LeMars Sentinel, May 31, 1938
DECORATION DAY OBSERVED IN LE MARS MONDAY
Large Crowd Attends Memorial Sunday Services At School Auditorium
Fine Weather Prevails
Attorney C.W. Pitts Delivers Address On Occasion
Between 600 and 700 people attended the Memorial services at the high school
auditorium Sunday morning at 11 o'clock. Acting Commander Harry Burgard of
Wasmer Post, American Legion, presided and A.W. Crouch, commander of Mower
Post, G.A.R., and Plymouth County's only surviving Civil War veteran, was
seated on the stage with representatives of local patriotic organizations.
Among the organizations attending as groups were the Woman's Relief Corps,
Spanish-American and Legion auxiliaries, Wasmer Post, American Legion, and
Co. K., Iowa National Guard.
The high school band played two selections, the First Methodist choir sang
Dudley Buck's Festival Te Deum and Mrs. R.S. Bowers san O'Hara's "There Is
No Death" with Mrs. C.A. Honnold as accompanist. Rev. F.P. Pfaltzgraff read
the 19th Psalm and Rev. G.O. Thompson gave the prayer and pronounced the
benediction. The address "The American Ideal" was delivered by Rev. W.M.
Hubbard of the First Methodist Episcopal church, who took his text from Acts
22:18.
Fine weather brought out a good crowd for the Decoration Day exercises and
at an early hour large numbers of people had gathered in the two cemeteries
when the programs were presented. The parade left the downtown district
promptly at 9 o'clock, former in the following order:
Colors.
LeMars Military Band
Co. K, 133d Infantry, I.N.G.
Mayor, speaker and post commander.
Mower Post, G.A.R.
Spanish American War veterans.
Wasmer Post, American Legion.
Woman's Relief Corps.
Woman's Auxiliary, American Legion.
LeMars fire department.
City officials.
LeMars high school band.
Boy Scouts of America.
Citizens in autos.
They proceeded first to St. Joseph's cemetery where the following program
was presented:
Msgr. J.D. Fisch, presiding.
America, by school chorus.
Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, Cyril Ortmann.
Patriotic Song, by school children.
Logan's Order, Eleanor Ryan.
Decoration of veteran's graves.
Salute, firing squad from Co. K.
Taps.
The parade headed by the LeMars band then proceeded to the City cemetery
where several hundred people awaited them. A loud speaker system had been
installed which made it possible to hear C.W. Pitt's address in all parts of
the cemetery. The following program was given at the City cemetery:
A.W. Crouch, commander Mower Post, No. 91, G.A.R. presiding.
Prayer, Rev. F.P. Pfaltzgraff.
Music by band.
Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, Bonnie Burgard.
Logan's Order, Robert Merritt.
G.A.R. ritual by Miss Monnah Hord.
Decoration service for Unknown Dead, W.R.C. Spanish-American and American
Legion Auxiliaries.
Address, Judge C.W. Pitts.
Decoration of graves during address.
Salute, firing squad from Co. K.
Benediction, Rev. G.O. Thompson.
Taps.
Star Spangled Banner.
~Submitted for posting by volunteer, Linda Ziemann
