Area American Legions will be honoring the brave men and women, who lost their lives in service to our country, with Memorial Day ceremonies on Monday, May 27. American Legion Post 15 of West Union marches for veterans at the West Union Cemetery during last year’s Memorial Day service. (Union file photo)

Area Memorial Day Services set

By Chris Deback
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com

As America prepares to remember and honor its fallen military heroes on Memorial Day, area Legion posts invite the public to join them in their upcoming services and related activities.

WEST UNION 

Military services will be conducted by American Legion Post 15 and members of the North Fayette Valley band on Memorial Day, Monday, May 27. The Rt. Rev. Terry Landsgaard will be the speaker at each of the sites.

Services will be held as follows: 8:30 a.m. – Auburn Cemetery, Auburn; 9 a.m. – St. Peter Lutheran Cemetery, Eldorado; 9:45 a.m. – Mt. Calvary Cemetery (on Hwy. 56); 10:15 a.m. – West Union Cemetery.

The American Legion will be setting out flags at 5 p.m. Friday, May 24, at West Union Cemetery. The public is invited to help.

ARLINGTON 

Dean Harkin American Legion Post 219 of Arlington will conduct Memorial Day services at 10 a.m. Monday, May 27, at Taylorville Cemetery. The program will include guest speaker Randy Loftsgard. Following the ceremony, there will be a luncheon at the Arlington Community Event Center from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

CLERMONT

On Sunday, May 26, Sheehan-Olson American Legion Post 375 of Clermont will host its annual pancake breakfast at the Clermont Opera House. Serving will take place from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

On Memorial Day, Monday, May 27, veterans will meet at 7:30 a.m. at the American Legion Hall in the Larrabee Building. All veterans are invited to attend. 

The day’s schedule will be as follows:

8 a.m. – God’s Acre Cemetery, military honors;

8:30 a.m. – St. Peter’s Catholic Cemetery, military honors;

9 a.m. – East Clermont Lutheran Cemetery, military honors;

9:30 a.m. – Turkey River bridge, Clermont, wreath-laying/military honors for those lost at sea;

10:30 a.m. – Memorial Day Program at Lincoln Park. (In case of inclement weather, the program will move to the Clermont Opera House.)

The Lincoln Park program will begin with a welcome by Post Commander, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Pastor Phillip Olson of West Clermont Lutheran Church will give the invocation. 

Dawn Walton will be the guest speaker for the program. After Walton speaks, there will be a reading of the Honor Roll, a benediction from Pastor Olson, and the playing of taps. 

ELGIN

Elgin American Legion Post 352 will place flags and crosses at the Elgin Cemetery at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 25, weather permitting. 

Monday’s schedule for Memorial Day will begin with assembly at the Elgin Legion Building at 8 a.m. Services will then be conducted as follows: 

8:45 a.m. – Houg Cemetery; 9 a.m. – Marion and Brainard cemeteries; 9:35 a.m. – Highland; 10 a.m. – Illyria; 10:15 a.m. – Apostolic Cemetery.

At approximately 10:30 a.m., a ceremony will also be held at the Elgin bridge over the Turkey River.

Legion members will then reassemble at 11 a.m. at the Elgin Cemetery, where Pastor Lee Boleyn of First Baptist Church will say a few words. 

Flags and crosses will be removed at 3 p.m. Monday, May 27, weather permitting. There will be a steak fry at the Legion Hall from 5 to 7:30 p.m.

FAYETTE 

Fayette American Legion Post 339 will conduct its Memorial Day service outside of City Hall beginning at 10 a.m. Monday, May 27. In case of inclement weather, the service will be held at the Legion Hall. An 11 a.m. Free-Will-Offering luncheon will be held at the Legion Hall following the event.

HAWKEYE 

American Legion Post 312 of Hawkeye and its Auxiliary will present their annual Memorial Day program at 10 a.m. Monday, May 27, at the Hawkeye Community Hall. The featured speaker will be Pat Franzen, Hawkeye. The firing squad and taps will be held at approximately 10:45 a.m. in the Hawkeye City Park across from the Legion Hall by the memorial stone. 

