×

Memorial Day returns

Area ceremonies resume a year after virus shutdown

FIFTH-GRADE STUDENTS from Kingsford Middle School earlier this week helped place flags on the graves of veterans at Iron Mountain Cemetery Park in preparation for Memorial Day. From left, in front are Jaricho Hudson, Jaron Brown, Aiden Vardian, Clayton Fayas, Sam Christesen, Gavin Hendricks and Domenic Fredrickson; in back are Dickinson County Office of Veterans Affairs service officer Lacey Ellison, Madison Miller, veterans service officer Denise Formolo, Julien Irish and Bryce Bendick. (Brian Christensen/Daily News photo)

IRON MOUNTAIN — Citizens across the United States will be remembering and honoring those who died in service of their country this Memorial Day.

Area communities once again will pay tribute this year to those who made the ultimate sacrifice, after not being able to host public ceremonies in 2020 due to the pandemic.

Local ceremonies include:

IRON MOUNTAIN

The annual Veterans Tribute Ride will make a stop at the Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center in Iron Mountain at about 10:50 a.m. Saturday, where there will be a short ceremony with playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “Taps.”

Eighth-grade graduates Emma Dube and Melody McBroom from Holy Spirit Catholic School in Norway help the Norway American Legion Post 621 place flags on veterans graves at Norway Township cemetery for Memorial Day. Students from fourth through seventh grade also assisted. (Submitted photo)

The Dickinson County Office of Veterans Affairs has selected “What Patriotism Means To Me,” as the theme for its annual Memorial Day ceremony.

The event will begin at 8:45 a.m. Monday with a parade from The Daily News office on Ludington Street in Iron Mountain and proceed through downtown Stephenson Avenue to the Dickinson County Courthouse. Participants are asked to line up at 8:15 a.m.

The program will begin at the courthouse at 9 a.m. The main speaker will be local veteran Terry Testolin.

Local Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts will lead the “Pledge of Allegiance.” Musical performances will be by the Iron Mountain and Kingsford high school bands.

If it rains, the program will be moved to the Braumart Theatre, 106 E. B St. in Iron Mountain.

KINGSFORD MIDDLE SCHOOL fifth-grader Lucas Menza places a flag at a veteran’s grave at Iron Mountain Cemetery Park in preparation for Memorial Day. (Brian Christensen/Daily News photo)

Office of Veterans Affairs Officer Denise Formolo asks the community join the rest of the nation at 3 p.m. Memorial Day in a one-minute moment of silence to pay tribute to soldiers who gave their lives.

The Uren-Cooper-Johnson American Legion Post 50 will draw the winner of the 2020 Royal Enfield Classic 500 motorcycle at 5 p.m. at the post. The motorcycle was donated by Michael Pfannes as a fundraiser for the post.

BREITUNG TOWNSHIP

Kingsford Carpenter-Clash American Legion Post 363 services will begin at 10:15 a.m. Monday at the Breitung Township Cemetery in Quinnesec.

Master of ceremonies will be Adjutant Gary Chapman. The Legion chaplain will give the invocation.

Flags will be presented by the Sons of the American Legion, with the local Scout Pack 510 leading the “Pledge of Allegiance.”

Paul Taff, post member, will lead the plaque presentation.

The Post 363 sergeant-at-arms will lead the POW and MIA salute.

Main speaker for the program will be Brad Nelson, who recently retired as public affairs officer at the Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center.

Student speaker will be Katherine Erickson, a 2021 Kingsford High School graduate, and Conner Hansen, an eighth-grade student at Kingsford Middle School.

Musical selections as well as “Taps” will be provided by the Kingsford High School band under the direction of Logan Galindo.

They will recognize deceased Post 363 members who died since the last Memorial Day: Ronald LaCost, Hugh Shanks, Wayne Carter, Robert Sandberg, Gerald Elliot and John Dowdle.

KHS students Emily Hoh-Everitt and Haliauna Kusmitch will perform a duet.

The post will salute fallen soldiers as well by firing three rounds, plus one round for the unknown soldier.

After the main program at the Breitung Township Cemetery, post members will go to Memorial Gardens and conduct a short program for veterans buried there.

NORWAY

A Memorial Day program will be conducted at 10 a.m. at the Norway Township Cemetery. Terry Backlund will be master of ceremonies and Veterans of Foreign Wars Chaplain George Olson will give the invocation. The Norway City Band and Norway High School Band will perform “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Marie Devine will place a wreath on the cannon as a tribute to the unknown soldier and to all war dead. Olson also will read a prayer for departed comrades.

