Several Memorial Day services are slated for Greene County.

On Sunday at 4pm there will be a Homecoming Service at Pleasant Hill Memorial with guest speaker and Navy veteran Jeff Lamoureux, the United Methodist Church choir and Town and Country Band performing, and the Rippey American Legion to conduct its salute to fallen heroes tribute. Refreshments will follow at 1794 Redwood Avenue.

Then on Memorial Day at 8am is a mass service at the St. Patrick Historical Church in rural Churdan, followed by a military service at the St. Patrick’s Cemetery. Another military service will take place at 9:30am at the Highland Cemetery in Churdan with the Town and Country Band performing. Coffee and rolls will also be served from 9am-noon at the American Legion Post in Churdan.

The Paton Township Cemetery will have its service at 10:30am by the Paton American Legion Post #417. The Avenue of Flags will be done starting at 8am on Saturday and taken down at 6pm Monday with volunteers needed. A meal will be served at 11am at the Community Building in Paton for a free will donation. All proceeds will be used to purchase new flags and flag poles.

The Jefferson City Cemetery begins at 10:45am and there are lots of things included in the program. Some of the items are songs performed by the Greene County High School band, the winner of the American Legion Flag Essay Contest with fifth grader Brynlee Winkelman will recite her essay, a guest speaker with Army veteran Alexis Stevens, along with a salute to the fallen soldiers, and the playing of Taps.  

Bill Berger with the Jefferson Elks Lodge says typically they will put up the over 540 veteran flags at the Jefferson Cemetery, but instead he decided to not install them, due to inclement weather.

“There’s a potential to lose $15,000 worth of flags because it costs $75 a piece to replace them. The main thing I’m worried about is making sure people realize that yes we’ll keep them around, however we will not put them up this weekend. But we will get the military flags put up for the ceremony Monday morning.” 

Also on Memorial Day will be a service at the Franklin Township Cemetery, near Cooper, at 11am, along with a recognition of the Peer family veterans.