Memorial Day ceremony set for Kimball

The local Memorial Day ceremony is planned for 10 a.m. on Monday, May 25, at the Kimball Cemetery. Rev. Carla Gunn will officiate the ceremony with Joyce Witt acting as master of ceremonies.

Kimball Mayor Keith Prunty will speak and will give the closing prayer, according to Witt.

Local talent Carol Jo Nagel will sing the national anthem, followed by the pledge of allegiance.

The local honor guard will present the 21 gun salute and a wreath will be laid at the cemetery. After that, the flag will be raised to full staff.

The ceremony will conclude with taps and the “call of wars.” Each attending veteran will be recognized and will receive a gift.

“This is a tradition that will continue,” Witt said.

The annual hamburger feed at the local VFW hall at 227 S. Chestnut street will begin at noon.

Originally called Decoration Day, Memorial Day was initiated to honor the Union and Confederate soldiers who died during the American Civil War the year after the war ended.

A public holiday was established to unify the celebration for all soldiers of that war, instead of two separate celebrations, as a national day of remembrance.

In the late 1800s, the holiday became known as Memorial Day and was expanded to include all deceased veterans of American forces. When Memorial Day became a federal holiday in 1971, the last Monday of May was assigned as the date for the holiday.

Government offices are closed on Memorial Day as are many other businesses, unofficially ushering in summer with a three-day weekend.

Families across the United States may use the time to visit war memorials and military cemeteries or they honor their fallen soldiers by placing flowers and flags at grave sites. It has recently become tradition to place flowers and other memorabilia at grave sites of non-military loved ones as well.