The Norway High School choir will perform a patriotic selection.

Student Teddy Spence will read the poem “In Flanders Fields” by John McCrae.

Dickinson County District Judge Julie LaCost will give the Memorial Day address.

Wally Zychowski, American Legion chaplain, will provide a prayer.

The American Legion and VFW squads will fire three volleys for the war dead and a single round for the unknown soldier. “Taps” by the Norway city and high school band will conclude program.

HERMANSVILLE-FAITHORN

Memorial Day ceremonies, conducted by the Floriano-Stecker-Kelly American Legion Post 340, begin early Monday with raising the flag to half-staff at the Riverside and Meyer Township cemeteries.

Members of the Legion, Auxiliary, Vietnam Veterans of America, Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts will meet at 8 a.m. at the post’s club rooms.

Services will be 9 a.m. at Riverside Cemetery in Faithorn. The Norway-Vulcan School Band will provide musical selections at the Faithorn cemetery. A ceremony will follow at 11:15 a.m. in the Meyer Township Cemetery.

Post 340 will give the Memorial prayer. Roll call of deceased veterans of Post 340 will be taken, followed by a placing of wreaths.

VVA Thomas St. Onge Chapter 571 will salute the dead.

“Taps” will be played by a member of each band.

FELCH-FOSTER CITY

The Felch-Breen Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4803 will conduct Memorial Day services at three locations Monday: 9 a.m. at the Ralph Cemetery; 10 a.m. at the Felch Cemetery; and 11 a.m. at the Foster City Cemetery.

Veterans can meet at 8 a.m. at the VFW Clubhouse at Norway Lake.

Community members are asked to help honor those who served the country.

The VFW will host an open house at the clubhouse, N9547 Norway Lake Road in Felch Township, after the Foster City program. The public is invited.

CHANNING

Memorial Day services, conducted by the American Legion Post 168, will begin at 10 a.m. at the Channing Cemetery. American Legion Commander Gregg Harper will be emcee and speaker for the event to honor fallen comrades in Sagola Township.

CRYSTAL FALLS-AMASA

The East Side Veterans Council’s Memorial Day ceremonies for Crystal Falls will start with the parade assembling at 8:30 a.m. at Washington Avenue and Logan Street and then marching to the Evergreen Memorial Cemetery at 9 a.m. No parade will take place in Amasa.

Christopher Sholander will serve as master of ceremonies. After the invocation, the Forest Park High School band will provide music.

The event main speaker will be Steve Rhoades, who also will deliver the invocation. Rhoades served as pastor of the Crystal Falls/Amasa United Methodist Church.

After the speech, the VFW Auxiliary will lead the wreath ceremony, followed by a volley by the color guard.

A wreath also will be placed in the river at the 82nd Memorial site, followed by the playing of “Taps” by Army Staff Sgt. Christy Gervais of the Army National Band.

After the ceremony, participants will go directly to Hematite Cemetery for a program.

If bad weather threatens, the parade will be canceled and the service moved to 9:30 a.m. in the Eddie Chambers Memorial Gym at Forest Park High School.

IRON RIVER

Memorial Day events begin with a volley fired by American Legion Post 17 at 8:30 a.m. at the Iron River Cemetery.

The West Side Veterans Council will lead a ceremony at 9:30 a.m. at the Veterans Memorial on Genesee Street. The Legion Post 17 Auxiliary president will lay the wreath at the memorial.

A parade up Genesee Street will take place just after the memorial ceremonies.

The program at Resthaven Cemetery in Iron River will be 11 a.m., with retired Navy veteran Duane Ridolphi as master of ceremonies.

The program will be repeated at noon at the cemetery in Alvin, Wis.

STAMBAUGH

Members of the Reino American Legion Post 21 will place flags on the graves of veterans at 9 a.m. Sunday at the Stambaugh Cemetery.

The Memorial Day program will start at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the cemetery. Senior Master Sgt. Marie Brunswick, retired USAF, will serve as master of ceremonies.

The flag will be raised by members of the Caspian-Gaastra Fire Department. Master Sgt. Gerald Williams, retired U.S. Air Force, chaplain of the West Side Veterans Council, will give the invocation and benediction.

Post 21 Auxiliary members Linda Nasser and Linda Johnson will place a wreath on a cross in honor of all deceased veterans. West Iron County students will give recitations.

This year’s guest speaker is James “Butch” Testini, a retired contractor and businessman with several years of dedicated service to the community.

