Memorial Day services around Eastern Iowa

Memorial Day ceremonies will bring solemn services around the Corridor, many in local cemeteries.

But the Friends of Oak Shade Cemetery, 789 Second Ave., Marion, invites the public on a free walking tour that will pay tribute to Eastern Iowa veterans buried in Linn County's oldest municipal cemetery. The guided tour will being at the cemetery’s front gate, at Third Avenue and Seventh Street, at 1:30 p m. Sunday, May 26, 2024.

Historian David V. Wendell will narrate the tour, titled “In Honored Glory: The Veterans of Oak Shade Cemetery,” paying respects to veterans from the War of 1812 to the modern era. He and members of the Friends of the Cemetery will share stories of 225 years of military heroism and their families.

According to Wendell: “Oak Shade Cemetery, perched majestically on a high hill overlooking the Indian Creek valley, is the eternal resting place of hundreds of veterans. Beneath beautifully sculpted monuments of marble, limestone, granite and bronze lay the founders of Linn County as the first county seat and earliest of pioneer settlers.”

He added that among them are the only Civil War general memorialized in Linn County; a colonel of the 24th Iowa Infantry in the Civil War, whose father served in the War of 1812; and a member of the 31st Iowa Infantry who later served as a member of Congress and was buried with honors before the end of his term.

“At rest nearby an imposing granite monument is another military and civic leader who was wounded in the Battle of Prairie Grove during the Civil War and two decades later, elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as the second member of Congress from Marion. His commander was also the second general from Marion to rise to command in the war,” Wendell noted.

Also buried there is Mancil Root, said to be the youngest Civil War drummer boy, who enlisted around age 10 and witnessed the surrender that ended the war. Wendell added that later, Root would play his drum every Memorial Day in Linn County until he was struck by a car and died in 1929.

CEDAR RAPIDS

Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery, 4200 First Ave. NE: Avenue of Flags: 1,500 flags donated by veterans’ families will line the avenues from Saturday morning through Monday evening. Memorial Day Tribute: 11 a.m. Monday. Bring lawn chairs and blankets for this outdoor ceremony on the hillside west of the Chapel of Memories Mausoleum. Guest speaker is Air Force veteran Shane Sawyer. Also: patriotic music, rifle volley and Taps. Rain site: Chapel of Memories. cedarmemorial.com/Events/20220530/34/Memorial-Day-Tribute-Ceremony-2022.aspx

St. John’s Cemetery, 1340 17th St. SE: Memorial Day Mass, 9 to 10 a.m. Monday; bring lawn chairs.

Cedar Rapids Metro Area Veterans Council, because of rain in the forecast this will be held inside at Veterans Memorial Coliseum, 50 Second Ave. Bridge, Cedar Rapids: 10 to 11 a.m. Monday; opening prayer, live patriotic music, presentation of Colors, guest speaker, volley salute, and more. Free.

Campbell Cemetery, 7501 W Mt. Vernon Rd. SE: 11 a.m. Monday; veteran service.

Veterans Memorial Building, 50 Second Ave. Bridge; open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to view the Grant Wood Memorial Window and galleries.

CORALVILLE

Oak Hill Cemetery, 1290 First Ave.: 11:15 a.m. Monday; 30-minute public ceremony with Coralville American Legion and Area Legion Color Guard; includes reading of names of veterans; bring lawn chair. Attendees also are invited to visit the Veterans Memorial adjacent to the cemetery. Rain site: 11 a.m. Coralville American Legion, 901 Second St.

ELY

Rogers Grove Cemetery on Ivanhoe Road, 1885 Ivanhoe Rd, Ely: 11 a.m. Monday; American Legion Post 555 ceremony; bring lawn chairs. Rain site: Ely Legion Hall, 1545 Main St. https://www.facebook.com/groups/elycommunity

IOWA CITY

Monday ceremonies: 8:30 a.m. at Park Road Bridge; 9:30 a.m. at Oakland Cemetery, 1000 Brown St.; 11 a.m. at Memory Gardens, 2600 Muscatine Ave. https://www.icgov.org/Home/Components/News/News/1235/390

MARION

American Legion Post 298, 625 31st St.: Ceremonies Monday: 10 a.m. at Oak Shade Cemetery, 789 Second Ave.; 11 a.m. outdoors at the Legion Post, then indoors for awards recognition, speaker and free luncheon. https://www.facebook.com/MarionPost298

SOLON

Solon Veterans Memorial, 122 N. Chabal St.: 9 a.m. Monday, American Legion Post 460 ceremony; bring lawn chairs; parking and shuttle service at Lakeview Elementary School; reception follows at the Legion Hall, 222 E. Main St. https://www.facebook.com/stinocher460/

St. Bridget’s Catholic Church Cemetery, 2136 St. Bridget’s Rd. NE: Monday, 8:30 a.m. church opens to visitors; 9 a.m. Memorial Day Mass; inside in case of rain. friendsofstbridgets.org/

Sutliff Bridge, 5546 130th St. NE, Lisbon: 6 p.m. Monday, American Legion Post 460 ceremony; service performed especially for those lost at sea. https://www.facebook.com/stinocher460/events

URBANA

Memorial Day Services, Monday: 8:30 a.m., St. Mary’s Cemetery, with speaker, followed by river bridge, Cox Cemetery and Kisling Cemetery

10 a.m. Urbana Cemetery, new (with speaker) and old. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064379154372

WEST BRANCH

Memorial Day Concert: 2 p.m. Monday, Village Green, Herbert Hoover National Historic Site, 210 Parkside Dr. Patriotic music by the Iowa Brass Band; bring lawn chairs; free. archives.gov/calendar/event/memorial-day-concert-featuring-iowa-brass

Comments: (319) 368-8508; diana.nollen@thegazette.com