In observance of Memorial Day, the offices will be closed on Monday, May 27th. We will resume normal hours on Tuesday, May 28th.

On this Memorial Day, we are thankful for the sacrifice so many throughout our history have made, for the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice and for their families who had to carry on without them. Please bless these families, please bless the walking wounded who are still with us, and bless their families as well. It is our prayer that we remember their sacrifice and the precious gift of freedom every day, not just once a year or when they are in danger of being taken away.  

In Christ name we pray, Amen.

History of Memorial Day

Memorial Day, in the US, is a holiday on the last Monday in May honouring those who have died in the nation's wars.  It originated during the American Civil War when citizens placed flowers on the graves of those who had been killed in battle. More than a half dozen places have claimed to be the birthplace of the holiday. In October 1864, for instance, three women in Boalsburg, PA, are said to have decorated the graves of loved ones who died during the Civil War; they then returned in July 1865 accompanied by many of their fellow citizens for a more general commemoration. A large observance took place in July 1865 in Charleston, SC. Columbus, MS, held a formal observance for both Union and Confederate dead in 1866. 

By congressional proclamation in 1966, Waterloo, NY, was cited as the birthplace, also in 1866, of the observance. In 1868 John A. Logan, the commander in chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, and organization of Union veterans, promoted a national holiday on May 30 "for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their county during the late rebellion."

After World War I, as itcame to be observed in honour of those who died in all U. S. wars, its name changed from Decoration Day to Memorial Day. Since 1971 Memorial Day has been observed on the last Monday of May. A number of Southern States also observe a separate day to honour the Confederate dead. Memorial Day is observed with the laying of a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, VA, and by religious services, parades, and speeches nationwide. Flags, insignia, and flowers are placed on the graves of veterans in local cemeteries. The day has also come to signal the beginning of summer in the United States.