From staff reports
Organizations throughout Clarion County have announced plans for Memorial Day observances.
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 29, in Clarion Cemetery on Second Avenue.
Dan Smith, Lieutenant Colonel, United States Marine Corp., retired will be the guest speaker. 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 Clarion VFW, Liberty Street, Clarion.
Following both services, a lunch will be held at the VFW.
Knox
The Berlin Bowser Post 720 American Legion in Knox will hold Memorial Day services Monday, May 29, at the following cemeteries:
- 9 a.m. St. Mark’s at Kossuth
- 9:30 a.m. Mt. Pleasant at Shippenville
- 10 a.m. Providence
- 10:15 a.m. Wolf’s Campground
- 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 28, at Knox Cemetery and will then travel to Knox Community Park for services at 7 p.m.
Lamartine
The DeHart-Rossman-Wenner Post 997 will meet at 7:45 a.m. Monday, May 29, 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 28, at Knox Community Park.
Rimersburg
The Shearer-Shick Post 454 of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7132 will host Memorial Sunday, May 28, and Memorial Day, Monday, May 29, commemorative services.
Beginning at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 28, at the Veterans’ Park, memorial Bob Carmichael will be Master of Ceremonies for the services. Rev. Dennis Fetter, pastor of the United Methodist Church will be the guest speaker and Rev. Mark Deeter of the Wildcat Wesleyan Methodist Church will give the invocation.
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 29, starting at the Rimersburg Elementary School. The program at the cemetery will begin upon arrival of the parade procession.
Union High School marching band, with Lisa Hummel as director, will participate. Terry George will serve as Master of Ceremonies and Rev. Dale Gallo, pastor of New Athens Church of God of Prophecy will provide the invocation, prayer and benediction.
The guest speaker will be Bill Coradi, a native of Rimersburg and a 1995 Union High School graduate. Coradi served in the United States Army from 1995 to 1998. His assignment was with the 2/4 CAV in the 24th Infantry Division and the 3/7 CAV in the 3rd Infantry Division in Fort Stewart, Ga.
Following discharge, Coradi returned to Rimersburg and worked in the manufactured housing industry. In 2007, he enrolled at Clarion University and earned a teaching degree.
He is employed by Riverview Intermediate 6 and teaches at Union High School in Rimersburg.
He and his wife, Nicole, are the parents of twin sons, Mason and Owen.
Three Union High School eighth grade students will participate in the program. Morgan Cumberland will recite the “Gettysburg Address,” Brock Jordan will recite “In Flander’s Fields,” and Zachery Flick will recite “America’s Answer.”
A special musical selection will be sung by Sierra Smith and Bryn Davis.
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.
New Bethlehem
New Bethlehem’s annual Memorial Day weekend program paying tribute to men and women who have lost their lives in military service to the nation will begin at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 27, at Gumtown Park.
The program will include musical presentations by the Redbank Valley High School band, under the direction of Eli Terwilliger. There will also be a featured speaker and commentary on the significance of the holiday throughout the nation’s history starting in the wake of the Civil War, and the particular milestone of 2017, which marks the centennial anniversary of the United States entrance into World War I-labeled at the time as the “war to end all wars.”
Strattanville
The Strattanville American Legion Post 249 will hold its annual Memorial Day service at 10:30 a.m., May 29. In the event of rain weather, services will be in the sanctuary of the Methodist Church in Strattanville.
Guest speaker, Rex Munsee is currently the sheriff of Clarion County. Prior to being elected in 2009, he had been a trooper with the Pennsylvania State Police for over 27 years, retiring as a corporal and serving 26 of those years at the Shippenville/Clarion barracks.
He is married to the former Cindi Corbett. Their daughter, Cassie and son, Ross, are both graduates of Clarion-Limestone High School. Munsee enjoys hunting, pistol shooting and is a part-owner in a small beef farm. He resides in the Frogtown area.
Rev. Shawn Bell of the Pilgrim of Holiness Church will give invocation and benediction.
Ron Rosser will place the wreath. Clarion-Limestone band, under the direction of Jenn Coast will provide music and local Boy Scouts will lead the Pledge of Allegiance.
President Patricia Lew will provide a reading with the names of the American Legion Auxiliary’s deceased members.
Baleigh Klepfer, auxiliary member will present the eighth grade medal to Janelle J Pezzuti, a student of Clarion-Limestone. She is the daughter of Phil and Tricia Pezzuti of Summerville.