UPDATES: The threat of rain on Monday has caused location changes for Memorial Day ceremonies in both Merrill and Tomahawk.
The Merrill Memorial Day ceremony typically held at Saint Francis Cemetery has been moved to the Merrill High School auditorium. The city band will still start at 10:30 a.m. Monday with the ceremony at 11 a.m. The public is asked to use doors 16 and 17 on the east end of the high school.
The Tomahawk Memorial Day Ceremony traditionally held at Veterans Memorial Park has been relocated to the VFW Post 2687, corner of 4th and Rice streets, Tomahawk. The ceremony will start at 10 a.m.
Volunteers from the area will be placing Memorial Day flags at the grave of veterans on record with the Lincoln County Veterans Service Office. This takes place approximately one week before and then they will remove those flags approximately one week after Memorial Day, May 29.
Unfortunately they experience difficulty in locating some of the graves. Relatives and friends of veterans buried in those Lincoln County cemeteries are asked to determine whether or not the graves are marked with a flag and flag holder. If a grave is not marked with a flag, they are asked to stop at the Lincoln County Veterans Service Office, 801 N. Sales St. Room 146, Merrill, to pick up a flag.
Merrill area veterans organizations will be installing ceremonial flag poles and flags for the Avenue of Flags in St. Francis Cemetery and Merrill Memorial Park Cemetery on Memorial Day, May 29. The poles and flags will be loaded at the VFW Clubhouse starting at 6 a.m. They will be transported to the cemeteries and installed. Assistance is needed to accomplish this project. Members are asked to help and should assemble at VFW Clubhouse at 6 a.m..
The Public is encouraged to attend the Following:
Tomahawk Area Ceremonies
•Thursday, May 25- Red, White and Blue Day, 2 p.m., Tomahawk Elementary School (Tomahawk Area Veterans Honor Guard).
•Saturday, May 27- Veterans Memorial Ceremony, 9 a.m., Prairie Rapids Cemetery (Tomahawk Area Veterans Honor Guard).
•Saturday, May 27- Einar Ingman Veterans Memorial Motorcycle Ride, organize at 9 a.m., departs American Legion Post 93 in Tomahawk at 10:25 to Union Grove Cemetery.
•Saturday, May 27- Memorial Day Ceremony, 11:30 a.m., Union Grove Cemetery, Lakewood Road, Harshaw. Free luncheon at Cassian Town Hall following the ceremony.
•Monday, May 29- Memorial Day Ceremony, 10 a.m., VFW Post 2687, corner of 4th and Rice streets, Tomahawk (Tomahawk Area Veterans Honor Guard). This change of location from the usual Veterans Memorial Park was made due to the 70% chance of rain on Monday.
•Monday, May 29- Memorial Day Ceremony, 11:15 a.m., Greenwood Cemetery, Tomahawk (Tomahawk Area Veterans Honor Guard).
•Monday, May 29- Memorial Day Ceremony, 11:45 a.m., Calvary Cemetery, Tomahawk (Tomahawk Area Veterans Honor Guard).
•Monday, May 29- Memorial Day Ceremony, 12:15 p.m., Oak Hill Cemetery, Town of Skanawan (Tomahawk Area Veterans Honor Guard).
All times are approximate and are subject to change. For more information, call: Joe at 966-0261 or Gerry at 453-9954.
The American Legion, Bronsted-Searl Post 93, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Wurl-Fiend Post 2687, MID-WIS AMVETS 2000, Disabled American Veterans Chapter 29 and their Auxiliaries will be placing flags in the flag holders of veteran’s graves at St. Augustine, Oak Hill, Greenwood, Calvary, Somo, Union Congregational and Prairie Rapids cemeteries the week before Memorial Day and remove the week after. Relatives and friends of veterans who are buried in these cemeteries are asked to determine whether or not a veteran’s grave is marked with a flag. If a grave is not marked, they are asked to stop at the Lincoln County Veterans Service Office, 801 N. Sales St. Room 146, Merrill, during normal business hours. After hours and on weekends please, for assistance in obtaining a marker for a veteran’s grave, please call:
•Greenwood Cemetery: Bill Burcalow, 715 612 7118
•Calvary Cemetery: Gerry Johnson, 715 453 7081
•Oak Hill Cemetery: Mary Ingman, 715 453 2870
•St. Augustine Cemetery: Dave Haring, 715 453 3871
•Prairie Rapids Cemetery : Cliff Eggett, 715 453 5217
•Somo Cemetery: Jim Keskinen, 715 453 6713
•Union Congregational: Jim Keskinen, 715 453 6713
Merrill Area Ceremonies
Due to threat of rain, the Memorial Day Service in Merrill will be held at the Merrill High School auditorium, rather than its usual location at the St. Francis Catholic Cemetery, on Monday, May 29, at 11 a.m. The Merrill City Band will start playing at 10:30 a.m. Master of ceremonies will be retired Colonel Paul Russell, a 31-year veteran of the U.S. Army. The guest speaker will be retired Captain Richard Poirier, President/CEO of Church Mutual Insurance Company and 20-year U.S. Navy Veteran.
Participating will be the Veterans of Foreign Wars Schmitt-Manecke-Donner Post 1638 and Auxiliary, American Legion Edward Burns Post 46, MID-WIS AMVETS Post 2000, Disabled American Veterans Chapter 29 and their Auxiliaries, VFW Honor Guard, Merrill City Band with vocal quartet Saydi Stewart, Tiffany Townsend, Josh Olson and James Bjorklund, Color Guard, Boy Scout Troop 503 and other local Boy and Girl Scouts.
VFW Post 10203-Hamburg Memorial Day Cemetery Ceremonies
May 29:
9 a.m.: Salem, Town of Hamburg, Cty. S & A
9:14 a.m.: St. Paul’s, Town of Hamburg, Cty. F
9:23 a.m.: St. John’s, Town of Hamburg, Cty. F & 5th Lane
9:32 a.m.: Fromm’s, Town of Hamburg, Cty. F & 3rd Lane
9:45 a.m.: St. Peter’s, Little Chicago, Cty. A
10:10 a.m.: Berlin Friedensheim, Cty. A & Valley Lane
10:24 a.m.: Rib View, Town of Stettin, Cty. O & Woodland Dr.
10:31 a.m.: Big Hill/Stubbe Hill, Cty. A & Bill Hill Lane
10:45 a.m.: Taegesville, Berlin, N. 72nd Ave.
10:58 a.m.: Maple Grove, Naugart Drive
11:14 a.m.: St. Paul’s Naugart, Town of Berlin, Berlin Lane
11:29 a.m.: Trinity, Town of Berlin, Cty. FF & 107
11:44 a.m.: St. Paul’s, Hwy. 64 &107 at Farmingdale Rd., Town of Corning
11:58 a.m.: Immanuel, Town of Corning, Leafy Grove Rd. & Cty. M
Any questions for the VFW Post 10203-Hamburg schedule, please call the Commander, Don Kozlowski at 715-573-3208
The public is encouraged to attend.