Memorial Day ceremony is at AL Hall; Posts hold cemetery functions

The annual Memorial Day ceremony will be held at 11 am, Monday, May 29 at the American Legion Post 100 Hall, 1104 East Fifth Street, Maryville.

Members of Post 100 will conduct the ceremony starting with Commander David Dredge doing the welcome. The posting of the colors will be done by the honor guard under Commander Amos Clampit.

Placement of the memorial wreath will be by Georgia Sheridan and Esther Coffelt, legion auxiliary. The Pledge of Allegiance will be led by Dredge. The “Star Spangled Banner” will be led by Monica Conover and accompanied by Anita Dew. The invocation will be given by Tim Conover. Dredge will introduce guest speaker CPT William C. Lewis, commander of Higher Headquarters Battery, 1-129 Field Artillery Battalion, Missouri Army National Guard.

Lewis’ prior assignments include battalion fire support officer, executive officer and battery fire direction officer. He completed the field artillery basic officer’s leader course in 2015 and was the distinguished honor graduate for his class of the field artillery captain’s career course.

Lewis graduated from St. Louis University with a bachelor of science in criminal justice and graduated from the Kansas Highway Patrol Academy as a state trooper. He has been a state trooper with the Kansas Highway Patrol since December 2016, patrolling Johnson and Wyandotte counties.

He and his wife, Emily, have been married since December 2019. The couple have two dogs.

POW/MIA remembrance will be by Joyce Stark, post finance officer.

Monica Conover and Dew will provide music recognizing the service branches. Bob Bohlken and Larry Auffert will give the remembrance of veterans who have died in the past year.

Benediction will be given by Tim Conover, followed by the retirement of the colors. The 21-gun salute conducted by the firing squad will be conducted outdoors under the direction of Clampit with Taps being played.

Afterward, the traditional ham and bean lunch will be served at the legion.

At approximately 3 pm, Tuesday, May 23, AL Post 288, Hopkins, will do the flags that line the Hopkins Cemetery and the AL Auxiliary will put US flags on each veterans’ grave. Last year the auxiliary placed 413 flags. This year it expects to place even more.

The Graham Community Betterment Association will sponsor the annual Memorial Day Luncheon from 11 am to 1 pm, Sunday, May 28 at the Graham Community Building. Costs are $12 for adults, $5 for children under the age of 10.

On Sunday, May 28 area American Legion Posts will conduct the following tributes at Nodaway County cemeteries:

Rolla Dicks AL: 1 pm, Ohio, Burlington Jct., Memorial Day address by Rolla Dicks Post 315 Commander Justin Plymell followed by Post 315’s Rifle Team ceremony.

Parnell AL Post 528: 2 pm, Parnell; 2:30 pm, Oxford; 2:45 pm, Seven Dolors; 3 pm, Grantham; 3:15 pm, Oak Lawn, Ravenwood; 3:30 pm, Orrsburg; 3:45 pm, Gaynor.

Tri-C AL Post 464: 9:30 am, St. Columba, Conception Jct.; 10 am, Swinford, Bedison; 10:30 am, Barnard; 10:50 am, Weathermon, Guilford; 11 am, Graves, Guilford; 11:30 am, High Ridge, Stanberry; 11:40 am, Mount Calvary, Stanberry; 12:15 pm, Oak Lawn, Ravenwood; 12:30 pm, Parnell; 1:15 pm, Nodaway Memorial Gardens, Maryville; 1:30 pm, Oak Hill, Maryville; 1:45 pm, Nodaway County Courthouse; 2 pm, St. Mary’s, Miriam, Maryville; 2:15 pm, St. Patrick’s, Maryville.