Memorial Day, May 25, 2026 is a day to remember military personnel who have died serving our country. It started in 1868 after the Civil War when flowers were placed on Union and Confederate soldier’s graves. After WWI Memorial Day the red poppy was added (from the poem In Flanders Field) as a memory to military personnel. At 3:00 p.m. there are to be a few moments of remembering, and on that day the flag is to be flown at half mast until noon, then at full mast after noon.
It was also called Decoration Day when I was a kid growing up. It meant we picked peonies, iris, or whatever flowers were in bloom on the farm, went to the woods and found wild ferns, and went to the basement where empty fruit jars were stored, filled them them with water along with the flowers and went to the cemeteries where family was buried. Graves were cleaned off, sometimes people took lunches with them and met other family members to remember loved ones...not just military.
So, stop and remember on Monday or over the weekend “lest we forget.”
I rode with Julie to Ipava on Tuesday to the Easley WWII Museum. There were a group of parents and home-schooled children coming from the Princeville area on a monthly field trip. My niece had suggested they make the trip because she had heard stories from Dean about the impact it had on the area and the families during WWII.
I think there were over 30 that came to see all the displays and hear Marion Cornelius and Julie tell the story of Camp Ellis and see the restored one room schoolhouse. They ranged in age from a 5 month old baby to a couple who were grandparents from Bloomington and were there with their daughter. I think the grandmother said the daughter had 8 children...One of them was hugging Grandma and she told me, “This is #5, and this one is #6.” The Dad had T-shirts made with the numbers put on them.
Anyway, all of the children were so attentive and well-mannered (even the 5 month old baby only made some “talking” noise after a bottle) it was such a treat to be around them.
I followed some of them to the schoolhouse and found each desk had a child sitting with an open book looking at the teacher. The teacher was a young man holding a threatening ruler. and he had already placed another youngster on a stool in the corner. They were reenactors for sure.
When everyone left, I noticed Marion and Julie’s voices were both a little hoarse. It was a good day, and especially because I got to see my niece and four of her children.
The museum is open on Tuesdays and Fridays, and it includes quite a bit of information about how the Camp affected the whole area. There is a tribute to reporter Vail Morgan by Delbert Roberts, reporter for the Journal. One of the displays listed people who had entertained at the Camp: boxing champion Joe Louis and singer Nat King Cole, and country music icon Roy Acuff was stationed there.
Take some time to go and think about our country’s history...even if it might be sitting on a stool in the corner of the schoolhouse.
Sharon Chenoweth is a resident and farmer of McDonough County. Her column focuses on rural life and will be featured every other week in the Community News Brief Friday Edition.
