Northwest Iowa — This coming Monday is Memorial Day.
It’s a day set aside to remember the sacrifices of the men and women who have given the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
Originally known as Decoration Day, Memorial Day was proclaimed as a day to honor the military members who died in the Civil War. From 1868 to 1970, it was observed on May 30th. Since 1971, it has been observed on the last Monday of May.
Several Memorial Day observances and related events have been planned in our area.
The Sheldon Memorial Day Ceremony will be at 10:00 a.m. on Memorial Day, Monday, May 27th at the Sheldon High School Auditorium. The special speaker will be Calvary Baptist Church Pastor, Zac Patke. The Sheldon High School Band will provide music for the ceremony, which will also include the laying of the wreath by the William F. Allard VFW Post 7373, the McGlothen Cowie American Legion Post 103, and the Post 103 Auxillary. All are invited and encouraged to attend.
At Ashton, the activities will start with coffee and rolls at 8:30 at the Legion Hall, with the ceremony at 9:30. Then they will proceed to the cemetery. The Disabled American Veterans national veteran of the year, Kim Hubers from Armstrong, Iowa will be the special speaker. Amy Schaeffer will provide the music. There will be a luncheon afterward from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Legion Hall. Pork loin sandwiches, hot dogs, and sides will be served for a free-will donation. If it rains, the cemetery portion will be at the Legion Hall too.
The George Memorial Day Ceremony will be at 10:00 a.m. on Memorial Day, Monday, May 27th at the George-Little Rock High School Gym. The special speaker will be Pastor Sean Mustain from the Central Baptist Church. The GLR High School Band will provide music for the ceremony, directed by Alan Holloway. After the ceremony at the school, they will proceed to the Evergreen Lawn Cemetery. There will also be a short service at the Good Samaritan Center after the service at the cemetery.
The service in Orange City will start at 9:30 a.m. at the West Lawn Cemetery. In case of inclement weather, the service will move to the Orange City First Reformed Church. Vietnam infantry combat veteran Les Vander Lugt will be the special speaker. They will also have short addresses from each of the four boys and two girls going to Boys State and Girls State, plus a speech from the finalist of the oratorical contest. They’ll have recorded music and will also have a gun salute, followed by the playing of “Taps.”
American Legion Post 470 in Melvin invites everyone to observe Memorial Day services at Baker Cemetery, two miles east and two miles north of Melvin. The service will begin at 10:30 a.m., Monday, May 27th. Those attending are urged to bring lawn chairs for their comfort. In case of inclement weather, the ceremonies will be held in the American Legion Community Center in Melvin.
The Sibley Memorial Day Ceremony will be at 11:00 a.m. on Memorial Day, Monday, May 27th at the Holman Township Cemetery. The special speaker will be retired Command Sargent Major Gary Handeland. The Sibley-Ocheyedan High School Band and Kelly Jacobsma will provide music for the ceremony. In case of rain, the program will be at the Sibley Legion Building instead.
As usual, the Sioux Center Memorial Day festivities will actually start on Sunday evening with a Memorial Day Eve Service at 7:00 p.m. The community is invited to come and hear a message from Pastor Bob Pollema at the Central Reformed Church. Again, that’s Sunday evening. The community is invited to the Memorial Day Parade prior to the Memorial Day Service on Monday, May 27th. The Parade will begin at 9:15 am and line-up at 9:00. The route will be from the Kinsey Elementary Parking Lot to the Memory Gardens Cemetery, where the service will start at 9:30. Special music will be provided by Sioux Center High School Students. The event will relocate to the Centre Mall if there’s rain or storms.
The Doon Memorial Day observance will start at 9:00 at the downtown park corner with a flag-raising and lowering ceremony. The Central Lyon 7-8 Band will provide the music, and will play the National Anthem at the flag ceremony. From there, the ceremony will process out to the Hillside Cemetery, but will stop at the Rock River Bridge along the way and will do a short wreath ceremony and gun salute. The speaker at the cemetery will be Cory Kempema, and the ceremony will conclude with a gun salute and the playing of “Taps.” In the event of inclement weather, the service will be canceled, as there is no community center in Doon right now.
The service in Rock Rapids will start at 10:00 a.m. at the Riverview Cemetery. In case of inclement weather, the service will move to the Rock Rapids Forster Community Center. Army National Guard veteran Marlis Lane will be the special speaker. They will also have the usual prayers and American Legion and VFW Auxiliaries will have short memorial services in the program as well. They’ll have music provided by the Central Lyon High School Band under the direction of Sherwin Langholdt and will also have a gun salute, followed by the playing of “Taps.”
Iowa Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg will be the special speaker at his hometown’s Memorial Day ceremony in Hawarden on Monday. The ceremony will start at 10:00 a.m. at Grace Hill Cemetery, located at 1600 16th Street in Hawarden.
