Elgin Patriotic Memorial Association celebrating 125 years at Memorial Day events
The Elgin Patriotic Memorial Association, in cooperation with the City of Elgin, will host four events for Memorial Day on Monday, May 29.
There will be a Catholic Mass along with a combined color guard, rifle salute, and the playing of Taps at 8:45 a.m. at Mount Hope Cemetery, 1001 Villa St. in Elgin.
At 9:15 a.m., a service will honor those buried at Lakewood Memorial Park, 30W730 Route 20 in Elgin. It will be held at the cemetery's Garden of Honor and include a combined color guard. The observance will conclude with a rifle salute and the playing of Taps.
Organized by the Elgin Navy Club and the Elgin Marine Corps League, the 9:45 a.m. program is especially designed to pay tribute to veterans interred at sea. This year's keynote speaker will be Col. Sheldon J. Bathurst, a retired U.S. Marine who served in Vietnam. The program at Elgin Veterans Memorial Park, 274 N. Grove Ave. will feature the Elgin Master Chorale, and conclude with the strewing of flowers into the Fox River, a rifle salute, and the playing of Taps.
At 11 a.m. at Bluff City Cemetery, 945 Bluff City Blvd., this year's program will pay tribute to the 125th anniversary of the Elgin Patriotic Memorial Association. The keynote speaker will be Elgin historian Jerry Turnquist who will reflect on the organization's history as well as past Memorial Day ceremonies.
This program also will include the Elgin Master Chorale and Elgin High School Band. Local students will continue the long held tradition of reading Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and General John Logan's Orders, which established Memorial Day.
The most solemn moment of the morning will be the laying of organizational wreaths at the Grand Army of the Republic memorial - an observance akin to the laying of wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Washington D.C. Activities will include a roll call of deceased veterans, a rifle salute, and the playing of Taps.
A free shuttle bus will pick up riders at the main gate and east gate before and after the service for transportation to and from the ceremony area. This 11 a.m. program also will be broadcast live on WRMN Radio, 1410 AM.
Should weather conditions be deemed unsuitable by city officials for outdoor programs, an announcement will be made no later than 8:30 a.m. Memorial Day, that the Veterans Memorial Park and Bluff City Cemetery programs will be held at their same times at the Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way in Elgin. This information will be posted on the City of Elgin website and other media outlets.
Residents are encouraged to visit local cemeteries over Memorial Day weekend. At Bluff City Cemetery, over 600 flags honoring local veterans will line the streets as part of the award-winning Avenue of Flags. There are also over 2,800 smaller flags flying over veterans graves placed by local volunteers as part of the "Adopt a Cemetery" program.
For information, visit elginmemorialday.org.