Fox Valley Memorial Day services
Algonquin-LITH: In honor of all of military servicemen, servicewomen, veterans and their families, the Lake in the Hills American Legion Post 1231 will host a Memorial Day Ceremony and Parade at 10 a.m. Monday, May 25. A short ceremony will take place at the Algonquin Cemetery on Cary-Algonquin Road, followed by a parade at the River Front Park at the Gazebo (north of Port Edward's Restaurant). There will be guest speakers at the gazebo. The post would be honored if any veteran home on leave or out of service as well as active duty military personnel and their families would join in the Memorial Day Ceremony and Parade. For details, call Gary Jenson at (847) 875-7104.
Aurora: Aurora's Memorial Day Parade will step off at noon Monday, May 25, at River and Benton streets downtown. It will continue along Broadway and Downer Place to Middle Avenue. The pre-parade program hosted by retired state Sen. Bob Mitchler will begin at 11:15 a.m. at the reviewing stand at 20 E. Downer Place. For information, call (630) 264-INFO.
Batavia: The Batavia Overseas Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1197 and its Auxiliary and American Legion Post 504 will conduct the annual Batavia Memorial Day Ceremonies at 10 a.m. Monday, May 25. This year's speaker is U.S. Rep. Bill Foster. John Heath and The Batavia High School band will provide music. The Batavia Overseas Post 1197 offers memorial bricks at the Veterans Memorial at the Post Home. Any honorably discharged U.S. veteran can purchase a brick for $50. To remember Veteran's Memorial Day weekend, members of the World War II Historical Re-enactment Society will stage a battle re-enactment of a small unit action in which blank-firing weapons and period vehicles will be used. The battle times are at noon and 3 p.m. The living history campsites will be open between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday. For details, call Dave Fornell at (630) 961-1623.
Crystal Lake: The Crystal Lake American Legion Post 171 will conduct its annual Memorial Day Parade and Cemetery Service Monday, May 25. Parade units will assemble at the Crystal Lake Central High School parking lot at 10 a.m. and the parade will begin at 11 a.m. The parade route will be east on Franklin Avenue, north on Williams Street, and west on Woodstock Street to Union Cemetery, where the memorial service will be held. For details, call (815) 459-2020.
Dundee Township: The annual Memorial Day service will be at 11:30 a.m. Monday, May 25, at River Valley Memorial Gardens, 14N689 Route 31, West Dundee. The Rev. Donald Longbottom of the First Congregational Church of Dundee will give the spiritual address. Tri-City Evergreen Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2298 and Auxiliary will participate in the half-hour service honoring more than 890 veterans buried at River Valley Memorial Gardens. Dundee-Crown High School trumpeters will play the national anthem and taps. The public is invited.
Elburn: The annual Elburn Memorial Day Parade, hosted by American Legion Post 630, starts at 9 a.m. Monday, May 25, at Lions Park, 500 Filmore and ends at Blackberry Creek Cemetery, 43W390 Main Street Road. There is a brief service at the cemetery, then return to Lions Park for food and social events. For details, visit elburn.il.us/.
Elgin: The Elgin Patriotic Memorial Association will hold services Monday, May 25. At 7:30 a.m., the Color Guard will be at the opening of the Valley Fox Trot in downtown Elgin. At 8:45 a.m., there will be a Catholic Mass at Mount Hope Cemetery on Villa Street. The program includes a rifle salute and the playing of taps. At 9 a.m., there will be services at the Garden of Honor at Lakewood Memorial Park on Route 20. The program includes brief remarks by American Legion member Tricia Dieringer, a rifle salute, and the playing of taps. At 9:45 a.m., Elgin's new Veterans Memorial Park, just north of the Gail Borden Public Library, will serve as the setting to honor those who have lost their life at sea. The service will conclude with the strewing of flowers into the Fox River. Use eastbound Kimball Street to reach the area due to road closures related to the Fox Trot. At 11 a.m., join an Elgin tradition since 1868. This one-hour program will include the Elgin High School band, the Elgin Choral Union, and a keynote address by John Cooper, headmaster of the Elgin Academy. For details, visit ElginMemorialDay.org.
Fox River Grove: American Legion Frank H. Nagel Jr. Post 119 of Fox River Grove will sponsor a Memorial Day Parade Monday, May 25. It will start at 8:30 a.m. at Algonquin Road School, 975 Algonquin Road, Fox River Grove. The parade steps off at 8:30 a.m. For details, call American Legion Commander Bob DePaul at (847) 639-0267.
