Memorial Day services in the Fox Valley
The following Memorial Day services and parades will take place this weekend in the Fox Valley and Tri-Cities:
Dundee Memorial Day parade: 2 p.m. Sunday, May 25, Grafelman Park, Main Street - Route 72, West Dundee. Parade begins at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Van Buren and Route 72, in East Dundee. Ends with a short ceremony at Grafelman Park in West Dundee. Free. Info: (847) 428-9006.
St. Charles parade, ceremonies: The day begins with a flag raising at 6 a.m. Monday, May 26, at Baker Community Center, 101 2nd St. At 6:30 a.m., Boy Scouts will place flags on the grave sites of veterans at each of the three cemeteries in St. Charles. Ceremonies will include an honor guard, firing squad and posting of colors. The parade steps off at 6th and Main streets and continues to Riverside Avenue. A special memorial ceremony will follow the parade at the Freedom Shrine, along the river, west of the St. Charles Police Department, 211 N. Riverside Ave. Then there will be a parking lot dedication at 119 N. 3rd St. Info: (630) 587-6444.
Elburn Memorial Day ceremony, breakfast: 10 a.m. Monday, May 26, at the north end of the Blackberry Township cemetery, Route 47 and Keslinger Road. The Elburn American Legion Post 630 Color Guard will depart from Lions Park at 10 a.m. and will march to the cemetery. The observance will include the reading of "Flanders Field," a poem about the red poppies that grew over the graves of fallen soldiers of World War I as well as the names of the veterans buried at Blackberry Township cemetery and other nearby cemeteries. The Elburn American Legion Post 630, in conjunction with Elburn Boy Scout Troop 7, will host a fundraising pancake breakfast from 7 to 9:30 a.m. at the American Legion building, 112 N. Main St., Elburn. The Boy Scouts will serve pancakes, sausage, orange juice, and coffee. The suggested donation is $5, children, age 5 and younger, are admitted free. For details, visit elburnpost630.org or contact John Nevenhoven at (630) 697-0356.
Fox River Grove Memorial Day parade: 8 a.m. Monday, May 26. Parade starts at Algonquin Road School and continues down Algonquin Road to South River Road. The parade, hosted by the American Legion Frank H. Nagel Jr. Post 119, ends at Lions Park, 747 S. River Road, with a ceremony. Info: foxrivergrove-il.org.
Maple Park Memorial Day services: 9 a.m. to noon Monday, May 26, various locations in Maple Park. Maple Park American Legion Post 312 members will place American flags on the graves of service members and perform honors at six Maple Park cemeteries, starting at 9 a.m. The Honor Guard and Rifle Squad march into the cemetery as the chaplain recites a prayer and the Rifle Squad fires three volleys over the graves of the veterans, followed by Taps. The cemeteries will be: Pierce Cemetery, St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Gardner Cemetery, Van Vlak Cemetery, Saints Peter and Paul's Catholic Cemetery, and South Burlington Cemetery. From 11 a.m. to noon, a service will be held at the post home, 203 Main St., Maple Park. Info: mapleparklegion.org or mapleparkfunfest.com.
South Elgin Memorial Day Service: 10 a.m. Monday, May 26, Panton Mill Park, 10 N. Water St., across from village hall, South Elgin. In case of rain, it will be held in the Municipal Annex. Free. southelgin.com.
Geneva Memorial Day parade: 10 a.m. Monday, May 26. Steps off from Crescent Place near the downtown Metra Station. The parade will proceed northbound on Third Street and end at the cemetery at Third and Stevens streets. Third Street, along with West State Street, will be closed while the parade is in progress.
Hampshire Memorial Day parade and ceremony: 10:30 a.m. Monday, May 26, Hampshire Middle School, 560 S State St., Hampshire. Ceremony will start at 11 a.m. Pastor Raymond Ayers from Marengo's Zion Lutheran Church will lead the ceremony, followed by a free picnic. Free.
Elgin Memorial Day services: 11 a.m. Monday, May 26, at Bluff City Cemetery, 945 Bluff City Blvd., Elgin. An Elgin tradition since 1868, this year's program will pay tribute to the Illinois National Guard as part of the 75th anniversary of the Elgin Armory. It is co-sponsored by the Elgin Patriotic Memorial Association and the city of Elgin. There will also be services at 8:45 a.m. at Mount Hope Cemetery, 1001 Villa St.; 9:15 a.m. at Lakewood Memorial Park, 30W730 Route 20; and 9:45 a.m. at Elgin Veterans Memorial Park, 270 N. Grove Ave. The service at Veterans Memorial Park is especially designed to pay tribute to veterans interred at sea, and will include an address by Elgin native Dale Moorhouse. Free. Info: elginmemorialday.org.
Huntley Memorial Day parade, ceremony: 11 a.m. starting from the municipal complex, 10987 Main St. All parade participants should assemble at the municipal complex parking lot beginning at 10:30 a.m. Huntley American Legion Post 673's parade will go west on Main Street to Woodstock Street, turn right to go north and disperse from there. At the conclusion of the parade, there will be speakers and a presentation honoring veterans. For details, call Patrick Conley of the American Legion Post 673 at (847) 802-8280.
West Dundee Memorial Day cemetery service: 11:30 a.m. May 26 at River Valley Memorial Gardens, off Route 31, just north of I-90, West Dundee. An address will be given by the Rev. Jim Murr of the Bethlehem Lutheran Church of West Dundee. The Tri-City Evergreen Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2298 and Auxiliary will participate in the half-hour service, which will honor 1,020 veterans buried at River Valley Memorial Gardens. The soloist will be Penny Mensik. Lt. Col. Ernest Gross (retired), a volunteer bugler with Bugles Across America, will participate with the national anthem and taps. Josh Cunningham, a bagpiper with the Dundee Scottish Pipe Band, will perform. Cemetery staff and volunteers will place U.S. flags on veteran graves. Info: (847) 426-3031 or rivervalleymemorialgardens.com.
Aurora Memorial Day parade: noon Monday, May 26, South River and Benton, Aurora. Pre-parade ceremony at 11:15 a.m. in front of the David L. Pierce Art and History Center, 20 E. Downer Place. Parade proceeds east to Broadway Avenue, north to Downer Place, and ends River Street. Free. Info: aurora-il.org.
Kane County Memorial Day ceremony: 3 p.m. Monday, May 26, Kane County Government Center, 719 South Batavia Ave., Geneva. Free.