Memorial Day: Remembering Family Military Service

Growing up, Memorial Day had an established routine.

My mom would go out into the yard with buckets of water and cut all of the flowers that were blooming and put them in the buckets.

Across town, my aunt was doing the same thing.

Our families would meet at my grandparents’ s house where Grandma had also filled buckets with flowers.

For the next hour or so, flowers were rearranged into designated buckets

 according to which graves they would decorate when we got to the cemetery.

The graves of grand-uncles, grand-aunts, uncles, aunts, and cousins would be decorated.

I remember the my grandma always insisted that the flowers that would decorate Uncle Earl’s grave

were in shades of red, white, and blue because he was a veteran.

She was proud of all her sons and grandsons that served our country through military service.

After all the graves were decorated, we would usually gather at a park for a large family picnic.

After we honored and recognized those that had gone before

was when we enjoyed amazing food and fun!

We have long since moved away from my hometown, and usually our stops at the cemetery are

short detours on our way to somewhere else—rarely on Memorial Day.

My family didn’t take pictures as often as I do so I don’t have any photos

of those Memorial Days growing up.

Two years ago, my husband and I traveled to Nashville for our niece’s wedding.

We were there a few weeks before Memorial Day.

While there we made a point of visiting Nashville National Cemetery.

 

We were humbled and awestruck as we looked across acres and acres of markers

representing those that had served our country. Many had given their lives while serving.

We finally located the marker we went there to find.

The marker for Thomas Franklin Stewart, Sr.

 

He was my paternal great-great-grandfather and served in the Civil War.

He died in Nashville during the war—not from injury but from illness caused by poor sanitation.

He left his wife and six children to serve his country.

He was one of many in my family tree whose graves are designated with military markers.

This is the marker on the Indiana grave of my maternal fourth great-grandfather who fought at Yorktown in the Revolutionary War.

 This marker designates my maternal great-grandfathers grave in Nebraska.

He fought with the Wisconsin Infantry in the Civil War.

As a family history buff, I love researching and finding the stories of my ancestors and twigs on the family tree that served our country, some giving their lives or limbs in that service.

I am proud of each one from past generations, my generation, and the generations that have come after that served and fought for my freedom and yours.

I am truly thankful that their service gives me the privilege

of being able  to enjoy, share and follow my heart 4 home.