other groups wishing to participate are welcome.
A public cafeteria style dinner will be served following the program at the Salem Community Building, benefits of the American Legion Auxiliary.
Also, a memorial program will be held with groups assembling at 6:30 p.m. and services at 7 p.m. Sunday, May 29, at Knox Community Park.
Rimersburg
RIMERSBURG – The Shearer-Shick Post 454 of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7132 will host Memorial Sunday, May 29, and Memorial Day, Monday, May 30, commemorative services.
Beginning at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 29, at the Veterans’ Park, memorial Bob Carmichael will be Master of Ceremonies for the services. Ernie Hartwig will be the guest speaker. Hartwig is a retired Master Sergeant, United States Army. He resides in Knox and teaches seventh through 12th grade social studies at East Forest High School.
Jim Billings from the Cornerstone Church of Clarion will give the invocation, responsive reading, offer a prayer and benediction.
Dana Solida will sing the Star Spangled Banner.
In the event of inclement weather, Sunday memorial services will be held in the United Methodist Church in Rimersburg.
The annual Memorial Day parade will begin at 9 a.m. Monday, May 30, starting at the Rimersburg Elementary School. The program at the cemetery will begin upon arrival of the parade procession.
Union High School marching band will participate, with Lisa Hummel as director. William Conner will serve as Master of Ceremonies and Rev. Mark Deeter, pastor of the Wesleyan Methodist Church will provide the invocation, prayer and benediction.
The guest speaker will be Dutch Kough, Vietnam Veteran and retired Lieutenant Colonel, United States Air Force.
Kough, formerly of Rimersburg, now resides in Pensacola, Fla.
Three Union High School eighth grade students will participate in the program. Mckayla Deitz, daughter of Terry and Melissa Deitz of Huey will recite the “Gettysburg Address,” Truman Vereb, son of Matt and Penny Vereb of Rimersburg will recite “In Flander’s Fields,” and Layton Stewart, son of Barry and Leanne Stewart of Rimersburg will recite “America’s Answer.”
A special musical selection will be sung by Sierra Smith of Rimersburg.
In the event of inclement weather, the program will be held at 9 a.m. at Union High School.
Veterans need not be a member of the American Legion or the VFW to participate in either service. Any veteran wishing to be part of the parade but are not physically able to do so should call Commander of the American Legion, Terry Custer at 473-8364 to arrange transportation to and from the cemetery.
Strattanville
STRATTANVILLE – The Strattanville American Legion Post 249 will hold its annual Memorial Day service at 10:30 a.m., May 30. In the event of rain weather, services will be in the sanctuary of the Methodist Church in Strattanville.
The guest speaker is Charles Miller, Korean Veteran. Raised in Strattanville, he now resides in Shippenville with his wife, Kate.
Rev. R. James Dietrich.
of New Rehoboth Greenville Presbyterian Church will provide invocation and benediction.
Placing of the wreath will be by Ron Rosser. The Clarion-Limestone High School Band, directed by Jenn Coast will provide music for the services.
Boys Scouts will recite the Pledge of Allegiance and American Legion Auxiliary President Sharon Klingensmith will provide a reading with the names of the auxiliary’s deceased members.
Patricia Lewis, historian, will announce the eighth grade medal recipient, Sara Griffith. She is a student at Clarion-Limestone School and is the daughter of Todd and Keli Griffith of Corsica. Griffith will not be present at the services.