Memorial Day: I Will Remember You
Posted: Sunday, May 17, 2009
by Grammy Guru
http://grammyguru.com
There are several accounts of the first Memorial Day and how it came to be celebrated as a national holiday. According to a Library of Congress report by Kenton Kilmer, dated May 21, 1958, "many Memorial Day observances sprang up spontaneously about the same time and very quickly became nationwide".
One of the best known stories regarding Memorial Day has its origin in Columbus , Mississippi , in the spring of 1866. According to this story, the women of Columbus decorated both the graves of Confederate and Union soldiers, an act that inspired Francis Miles Finch's poem, "The Blue and the Gray". Carbondale , Illinois , claims to have begun a movement that led to the national celebration of Memorial Day. On April 29, 1866, the denizens of the town conducted an all day observation in commemoration of twenty Union soldiers. Later, on May 5, 1868, the principal speaker at that Carbondale celebration, General John A. Logan, now the first Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, issued a general order providing for a nationwide observance of Decoration Day on May 30. That May date was chosen so that, nationwide, there would be flowers in bloom that could be used to decorate the graves.
As Decoration Day approached, mom and her relatives developed a strategy for placing appropriate floral tributes on the family members' graves. Great grandparents, grandparents, parents, babies and children who died prematurely, bachelors and unmarried ladies were accorded priority. Assisted by her sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles and cousins, these graves were the first to be decorated. If a relative held a revered place in the family while they lived, mom reasoned they should be honored in a fitting manner on Decoration Day. Dad's job was to inspect the tombstones for damage and, should any be found, decide how the repair was to be accomplished. After he retired, he accompanied mom and her family on their rounds, carrying a supply of Liquid Nail for immediate fixes to the handmade stones of the early 1800's.
While flowers and wreaths were placed, family members took turns sharing their memories of the departed and his life. It's surprising how much family history was passed down to the younger generation in this manner. Decoration Day culminated with a family picnic. No Decoration Day was complete without a feast of potato salad, baked beans, cole slaw, fried chicken, every kind of confection imaginable, sweet tea and Kool-Aid.
After mom died, once a year our family made the three hour trek from our home in Illinois to southern Iowa to help decorate the graves. Other relatives carried on the same Decoration Day traditions when we moved to Florida and weren't able to return "home" every year. And every year or so there were fewer relatives living or physically able to participate. Although I usually make it "down home" once a year, it's not always on Memorial Day weekend, and I always feel as if I've missed out on something very important.
Regardless of how and when it had its origin, Memorial Day holds a special place in the hearts and minds of many Americans. It's a time for reflection, a time to honor the sacrifices and deeds of those we love and respect. It's also a special time to share cherished memories with children, who will never meet the incredible people responsible for ensuring their freedom, those whose unselfish actions paved a way for them. It can be another occasion to teach our children an alternate way to say, "I will remember you."
This Article has been viewed 1,295 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
More commentsGreat article. Well done.The civil war is a huge black spot on America's history. I am getting very annoyed at people taking about seceding in old confederate states.Please log in to respond to this comment.Thank you for reading and commenting, Connor.Please log in to respond to this comment.
Thank you Grammy, for sharing this special memory with us. It's truly a blessing to know that there are traditional values still being practice in some places. Thanks for sharing this with us.Please log in to respond to this comment.Dear Ronyae,Thank you for reading and commenting. Writing this article was a wonderful trip down memory lane for me.Best to you,GrammyPlease log in to respond to this comment.I know it was!Stay Blessed, Grammy!Please log in to respond to this comment.
Very nice article Grammy!It brings back memories of my grandma, mom and I making the rounds.Grandma and mom had flower gardens of Iris and Peony and once in a while some early spring roses. We cut every flower on the place, piled them in the car with buckets of water and tin cans covered in aluminum foil and spent the better part of the day visiting graves.At each one, mom or grandma one would recount who we were visiting and how they died.It is a sweet memory of time spent with gramma and mom.Please log in to respond to this comment.Dear Nila,Thanks for reading and commenting. I love the peonys in cans idea (ours were often placed in fruit jars covered with foil!). It sounds as if your tradition was a lot like ours. And, yes, the memories of those times are so precious. I'm so glad you too had those experiences with your g'ma and mom.Best to youGrammyPlease log in to respond to this comment.
A nice trip down memory lane and one that brings back memories for me. Thanks."Tread the Earth Lightly"" and let your days be filled with... Peace, light and love,Arlene Wright-CorrellPlease log in to respond to this comment.Hi, Arlene,What a lovely comment. Thanks so much for reading.Best wishes,GrammyPlease log in to respond to this comment.
Dear Grammy Guru,Thank you for sharing such wonderful memories of family and country's tradition. Thank you for writing this article, I enjoyed reading it.Best regards,NenitaPlease log in to respond to this comment.Dear Nenita,It was so nice of you to read and comment. Thanks so much! And that is the point, memories of family gatherings and traditions that sustain me for a lifetime.Best regards,GrammyPlease log in to respond to this comment.
Great article, Grammy. Thanks for sharing your memories with us. I especially liked your last paragraph.Please log in to respond to this comment.Thanks for reading and commenting, Lorrie.GrammyPlease log in to respond to this comment.
I enjoyed reading information that reminds me how grateful we should be and how some generations went a long way out to show their love and appreciation. This is something our newer generations need. God help us all.Please log in to respond to this comment.Dear Anonymous,Thanks for reading and your comments. I hope many parents and grandparents will continue their Memorial Day traditions, so young Americans will understand what their ancestors did for them and be inspired to carry on where we leave off.Please log in to respond to this comment.
Hi Grammy, what a wonderful story. Thank you for sharing this family tradition. You said it well, this is a special day to many people for many different reasons. Lord bless you! TeresaPlease log in to respond to this comment.Hi, Teresa,Thanks for the lovely complement. I hope the holiday will be meaningful to you and yours.God has really blessed me. I wish the same for you.GrammyPlease log in to respond to this comment.
I think we can all use some Granny Guru mojo in our lives and I thank you for your contribution to the collective! I can't wait to visit your web site and see what other gems you've got growing over there.Please log in to respond to this comment.Hi, Lesa,Thanks so much for the lovely complements. They were most encouraging. Unfortunately, my website has fallen by the wayside. I have been having an awful time getting the links and pix loaded. So, I'm waiting for my friend, a computer guru, to come and help me, when she has time. I have to say it's a work in progress, and the progress is pretty slow!Anyway, I love writing and reading other people's articles, so I'll be around on searchwarp awhile, I hope.Very best wishes to you,GrammyPlease log in to respond to this comment.
Thank you for sharing such a wonderful heart felt story. I'm always envious of people who had such wonderful childhood memories and were left with great traditions to be carried on. God Bless You and Your FamilyPlease log in to respond to this comment.Dear Linda,Thanks for taking time to read and comment. Growing up we didn't have a lot sometimes, but we had grandparents, parents and extended family who had a lot of faith and lived honorable lives, to the best of their abilities. They put God first, and lived lives of service. As I look back, I see this is what I most remember about them--their decency and goodness. This was the one constant through the hard times as well as the easier ones.As the family has become smaller and dispersed throughout the country, many of us try to keep these traditions in our own way with our own families, sometimes bringing new traditions to the mix with the addition of in-laws.As I have grown older, it's become more therapeutic for me to recall my wonderful childhood memories and release to God those which are not. So far, it's working pretty well!Blessings to you and yours,GrammyPlease log in to respond to this comment.
More comments
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.