ILLYRIA

The annual Memorial Day service at Illyria Community Church, rural Elgin, will begin at 9:30 a.m. Monday, May 27. 

The guest speaker will be U.S. Air Force veteran Roger Thomas of Elkader. 

At 10 a.m. the Elgin Legion will conduct a service at the Illyria Cemetery, where flags will be flown in honor of all veterans, followed by a service at the Elgin Cemetery at 11 a.m.

LIMA

Memorial Day services are set for 2:30 p.m. Monday, May 27, at the Lima Church, 16550 Heron Road (between West Union and Fayette). The guest speaker will be Elaine VandeVorde, Larry Poppenhagen will sing, and Clay and Pat Schaefers will play taps. 

There will be a march to the Lima Church Cemetery. 

Refreshments will follow back at the church. 

MAYNARD

Lundbye-Carpenter American Legion Post 245 of Maynard will begin its observance of Memorial Day with the Avenue of Flags being placed at Long Grove Cemetery at 9 a.m. Friday, May 24. Help from the public is needed.  

On Memorial Day, Monday, May 27, Legion members are asked to assemble at 8 a.m. at the Community Hall to prepare for the day’s services.  

The schedule of services on Monday will be as follows: 8:30 a.m. – the North First Street bridge; 8:45 a.m. – Center Grove Cemetery; 9 a.m. – Hope Cemetery.  

The Memorial Day service at Long Grove Cemetery will be held at 10 a.m. West Central principal Joshua Bahr will provide the message. In case of rain, the services at Maynard will be held in the Community Hall.  

The Avenue of Flags will be removed at 4 p.m. Monday, May 27. Volunteer help would again be appreciated.  

ST. LUCAS

St. Aloysius Schmitt Post 691 of St. Lucas will provide a Memorial Day program beginning at 8 a.m. Monday, May 27, at St. Luke Catholic Church in St. Lucas. A procession to the cemetery will be followed by a short program including a rifle salute and taps played by a Turkey Valley band student. The Turkey Valley school band will also play during the Memorial Day service.

Following activities at the cemetery will be a ceremony at the Veterans Memorial, which will include another rifle salute and the national anthem performed by the Turkey Valley band.

Afterwards, a breakfast open to everyone will be held at the St. Lucas Community Center.

WADENA

Wadena Legion Post 631 will conduct a Memorial Day service at 10:30 a.m. Monday, May 27, at the All-Veterans Memorial by the Legion Hall. The service will be presented by Pastor Rusty Phillips from the Wadena Community Church with the Legion members doing a gun salute. 

Following the service, the annual Chicken Noodle Dinner will be served at the Legion Hall. 

WAUCOMA

A Memorial Day program will be hosted by members of Belding-Fox-Slagle Post 189 at 10 a.m. Monday, May 27, at the Waucoma Veterans Memorial. The program and invocation will be provided by American Legion members. 

Afterwards, all are invited for coffee and cookies at the Waucoma Event Center.

WESTGATE

Messerer-Fox Post 92 will begin its annual Memorial Day observance by decorating the graves of veterans in five area cemeteries. Volunteer help would be greatly appreciated; those wishing to help are asked to meet at the Legion post at 5 p.m. Thursday, May 23.

On Monday, May 27, the West Central school band will lead a march to the Legion post, where Memorial Day services will begin at 9 a.m. The national anthem will be performed, followed by a reading by the Messerer-Fox Women’s Auxiliary Unit 92, and a reading by Legionnaire Bob Belden of Westgate. The guest speaker will be Lyle Buehler, a West Central graduate and an Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran.

A memorial ceremony will be held outside the post to honor fallen comrades with a rifle salute. 

Those who have flags they’ve retired can bring them to the Legion that day to have them properly disposed of.

Coffee and rolls will be served in the Legion Hall following the ceremonies. All are welcome.