Memorial Day services in Holmes County
Memorial Day services on May 27 in Sugarcreek, sponsored by Homer Weiss Post 494 of the American Legion, will feature speaker Ken Smailes, a pastor for 17 years serving the Killbuck and Nashville Methodist churches.
Members of the Holmes Post 192 of the American Legion announced the plans for Memorial Day on May 27.
According to Post Cmdr. Craig Lawhead, the Memorial Day events are as follows:
The Color Guard and firing squad of Post 192 will meet at the post home at 8:15 a.m. and proceed to Clay Street Park to honor the grave of Peter Meyers, hero of three wars. This service will be at 8:30 a.m.
The Color Guard, firing squad and all veterans will form at the courthouse at 9 a.m. to march to the Oak Hill Cemetery. Units for the parade will form in the following order: Color Guard, West Holmes High School marching band, firing squad, persons in uniforms, veterans of all wars, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts. No political advertising or candidates will be allowed.
The parade will proceed to Oak Hill Cemetery. The West Holmes High School marching band will open the ceremonies by playing the national anthem. Lawhead, master of ceremonies, will give the welcome address and introduce guest speaker Aaron Day, U.S. Marine Corps.
Following Day’s address, Lawhead will place a wreath honoring the fallen heroes of all wars. The firing squad will fire the salute, followed by the sounding of taps. Services will conclude with the offering of the benediction by Dave Crider, Post 192 chaplain.
The Color Guard, firing squad and veterans will continue to Fryburg Cemetery for a short ceremony at 10:15 a.m. From there they will go to Berlin to be joined by the Hiland High School marching band for services at the Berlin Cemetery that will start at 11 a.m., with Day as guest speaker. The Hiland High School marching band and the Color Guard will meet at the school in Berlin. The firing squad and all veterans marching will meet at the First Baptist Church of Berlin’s parking lot by 10:45 a.m.
Lawhead invites all citizens of all ages to participate in the Memorial Day services and asks that American flags be displayed by all citizens and businesses on that day.
For any veteran graves that do not have a marker to hold a flag, contact the American Legion Post at 330-674-8923.
Holmesville
Memorial Day services in Holmesville start at 10 a.m. with a service at Holmesville Elementary, followed by a short drive to Prairie Township Cemetery, where there will be a short service, a dedication of the graves, and the playing of Taps by Mike Truax. Lisa Swift will be the speaker, with singing by Charlie and Cody Murphy.
Everyone is then invited to the Holmesville American Legion Post 551, located at 9150 sR 83 in Holmesville. The Prairie Township Cemetery address is cR 245, Holmesville.
Killbuck, Glenmont
Killbuck and Glenmont will hold Memorial Day services on May 27. Killbuck’s parade will begin at 10 a.m. from the VFW and will be led by the VFW Post 7079 members and the West Holmes marching band. They will march to the Killbuck Cemetery to hold memorial services. The national anthem will be provided by Toni Shreve and the West Holmes marching band.
Glenmont’s parade will begin at 11:30 a.m. from the Glenmont school building and will be led by the VFW Post 7079 members and the West Holmes marching band.
The speaker for both memorial services will be U.S. Army veteran Forrest Chanay, who graduated from Killbuck High School in 1953. He volunteered for military service and entered the Army in 1955. He qualified for Officer Candidate School and trained for U.S. Military Police.
Chanay shipped out for overseas assignment in March 1956 and served 18 months in the Far East. He posted to duty at the main gate of our depot and was later transferred to the personnel department, where he handled required record activities for all enlisted personnel assigned to the depot.
Upon returning home, he joined an active Army Reserve unit, the 447 Civil Affairs and Military Government, and was active until summer 1960.
Chanay was employed at the Flxible Co. for 38 years, performing duties in manufacturing engineering and tooling and process.
In later years and currently, he has enjoyed a passion for study and work regarding the American Civil War and has discovered a great number of the Civil War soldiers’ graves have never been properly marked. To date, he has obtained and arranged the installation of 23 headstones. Many remained unmarked in Holmes County.
