Lenawee County communities prepare parades, ceremonies for Memorial Day
Parades and ceremonies to honor those who gave their lives while serving in the military will take place on Memorial Day, which is Monday, May 30. Communities in and near Lenawee County have planned the following services:
Adrian
WHAT: Parade and ceremony.
WHEN: 11 a.m.
DETAILS: The parade, organized by the Disabled American Veterans, will form at 10:30 a.m. at the Adrian Armory and step off at 11 a.m. and travel east on Maumee Street to Monument Park where a ceremony will be conducted. State Rep. Bronna Kahle, R-Adrian, will be the guest speaker during the ceremony.
Blissfield
WHAT: Parade, ceremony and chicken dinner.
WHEN: 11 a.m. parade downtown and noon ceremony at Pleasant View Cemetery.
DETAILS: American Legion Post No. 325 will host a parade through downtown Blissfield and across U.S. 223 beginning at 11 a.m. that will make its way to Pleasant View Cemetery, along High Street on the west end of the village, for a ceremony beginning at noon. The Legion will also partner with Port-A-Pit and offer barbecue chicken meals from 11 a.m. until they are sold out at the post, 451 High St. Meals are $12 per person and will be offered for both dine-in and carryout customers.
Britton-Ridgeway Twp.
WHAT: Parade and ceremonies.
WHEN: 9 a.m., 9:20 a.m. and 10 a.m.
DETAILS: Individuals and groups are encouraged to participate in the parade as marchers, on floats or with their vehicles. Parade lineup is 8:45 a.m. Direct questions to Verne Eccleston at 517-451-8453. The parade will step off at 9 a.m. from the high school, will go to M-50, then east to the railroad tracks, make a U-turn, go west to Church Street, the south to the Veterans Memorial in the park southeast of the school for a ceremony at 9:20 a.m. Another ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. at the Ridgeway Cemetery.
Brooklyn
WHAT: Parade and ceremony.
WHEN: 10 a.m.
DETAILS: There will be a parade in downtown Brooklyn.
Cement City
WHAT: Parade and ceremony.
WHEN: 11 a.m.
DETAILS: The parade will begin at Cary and Jackson streets, then head down Woodstock Street to Main Street and end at the village hall where a ceremony will be conducted.
Clinton
WHAT: Parade and services.
WHEN: 10 a.m.
DETAILS: The parade starts at Kehoe Road and Currier Street. It will go north on Currier Street and west on Michigan Avenue to Burton Street. There will be a dedication at Veterans Memorial Park and then a ceremony at River Side Cemetery for the unknown soldier.
Deerfield
WHAT: Parade and ceremony.
WHEN: 9 a.m. and 10 a.m.
DETAILS: People will gather at 8:30 a.m. at American Legion Post 392. A service at 9 a.m. at St. Alphonsus Cemetery will be led by the Rev. Jeffrey Poll. There also will be a ceremony at 9:30 a.m. at Deerfield Township Cemetery at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. For the parade, assembly will be at the four corners and the parade will start at 10 a.m. and march to the bridge, and then to the Legion, followed by the placing of wreaths. After the ceremonies, the Boy Scouts will do a flag retirement at the Legion.
Fairfield Twp.-Weston
WHAT: Parade and ceremony.
WHEN: Bicycle judging contest at 8:30 a.m., parade starts at 9 a.m.
DETAILS: Adrian American Legion Post No. 275 will sponsor the Memorial Day activities. A parade will begin at 9 a.m. in Weston and is followed by a ceremony. An all ages bicycle decorating contest begins at 8:30 a.m. The Fairfield Township fire hall will be open for refreshments. The township Citizen of the Year Award and the American Legion Post 275 Citizen of the Year Award will be presented. State Rep. Bronna Kahle, R-Adrian, will be the guest speaker.
Hudson
WHAT: Ceremonies and chicken dinner.
WHEN: 10:30 a.m.
