March 18, 2024

Services to honor veterans planned for Memorial Day

Several services will be held to celebrate Memorial Day throughout the holiday weekend. Ceremonies at Union Cemetery, Wittemburg Cemetery, Ashton Chapel and Sams Pioneer Cemetery will honor those who served the country through song, messages and a time of reflection.

The weekend begins with the re-hanging of wind chimes at Sams Pioneer Cemetery in Mingo at 10:30 a.m. Saturday. Each of the donated wind chimes will be hung by volunteers at each grave of the 63 children buried at Sams. Members of the public are invited to help hang the chimes and doughnuts and coffee will be provided.

Sams Pioneer Cemetery is also kicking off the Memorial Day services at 8 a.m. with the Mingo American Legion Post Honor Guard honoring the Civil War, World War I and World War II veterans buried at the cemetery.

Memorial Day services are planned at the Wittemberg Cemetery at 9 a.m. with a Military Honor Guard starting the ceremony with a salute. Vernon Terlouw, of Killduff, a Korean War era veteran will be the featured speaker.

Those wanting to attend the ceremony should arrive about 10 minutes early and are asked to bring their own lawn chairs because of limited seating. In case of rain, the service will be held in the Wittemberg Church.

“Never Going Home,” a service planned for 9 a.m. at Ashton Chapel located in front of Ashton Wildwood Park, will feature a discussion the difficult subject of “homecomings” and what family members often find is the most difficult time for veterans. Guest speaker Wayne Marek, a Veterans Readjustment Counselor from Des Moines, will give a message of hope and stress the alternatives that are free to help families weather the tough transition back to civilian life.

With services taking place at the county church for almost 125 years, many traditions are in place including children putting flowers on the graves of veterans after the service and the Legion gives their 21 gun salute over the unnamed soldier’s grave. Special this year, “Taps” will be sung by an opera graduate of Simpson College.

Finally, the Memorial Day service arranged and sponsored by the Jasper County Veterans Council is planned for 10 a.m. at Newton Union Cemetery. The commemorative program includes an invocation by the Rev. Eldon Pals, address by Fred Chabot, Right-of-Way Call of the Deceased by Randy Wagner and wreath laying ceremony dedicated to The Unknown Soldier, Gold Star Mothers, Spanish American War Auxiliary, Woman’s Relief Corp, World War I, World War II, Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary, LaFemmes Cabane #283, American Legion Auxiliary, Navy Mothers, Marine Corp, Coast Guard, Barracks 1503 World War I Auxiliary, Jasper County Koren Veterans Wives, Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary, Jasper County Vietnam Veterans Wives, Middle East Kuwait, NATO, Kosovo and Bosnia and the Global War on Terrorism.

Lisa Blommer will sing the National Anthem, bagpipes will be played by Ron Husted and “Taps” will be performed by the VFW and American Legion.

In the event of inclement weather, the service will take place at the American Legion in Newton.

Sunday Services

The Military Honor Guard will take part in several Memorial Day services Sunday in Jasper County. Each ceremony will include a prayer service and a 21-gun salute.

The first service will begin at 9:15 a.m. at Memorial Gardens, the service in Kellogg will begin at 10:45 a.m. and Palo Alto services are at 11:15 a.m. The services at Sugar Grove Cemetery will begin at 11:45 a.m. and will also include a special dedication of a new war memorial. The final service for the day will be at 12:30 p.m. at Sacred Heart.

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com