Imperial Valley press., 1909-06-05
DESERT BLOSSOMS ON SOLD|ERS' GRAVES Services Held at Imperial In Memory of Nations
 Dead Heroes.
Veterans of Civil and Spanish Wars Observe Memorial Day and Take Steps Toward Organization of Post of the Grand Army in Imperial Val ley.

The first formal decoration of graves of Civil and Spanish American War veterans in Imperial Valley was that of Memorial day, the first of this week. It marks the beginning of an Organization of veterans of the Imper- ial Valley which will result in the es- tablishment of a valley post of the Grand Army of the Republic and a Woman's Relief Corps
 Union services were held in the Methodist Church at Imperial at Il o'clock on Sunday forenoon. These services were attended by people rep resenting all parts of Imperial Val ley. The interior of thechurch was beautifully draped with large Ameri- can flags, and profusion of flowers had been brought to the church to be used later at the Imperial ceme- tery in the decoration of graves. The flowers were massed on the platform before he pulpit.
 Services opened with the singing of Kiplings "Recess.bnal' hymn by the pastor and an anthem Fear Not o Land" V. Rapp, of El Centro, gave an address, in which he paid tributes to the veterans, living and dead, and urged that all honors be paid the liv- ing veterans in their declining years.
 Rev. Mott Mitchell sang as a solo Heaven is Not Far Away and i'm mediately thereafter gave an address in which he set forth vivid picture of the great conflict. He dwelt on the valiant services of the volunteers. and maintained that America has in her loyal citizenship bulwark of de- fence against any oppression or inva- sion, an army invincible because of it's intelligent love of country and its stand for liberty and justice.
 The services cloesd with the con- gregational singing Of America" i Grouped in the first pews of the auditorium was company of veterans which included:
 i William Kelly, 1S4th New York Vol unteers, Imperial; E. H. Turk, Go. B, 47th Iowa Volunteers, El Centro; Geo. H. Wheelock, Go. D, 9th Michigan Volunteers, Imperial; Charles Ort, Go. D, 149th New York Volunteers, Fl Centro; E. H. Loomis, Go. K, 29th Ohio Volunteers, El Centro; J. J. Tut tie, Co., B, 18th Main Volunteers, Im- perial; F. H. Wales, Go. l. 42nd Mass achusetts Volunteers, Imperial; Will liam Durvall, Go. D, 13Sth Illinois Vol unteers, Imperial; J. H. Goodrich, Co. D, 14th Vermont Volunteers El Cen tro; John Strunk, Go. l, 44th Wiscon- sin Volunteers, Fl Centre; D. D. Blake man, Go. H, 134th Indiana Volunteers, Imperial; Arthur D. Lathl6p, Go. G, 9th Michigan Volunteers
 At 2 o'clock the people again as- sembled at the Methodist Church, and vehicles were provided for their trans portation to the Imperial cemetery. Automobiles were waiting for the vet erans, who headed the procession, and probably 200 people went to the cem- etery.
 With veterans lined on either side of a grave of the unknown dead brief services were held, Prof. G. A. Ragan, of El Centro, offering the invocation, Rev Mott Mitchell making a brief ad- dress, and the Imperial Male Guar tette singing several selections.
 A firing squad of Spanish American War veterans fired salutes, and then the veterans and school children, fol- lowed by citizens, visited each veter- ans grave, the bugler sounded taps, salutes were fired and the graves were covered with flowers.
 After the services in the Methodist Church, a conference of veterans and women interested in Relief Corps work was held, and 1t was decided to un- dertake the formation of valley Post and Relief Corps in the fall, as soson as the people have returned from | their summer vacations.