Memorial Day will be commemorated in the Elgin area this weekend with several events honoring military personnel who lost their lives while serving in the six branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.
ELGIN
The Elgin Patriotic Memorial Association will conduct four events Monday:
- A Catholic Mass followed by a ceremony commemorating the fallen will be held at 8:45 a.m. in Mount Hope Cemetery, 1001 Villa St.
- A service that includes a rifle salute, throwing flowers into the Fox River and the playing of taps will be held at 9:15 a.m. in the Garden of Honor at Lakewood Memorial Park, 30W730 Route 20.
- The Elgin Navy Club and the Elgin Marine Corps League will pay tribute to veterans interred at sea with a program at 9:45 a.m. in Veterans Memorial Park, 274 N. Grove Ave.
- A program paying tribute to the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence will be held at 11 a.m. at Bluff City Cemetery, 945 Bluff City Blvd.
Keynote speaker will be Christine Harmon, a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The Elgin Master Chorale and the Larkin High School Band will perform, and students from the Fox Valley Young Marines will read Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and Gen. John Logan’s orders establishing Memorial Day.
Wreaths will be placed at the Grand Army of the Republic Memorial and a roll call of deceased veterans will be read, followed by a rifle salute and the playing of taps.
A free shuttle bus will pick up people at the main and east gates before and after the service for transportation to and from the ceremony area. The program will also be broadcast live on WRMN (1410 AM) and WRMN Facebook Live and a video of the program posted later in the day on the city of Elgin’s Facebook page.
For more information on the Elgin, go to www.elginmemorialday.org.
- Willow Lake Estates will hold a public ceremony from 11 a.m to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, May 23, in the lower level of its clubhouse at 161 W. River Road, Building B. The event will include a bugler playing taps and a tour of the subdivision’s Memorial Island and monument. Refreshments will be served. For more information, contact Ray Russell at 630-745-7755 or [email protected].
SOUTH ELGIN
- The village South Elgin will place American flags by the graves of veterans buried at South Elgin Cemetery, 1051 E. Middle St., which will be on display throughout the holiday weekend. For more information, call 847-622-0003.
CARPENTERSVILLE
- The village of Carpentersville will hold a wreath-laying ceremony at 10 a.m Monday, May 25, at the Veterans Garden in Carpenter Park, 275 Maple Ave. For more information, call 847-426-3439.
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Mike Danahey is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.