The Stambaugh Cemetery program will members of Post 21 firing squad conducting a volley and the playing of “Taps.”

In case of poor weather, the program will be moved to the Caspian-Gaastra Fire Hall.

The American Legion Reino Post 21 also will conduct a Memorial Day service at 1:30 p.m. at the Iron River Care Center. All are welcome to attend.

BATES TOWNSHIP

Memorial Day services will begin at 8 a.m. Monday at the Bates Township Cemetery, with the flag-raising by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3134 of Iron River and West Side Veterans Council.

Music will be provided by Jessica Thibodeau. The invocation and benediction will be by the Rev. Corey Shankleton, pastor of Northgate Church in Bates Township.

Main speaker will be Brian Rippey, a retired Air Force sergeant and retire Michigan State Trooper.

Refreshments will be serve just after the ceremony at the Bates Township Hall, 3070 E. U.S. 2.

The ceremony also will be moved to the hall if poor weather threatens.

BEECHWOOD

Ceremonies at Rosehill Cemetery in Beechwood will begin at 8 a.m. Monday after the Amvets Post 436 color guard marches to the site.

Pat Turner will be master of ceremonies and post Chaplain Dale Melstrom will give the invocation and benediction.

The wreath will be placed by Harlie and Gracyn Melstrom, who will also lead the “Pledge of Allegiance.” Trumpeter Curt Brendel will play the “National Anthem.”

Melina and Annalia Lopez will provide a reading, followed by a musical presentation by Krista Gussert and Gary Friestrom.

The speaker will be Lt. Col. Frank Jirik, retired from the U.S. Army and AMVETS Post 436 commander.

Brendel will also play “America the Beautiful” and “Taps.”

The Post 436 color guard will fire the volley.

Immediately after the program, participants are invited to a social at Beechwood Hall.

NIAGARA, Wis.

Cretton-Tutas American Legion Post 136 of Niagara, Wis., will have a Memorial Day service at 2 p.m. Monday at the Niagara Cemetery. Wisconsin state Sen. Mary Felzkowski will be the featured speaker.

All are invited to attend a reception after the service at the Niagara post. Refreshments will be served.

HOMESTEAD-AURORA, Wis.

Memorial Day services will begin at 11 a.m. Monday at the Aurora-Homestead Cemetery on County Road B, about 3 miles west of Aurora, Wis.

The ceremony will be held rain or shine. Attendees are reminded to bring a chair.

The Aurora Free Church, 1867 Cemetery Court, will be open for refreshments.

Organizers are asked to observe their own personal COVID-19 precautions.

Any questions can be directed to Roxanne Holton at 715-589-4608.

FLORENCE-COMMONWEALTH, Wis.

The Florence American Legion Post 211 will present Memorial Day ceremonies. The first service is planned at 9 a.m. Monday at Woodlawn Cemetery in Florence, with a program to follow at 11 a.m. at the Commonwealth Cemetery.

The Florence High School Band will also perform.

In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be at 11 a.m. at the Florence Community Center, 749 Central Ave. in Florence.

TIPLER-LONG LAKE, Wis.

Memorial Day services at the Florence Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3635 will begin at 10 a.m. Monday at the Martin Cemetery in Tipler, Wis., with a 10:40 a.m. service to follow at Long Lake Cemetery.

PEMBINE-DUNBAR, Wis.

The Pembine American Legion Post 461 will conduct a Memorial Day ceremony at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the Pembine Cemetery.

When the ceremony concludes, the group will travel to the Dunbar Cemetery for services.

Guest speaker will be Ross Bole.

The Beecher-Dunbar-Pembine School District band will play patriotic songs, including “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

AMBERG, Wis.

The Mullany-McTrusty Legion Post 428 and Auxiliary will conduct their annual Memorial Day ceremony at 11 a.m. at the Amberg Cemetery in Amberg, Wis.

Speaker for the event will be Wisconsin state Rep. Jeff Mursau of Crivitz, Wis.

The Wausaukee High School band will play “Taps” and other selections. The Legion will provide a gun salute and Auxiliary members will lay a wreath.

St. Agnes Catholic Church will host a luncheon after the ceremony until 1 p.m. Cost is $8 and can be dine-in under the tent or by carry-out.

CRIVITZ, Wis.

The Netzel-Zenz American Legion Post 413 will conduct services at 9:15 a.m. Monday at the Pine Hills Cemetery in Middle Inlet, followed by a ceremony at about 10 a.m. at the NewCare Assisted Living Facility in Crivitz, Wis.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today