DETAILS: A ceremony at Calvary Cemetery will feature the Rev. Todd Koenigsknecht, pastor of Sacred Heart and St. Mary on the Lake, as the guest speaker and include the Hudson High School band and other students from the high school and Sacred Heart School. The program will end with a military salute and the playing of taps. The honor guard and bugler will reassemble at Maple Grove Cemetery for a short program.
At noon, the American Legion post will host a barbecue chicken dinner that will include chicken, potato salad, baked beans and a roll for $10. All are invited.
There will not be a parade because American Legion Post 180 does not have enough members able to lead the parade and a lack of participation by the community, according to a post on the Legion post's Facebook page.
Morenci
WHAT: Parade and chicken dinner.
WHEN: 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
DETAILS: The parade will start at 10 a.m., heading east on Main Street, turn north onto North Street (M-156) and end at Oak Grove Cemetery. Kids are invited to dress in red, white and blue and decorate their bicycles, wagons or strollers to join the parade. No motorized kids' vehicles are allowed. During the parade, there will be a pause at the Bean Creek bridge for a ceremony to honor sailors who died at sea. Prior to the parade, the Morenci American Legion post will conduct a ceremony at Wakefield Park. A barbecue chicken dinner will open at 12:30 p.m. at the Legion post, 9010 Morenci Road. The dinners include chicken, potato salad, baked beans and a roll for $11.
Onsted
WHAT: Parade and ceremonies.
WHEN: Noon.
DETAILS: Services begin at 9 a.m. and take place at Rome Center, St. Michael's and All Angels Church, and St. Joseph Shrine. The parade will start at noon at the Onsted American Legion post, 333 Connor St., and will be followed by free hot dogs and hamburgers for veterans at the Legion post.
Palmyra
WHAT: Parade, memorial service and pancake breakfast.
WHEN: 9 a.m. for the parade and 7 to 10 a.m. for the fire department’s annual pancake breakfast.
DETAILS: Between 7 and 10 a.m. the Palmyra Township Fire Department and Firefighters Association will offer their annual pancake breakfast at the fire station, 4276 Rouget Road. Adult meals are $6, seniors and children are $4, and veterans will be able to eat for free. Meals come with buttermilk pancakes, sausage links and a choice of coffee, milk or orange juice. Indoor and outdoor seating, weather permitting, will be available. Breakfasts will also be served for takeout and drive-thru customers.
The parade begins at 9 a.m. at the township hall, 6490 Palmyra Road, heading to Rouget Road, going south and then west on U.S. 223 to the Palmyra Main Cemetery. A memorial service will take place at the cemetery. All parade participants are asked to arrive at the Palmyra Township Hall no later than 8:30 a.m. There will be a contest for anyone 15 or younger with the most patriotic bicycle, tricycle or unicycle as well as a contest for the most patriotic floats for any age. Prizes will be cash.
Supervisor Dave Pixley or clerk Christine Whited can be contacted at 517-605-1121 or 517-260-8628, respectively, with questions.
Riga
WHAT: Parade and ceremony.
WHEN: 2 p.m.
DETAILS: American Legion Post No. 325 in Blissfield will sponsor and conduct a parade and ceremony around the Riga Township Cemetery, along Cemetery Road. There will be bikes and walkers in the parade around the cemetery. A short service is planned.
Tecumseh
WHAT: Parade and service.
WHEN: 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.
DETAILS: The parade will start at 10 a.m. and travel through Tecumseh to Union Street and then north to Brookside Cemetery where the service will take place. There are 68 entries in the parade this year including the Tecumseh High School band, bagpipes, the 126th Army National Guard Band and classic cars from every war period. A flyover will be conducted by vintage military planes. The ceremony at the cemetery will start at 11 a.m., and two World War II veterans, Faye Greene, 101, and Bob Green, 98, will be honored.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Lenawee County communities prepare Memorial Day parades, ceremonies