Chanay resides in Killbuck with his wife Marsha.
Sugarcreek
Memorial Day services, sponsored by Homer Weiss Post 494 of the American Legion in Sugarcreek, have been scheduled for May 27, Post Cmdr. Linda Stefanov announced.
The post honors team is planning to conduct a ceremony at 7:45 a.m. at the Veterans Memorial in Walnut Creek. The team will conduct honors at the Dundee Cemetery at approximately 8:30-8:40 a.m. Sugarcreek ceremonies at Eastlawn Cemetery will be from 9:15-9:30 a.m. There will be a short ceremony at 10:30 a.m. at Union Hill Cemetery at the grave of Homer Weiss for all veterans buried there. Post 494 will then go to Ragersville Cemetery. A service also will be held in Baltic at 10:45 a.m.
Ken Smailes will be the featured speaker at the Sugarcreek services. Smailes has been a pastor for 17 years, serving the Killbuck and Nashville Methodist churches.
Smailes is a former print and broadcast journalist for 35 years including news director at WTNS and WKLM radio.
As an area historian, Smailes often presents in student classrooms and to civic groups.
Also participating at Sugarcreek will be the Garaway High School band, Boy and Girl Scouts, and Stefanov and Bill Johnson, post chaplain. Macie Custer and Claire Yoder from Miller Avenue School will give the “Gettysburg Address” and “In Flanders’ Field.” Placing the Medal of Honor flag at the grave of Militon Blickensderfer will be GAR man Scott Derr.
Post 494 offers flags for sale for those wanting to purchase one.
Winesburg
The Winesburg Memorial Day observance will be May 27.
The day will begin with the annual parade, which will start at 9:15 a.m. at the Winesburg water tower. Veterans in the area are urged to participate in the morning activities. Children are invited to ride bicycles in the parade, and other units also are invited to participate. Those wanting to be part of the parade should gather at the water tower at 9 a.m. The parade will proceed through town to the Westlawn Cemetery, where the memorial service will be held.
During the memorial service, a special recognition of the life of John Schneider will take place. Schneider was a veteran of the U.S. Army and for many years was a great advocate of the importance of Memorial Day observation in Winesburg. He passed away earlier this year.
Ron Troyer will be the speaker at the memorial service. Troyer grew up in Holmes County and graduated from Hiland High School. He was drafted and served in the U.S. Army. He served his country in the First Infantry Division and 23rd Light Infantry Brigade in Vietnam. He and his wife Mary have resided in Sugarcreek for more than 35 years. He is a member of Post 494 and the post’s honor team.
Also participating in the Winesburg services will be Finn Schneider, who will give the “Gettysburg Address,” and Gus and Phin Johnson, who will provide patriotic music. The Hiland band will play several selections, and the roll call of deceased area veterans will be read.
A social time with refreshments will be held at the fire station, following the memorial service. The public is welcome.
Wilmot
The Wilmot Cemetery Association will conduct the annual Memorial Day observance at Greenlawn Cemetery on May 27 starting at 8:45 a.m. The observance will commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day on June 6, 1944.
Ceremonies honoring all veterans will be conducted by the Beach City American Legion Weimer-Widder Post 549 and will include the reading of the Roll of Honor of Veterans, who are buried in the cemetery. Music will be provided by Fairless High School’s marching band.
Association board member and retired Stark County Family Court Judge David Stucki will pay tribute to Robert W. Andrews and Orion D. Zurcher, local men who participated in the D-Day Invasion.
Attendees are encouraged to bring a lawn chair for comfort. Parking within the cemetery grounds will be limited to vehicles with handicapped placards.
In case of inclement weather, the event will be held at Faith Christian Academy, 511 W. Main St., Wilmot.
Baltic
The Memorial Day service in Baltic is May 27 at 10:45 a.m. at the West Lawn Cemetery, located at the west end of Main Street.