I'd like to invite subscribers of this list to reminisce about their
memories of long past Memorial days. Those of you who are too young to have
first hand memories are invited to relay stories from their parent,
grand-parents --- or perhaps in some cases --- from great-grand parents.
In Nelson of the late 1940s and early 1950s, it was called "Decoration Day"
and was the big day of the hear. In effect it was Homecoming Day. It was
usually a week before or after the "real" Memorial Day, so that the Elkland
HS band could supply music for Nelson one weekend, and for Elkland the
other. Nelson's observance was of course held in the Nelson Cemetery. I
never attended Elkland's observance, but presumably it was held in Highland
Cemetery. Some of you reading this probably know for sure.
The event in Nelson started with a service at the Presbyterian Church, which
was built by our Campbell/Hazlett ancestors from lumber cut as Sam Hazlett's
sawmill. Sadly, that church was torn down years ago. It stood near the SW
corner of the cemetery. Fortunately I still have a painting of it done by my
mother. The existing Nelson Community Church was the former Methodist
Church, moved from the South Side when Nelson was relocated.
A parade lead people from the church to the cemetery for decorating the
graves. Following the HS band was a motorcade of local dignitaries, veterans
in their VFW or American Legion caps, an honor guard in their old military
uniforms, and a large crowd of people with some flowers. Most had too many
flowers to carry and had driven their cars near loved one's graves --- at
least to unload. In addition to the band playing there would be several
comparatively short speeches and a main address; a salute of blanks fired
by the honor guard, and a bugler played taps. Then people distributed
flowers to the graves of those they wished to remember or honor. That
involved a lot .of waking around and greeting friends and relatives they may
not have seen in years. I was just a kid, so many of the names didn't "stick
-- or are long forgotten if they did. Aome of the people I do remember
encountering were O.B. "Ben" Blanchard, the town undertaker and wife Angie
CLOSE Blanchard. Clark Wood, for whom a school in Elkland was named --- and
his wife (Helen BATES?}. Ila HESS Lugg, trustee of Mansfield State U. who
later was a prime mover in Nelson's relocation. And of course, a long list
(which would bore you) of Hazlett, Owlett, Tubbs, etc. I feel lucky to have
met so many of our relatives and have fond memories of some.
I was fascinated by the variety of the tombstones, by the age of some of
them, and the beauty of the SE corner of the cemetery. Its graves were
relocated to the NW corner to make room for the lake.
All that yacking by adults was pretty boring to a kid. But the "good part"
was going to the Nelson school, next to Bobby Lugg's farm, for boxed lunches
of fried chicken.
My older sibling remembered Civil War veterans, such as my ggf, Rev. Henry
D. Goodrich, in the parade. I believe they used to recite G.A.R. poems or
songs, but that was before my time.
How about you sharing your family's memories of long gone Memorial Days?