Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1889-06-06
MEMORIAL DAY.
Many People in Town observance of the
Day

utSlfdDlts anu the CIONuS WHO cdtlc 10
town to SEQ the decorating services,
shivered around with faces and hands
blue with cold. So many people have
not been in town for many day, all
the surrounding towns and country
furnishing their quota.
Under Herman Buchner, Esq, Presi-
dent of the day, the program as arrang-
ed by the committee was faithfully and
smoothly carried ont. Promptly AT ten
O'Clock the procession formed on the
square, with President Buchner in
carriage followed by Drum Corps, young
ladies and gentlemen with flowers md
evergreen wreaths, Tom Cox POST
&. A. r., and citizens. The line of
march to the cemetery was at once
taken up, where after prayer by Chap
lain Ivey, of the post and hymn "Nearer
my God to Thee" sung by the ladies,
the graves of the soldier dead were
decorated with greens and flowers.
The services coming to c'ose on sing
ing my Country It's of Thee" and
pronouncing of the benediction by
the Chaplain.
The afternoon exercises took place at
the monument in Court House square
The shaft to the unknown had been
draped in black streamers twining
around, surmounted by wreath of
roses. A shield in front of black velvet,
had the inscription 80 the Unknown
Dead. Each Company column was
hung with evergreen wreaths, these and
the other decorations were due TO the
work of Mrs. Alex Ivey, Mrs. Kate Hyde,
Mrs. Eliza Kinney. Mrs. j. p. Lewis,
Mrs. Nj. A. Reed, Mrs. G. j. Hyde.
Mrs. ID. Schreiner, Mrs. John G Clark,
Mrs. Il. b. Showalter, Mrs. f. S. elise
and Misses Ellen Crosby and Anna
Carter. X. b. Showalter, Jas. Il. Nc
Gonigal and John A. Thomas assisting.
The services were commenced at two
O'Clock by PresidentBuchner, who called
the meeting to order, and spoke as fol-
lows: More than 20 years ago, the now
lamented, John A. Logan. then the
commandments of the G.. A. X.
! by special Order, directed that the
graves of the fallen defenders OF this
beautiful Banner be decorated. The
30th day of May was chosen as the day
on which such memorial services should
take place. Since then the several
legislatures of the Northern States have
one by one enveloped this day with
safe guard of sanctity, and by enact
ment proclaimed it legal holiday. In
this manner the keeping of this day has
been Incorporated in the statutes OF our
state. and it bids fair TO remain SO as
long as the stars and stripes will float
over the hills and prairies of the state
of Wisconsin.
The members of the &. A. K. are
enjoined annually TO prepare for and
conduct these memorial services.
To day, in every village deity in the
land wherever part of the G. A. X. is
located, there you will find the graves
of our departed comrades strewn with
flowers, garlands wound around the
shafts erected in their memory, and
requiems sung by the sweet voices of
children. We, too, have assembled TO
day, to do homage to our departed
friends, and join in with the grand
chorus whose anthems to-day will swell
the breeze from Maine to California
IN praise of the memorable deeds, and
the untimely departure of those who
locked arms with death, that our coun-
Itry-beloved America-mig live.
My friends, | thank you who have
come to join us in these sacred services
for your presence, and will request you
to bow your head in submission to the
Almighty father, while Rev Mr.
Covell will offer prayer.
Memorial services by Tom Cox Post fotz
lowed, the Commander II. Buchner, on
behalf of the post, extending greeting to
the visitors. He said Friends: AS Com
mander of this post, welcome you, in
the name of my Comrades, TO this pub
lie service To us, Decoration Day is
the memorial day of stalwart braves,
of patriotic heroism, of the national
faith 1t is the freedom day of race
emancipated from bondage, and of
nation redeemed from iniquity. 1t IS
dear to every soldier. 1t deepens in our
hearts memory of our brave and our
beloved the grand army of the im-
mortals, and that memory makes
precious to us the badge of the G. A. R.,
which we wear upon our breasts. May
we join so reverently in these exercises,
that what we call decoration day may
be to our dead their day of coronation. "
The significance of Decoration Day
was then Endorsed by scriptural readings
by Col. John &. Clark, Capt. G. III.
Baxter and Alexander Ivey. Benedic-
ton was then pronounced by the Chap
lain.
| The G. A. r. veterans formed 4
double line from the Court House to the
monument through which the young
ladies under charge of Misses Ellen
Woolstenholme, Irena Woodward, Ida
Buchner, Katie elise and Laura Cover
marched to the monuments, and deco
rated them with flowers and greens. 1t
was a pretty and appropriate sight, the
fair maidens singing at the time 1--WE
Strew Bright Flowers.
Sheriff f. &. Thompson. then rected
the following beautiful poem:
OUR WOMEN HEROES
There are heroes for dangers and heroes for war
i And heroes there are without chevron or scar,
Whose monuments rise in no temple OF fame,
| Whose deeds neither herald nor trumpet proclaim
The mothers who gave their brave sons to the fray
With tears for their slumber and smiles for the
day;
The wives with their babies asleep in their arms
The girl leaning shy on her young lovers breast
One Kiss, It's the last ere his soul is at rest
The widow who passed from the freshly turned
To comfort the wounded. or speed them to God