By Lauren Zeugner
InkFreeNews

The following Kosciusko County communities are preparing for Memorial Day weekend celebrations.

Etna Green

A service will be held at noon Sunday, May 26, at East Cemetery. All veterans and active servicemen and women are welcome and are asked to assemble at 11:30 a.m. As part of the ceremony, there will be a role call of those who served and what cemetery they are interred in. Those attending are asked to bring a lawn chair to enjoy the service.

Leesburg

The Leesburg Community will be having a Memorial Day parade and service at 10:30 a.m. Monday, May 27.

There will be a flag raising by the Boy Scouts before the parade at the town hall. The parade will proceed from the town hall south on Pearl Street then west on Prairie Street to the Leesburg Cemetery. The memorial service will follow the parade.

All veterans willing to ride in the parade should be at the town hall by 10:15 a.m. All other participants should be in place by 10:15 a.m. too.

In case of rain, the memorial service will be held inside the Leesburg Lions Club Community Building at 10:30 a.m.

Mentone

The Lawrence D. Bell Aircraft Museum and the Mentone Chamber of Commerce will host the annual Memorial Day program at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 26, at Mentone Cemetery. The guest speaker will be Pastor Butch Troke, Beaver Dam Community Church. This event is in remembrance of local community veterans who had served the country.

Milford

Milford will host its annual Memorial Day parade Monday, May 27. Lineup will begin at 9 a.m. with the parade stepping off at 10 a.m. sharp. A ceremony will be held after the parade in Milford Cemetery. Milford Kiwanis will also be hosting its annual Memorial Day chicken sale.

Nappanee

Nappanee will host a parade at 10:30 a.m. Monday, May 27, with a Memorial Day ceremony following immediately afterward.

The parade will step off at Nappanee Elementary School, travel down Centennial Street to SR 19 and continue south down SR 19 to Lincoln Street, where it will end at city hall.

A Memorial Day service will take place at 11 a.m. on the south lawn of the Nappanee City Hall. The ceremony will include comments from Congressman Rudy Yakym, American Legion Post 154’s honor guard participating in a rifle volley, the laying of a wreath and a Civil War Cannon Salute by the 7th Indiana Artillery.

New Paris

New Paris will have a community Memorial Day parade and ceremony Sunday, May 26, hosted by the New Paris Chamber of Commerce and New Paris Boy Scouts Troop 12.

The parade will step off at 2 p.m. from Main and Market streets and proceed to the New Paris/Jackson Township Cemetery. Any participants who wish to be in the parade are welcome. The Lions Club will be providing a parade float for any veteran who wish to ride and participate.

The ceremony, featuring keynote speaker, Kenny Holmes of FreedomSystem.Org, begins approximately 2:15 p.m. at the New Paris/Jackson Township Cemetery.

New Paris Boy Scouts Troop 12 will raise and present the colors. Goshen Veterans Honor Guard will provide rifle salute. Families of veterans who have passed during the previous year will be honored.

A complimentary community ice cream social will be held immediately following the ceremony at Sunnyside Park pavilion.

In case of severe weather, the parade will be canceled and the service will be moved to Grace Bible Baptist Church, 68080 Division St.

North Webster

The American Legion’s honor guard will hold Memorial Day ceremonies at 8 a.m. at Oswego Cemetery; 8:30 a.m. at Thorn Cemetery; 9 a.m. at Salem Cemetery; 9:30 a.m. at Oak Grove Cemetery; 10 a.m. at Mock Cemetery; and 10:30 a.m. at Post 253.

The parade will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, May 27, with a ceremony in North Webster Cemetery at 11:15 a.m.

Immediately following the ceremony in the cemetery, the American Legion, American Legion Auxiliary and Lakeland Kiwanis are partnering with the North Webster Community Center, to host an all-American cookout for veterans, their guests, Wawasee Middle School Band, Boys Scouts and first responders.

Lunch will be hot dogs, baked beans, chips and apple and cherry pie.

At 1 p.m. Thursday, May 30, the North Webster Community Center will partner with Stillwater Hospice for a special recognition of local veterans and their branch of service. Those wishing to attend are asked to RSVP by calling the community center at (574) 834-1600, ext. 222.

Pierceton

Pierceton will host a parade at 10:45 a.m. Monday, May 27. The parade will start at the fire station and travel to Brower Park were a ceremony will take place.

Silver Lake

A veteran’s ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 27, in Lakeview Cemetery, Silver Lake. The event is sponsored by the Silver Lake Lions Club.

Syracuse

Syracuse will have a Memorial Day parade at 1:30 p.m. Monday, May 27. The parade will step off at Medusa Street, travel north on SR 13, turning onto Main Street and ending at Syracuse Cemetery where a brief ceremony will be held.

During the ceremony, Marjorie Emerick will give the opening and closing prayer while Pat Park, retired naval officer and pastor of Wawasee Heights Baptist Church, will be the featured speaker. Food will be served back at the Legion afterward; the public is welcome.

Warsaw

A Memorial Day Service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Monday, May 27, featuring the Salvation Army Brass performing music at the preacher’s stand in Oakwood Cemetery.

The American Legion will hold a ceremony at 11 a.m. The featured speaker will be Larry Burkhart, a retired member of the U.S. Air Force.

The Zimmer Biomet Veterans Resource Group will host a commemorative wreath-laying ceremony in honor of all servicemen and women who paid the ultimate price in the pursuit of freedom. The ceremony will be held from 11:30 a.m. to noon Thursday, May 23, followed by a Gold Star luncheon from noon to 1 p.m. at Center Lake Pavilion.

Participating in the commemoration are: Warsaw Community High School’s Army JROTC, color guard, ceremonial honor guard, Veterans of Foreign Wars American Legion chapters, and local police, fire, sheriff and first responders.