SIDNEY — Local Memorial Day observances will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday when Boy and Girl Scouts start decorating graves of deceased veterans at Graceland Cemetery.
Sunday ceremonies
• Following an 8 a.m. Mass in St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Fort Loramie, the Legion Post 355 will honor veterans.
Legion Post 355 will conduct services with the Fort Loramie High School band at 9 a.m. at the St. Michael’s Catholic Church cemetery. Then at 9:20 a.m. the Legion will have a ceremony in Newport prior to the 9:30 a.m. mass at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church. At 9:45 a.m. Post 355 will have a ceremony at St. Michael Old Cemetery south of Fort Loramie.
Legion Post 355 will visit the cemetery in Houston at 10:15 a.m., the cemetery in Lockington at 11 a.m., Shelby Memorial at 11:30 a.m. and St. Patrick cemetery at 11:45 a.m. The events then will conclude with lunch at the Legion.
• A Memorial Day service will be held held at approximately 10:15 a.m. Sunday at Houston Cemetery to honor the military. Fort Loramie American Legion Post 355 Honor Guard and Pastor Kris Geise from the Houston Congregational Christian Church will be present to conduct the services.
• Services will begin at 1 p.m. Sunday at Glen Cemetery in Port Jefferson.
Robert Allen will begin the ceremony with an introduction, invocation and Ode to the Flag. Jenna Allen will sing the national anthem, and Robert Allen will lead the Pledge of Allegiance.
American Legion Post No. 217 will lead the placement of the flag to honor position then the Salem Township trustees will have a wreath presentation. Dorothy Locker and Carleen Pettit will offer a salute to Gold Star members.
John Sammons and Jamie Sammons will be the guest speakers. The American Legion Honor Guard will offer a military salute and play Taps. The American Legion Post No. 217 then will place the flag to full staff. Attendees will sing “God Bless America” then the ceremony will end with a benediction from Robert Allen.
Monday ceremonies
• Memorial Day services at the Shelby County Courthouse will begin at 9 a.m. Monday with Master of Ceremonies Mike Bennett of VFW Post 4239.
Sidney Mayor Mike Barhorst and Shelby County Commissioners Julie Ehemann, Tony Bornhorst and Robert Guillozet will welcome attendees. Fairlawn High School sophomore Caroline Scott will sing “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and Jeremy Wick of VFW Post 4239 will lead the Pledge of Allegiance.
The Lehman Catholic High School band will perform a Salute to America’s Finest, and Duane Mullen of VFW Post 4239 will offer an opening prayer. Bill Ross from Sidney American Legion Post 217 will read General Logan’s Orders, and Theresa Manteuffel from Shelby County Veterans Service Office will be the guest speaker.
VFW Post 4239 will lead the laying of wreaths, and the Sidney Veterans Association combined color guard under the direction of American Legion Post 217 will offer a rifle salute and the playing of Taps.
Services then will proceed to Graceland Cemetery where Bennett will give the call to order.
Lehman Catholic sophomore Ryan Gibson will sing the national anthem at Graceland Cemetery, and Mullen will lead the opening prayer. Carl Zimmerman of American Legion Post 217 then will read Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.
The presentation of flowers and wreaths will be led by American Legion Post 217, Auxiliary & Sons; Shelby County 40 & 8 Voiture 984; DAV Chapter 48 & Auxiliary; Western Ohio Marine Corps League; Gold Star Mothers; Amvets Post 1986, Auxiliary & Sons; and VFW Post 4239 & Auxiliary.
The Sidney Veterans Association combined color guard will offer a rifle salute and the playing of Taps. Mullen will offer a benediction, and Bennett will dismiss the attendees.
• Heiland American Legion Post 446 will hold its Memorial Day service at 10 a.m. Monday at the Botkins Junior High School gymnasium.
The Botkins band, directed by Paula Owen, will perform during the ceremonies
The guest speaker will be Army veteran Rob Wiss, who served in several foreign countries during his duty. He is the director of Veterans Service of Auglaize County.
United Methodist Church Pastor Randy Locker will present the invocation and benediction.
• American Legion Post No. 241 will host Memorial Day services beginning at 11 a.m. in the German Protestant Cemetery, New Bremen-New Knoxville Road at Lock Two Road, New Bremen.
• The 34th annual Shelby Memorial Gardens Memorial Service will begin at 11 a.m. Monday in Shelby Memorial Gardens, 8347 State Route 705, Sidney. Earnie Jones, pastor at New Life Church in Port Jefferson, will lead prayers, scripture readings and songs of praise.
• Franklin Township services will begin at noon Monday in Pearl Cemetery, 11095 county Road 25A North, Sidney. The speaker will be Don Burley.