Geneva: The Geneva Memorial Day celebration begins with a Color Guard rifle salute at 6 a.m. Monday, May 25, at the East Side Cemetery, off Bennett Street, then proceeds to the State Street bridge for a ceremony with flowers strewed on the river, followed by salutes around 6:30 a.m. at the Kane County Veterans' Memorial at the Kane County Government Center, 719 S. Batavia Ave., and at 7 a.m. at Geneva Township Senior Center, 400 Wheeler Drive. The Memorial Day parade steps off at 10 a.m. near the Geneva Metra Station and continues down Third Street to the West Side Cemetery, Second and Stevens streets. At the cemetery, Dennis Enneking, a Vietnam veteran and post member, will speak. For details, call the Geneva post at (630) 232-2171.
Hampshire: The Memorial Day services on Monday, May 25, will be coordinated by Hampshire Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8043 and its Ladies Auxiliary, American Legion Post 57 and its Ladies Auxiliary and AMVETS Post 91. The parade step-off time will be at 10:30 a.m. at Hampshire Middle School, 560 S. State St. The parade will go north on State Street and continue east on Jefferson Avenue. The service will commence at 11 a.m. at Ralph Seyller Memorial Park, 400 E. Jefferson Ave. The Rev. Joseph Nicolosi Jr. of St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, the Rev. Howard Gleason of St. John's Lutheran Church and Mayor Jeff Magnussen will be in attendance. Hampshire High School Band, under the direction of Helen Lawrence, will perform. Local organizations are invited to participate in the parade and services. Guest speaker will be Rear Adm. Kenneth Deutsch, son of Roman and Joyce Deutsch, Burlington. In the event of rain, services will be held at Hampshire Middle School. For information, call Lowell Reiser, Commander VFW Post 8043, at (847) 683-3443.
Huntley: The Huntley American Legion Post 673 will host its annual Memorial Day Parade on Monday, May 25. The parade will start at 11 a.m. at the Huntley Municipal Complex, 10987 Main St., and proceed west on Main Street, to the Huntley American Legion Post at Coral and Woodstock streets, for a brief memorial ceremony. After the ceremony, a free public luncheon will be hosted at the American Legion Hall. For details, call the Huntley Legion Hall at (847) 669-8485 between 3 and 10 p.m. daily.
Kaneville: The village of Kaneville will hold its 114th annual Memorial Day Program on Monday, May 25. The Kaneland High School band will provide special music, and all armed services and attending veterans will be recognized. The program will start at 10 a.m. at the David Werdin Community Center, 2S101 Harter Road. It will be followed by placement of gravesite flowers and a 21-gun salute at the Kaneville Cemetery. Refreshments will be served. A community potluck will be held at the Kaneville Community Center Pavilion starting around noon. Meat and drinks will be provided, but bring a dish to pass.
North Aurora: The Messenger Public Library, 113 Oak St., North Aurora, will host a special program, "My Experiences In Vietnam: A Soldier's Memoir" at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 28. The program will be presented by local veteran Jim Davidson, winner of multiple Purple Heart awards. To register for the program, contact the library at (630) 896-0240, ext. 2305.
St. Charles: The St. Charles Memorial Day observances on Monday, May 25, will begin with the flag raising ceremony at 5:30 a.m. at the Baker Community Center, 101 S. Second St. It will continue at 6:20 a.m. at St. Charles South Cemetery on the east side of Seventh Avenue, north of Madison. The Boy Scouts from Troop 1 will place flags on the grave sites of veterans. They will then visit the North Cemetery, and then the Union Cemetery to place flags. The Memorial Day Parade will start at 10 a.m. at Fifth and Main streets. After the conclusion of the parade, there will be a Memorial Day Ceremony at Freedom Trail (along the Fox River) behind the police station. For details, call Mark Powell at (630) 587-6444.
South Elgin: South Elgin VFW Post 2327 hosts a Memorial Day ceremony at 10 a.m. Monday, May 25 at Panton Mill Park, off Water Street.
Woodstock: The city of Woodstock's annual Memorial Day Ceremonies will take place in the Park in the Square at 10 a.m. Monday, May 25. The ceremony will be immediately followed by the annual Memorial Day Parade which will proceed around the square, up West Jackson Street, and then back down West Judd Street, to disband at the Throop Street parking lot. For details, visit woodstock-il.com.