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Memorial Day Observance
Decoration Day
Memorial Day or Decoration Day is a federal holiday in
the United States for remembering the people who died while serving in the
country's armed forces.
The holiday, which is currently observed every year on
the last Monday of May, will be held on May 28, 2018. The holiday was held on May 30 from 1868 to
1970. It marks the unofficial start of
the summer vacation season, while Labor Day marks its end.
_______________________________________________
1890
05 28 MEMORIAL DAY 1900
There will be no formal observance of Decoration Day here, further than the customary decorating
of the soldier's graves in all our cemeteries by squads detailed Friday
forenoon for this purpose; and a procession of the members of the O. D. Pease
post and veterans to Oak Hill cemetery, where the regular Decoration Day
ceremonies will be held. The line will
form at the post headquarters at 1 o'clock Friday afternoon. All patriotic citizens are requested to send
contributions of flowers for grave decorating to the post headquarters as early
as possible Friday morning. WR
06 04 MEMORIAL DAY 1900
Persons having
flowers to spare are kindly requested to deliver all they possibly can to the
O. D. Pease Post room early Friday morning, so that the graves of our dead
patriots can be suitably decorated on that day. WG
1892
05 30 O. D. PEASE POST NO. 94
Decoration Day <> G.A.R. <> O. D. Pease Post No. 94
Meets 2nd and 4th Fridays in Schmutzler’s Hall, N.
Fourth and E. Main
1900
06 04 MEMORIAL DAY 1900
Memorial Day without having
any formal exercises provided for it here, was duly observed by our
citizens. Places of business were quite
generally closed in the afternoon and flags from various buildings were at half mast. At 1
o'clock the O. D. Pease post and the Sons of Veterans camp formed in line in
front of headquarters and headed by the new fife and drum corps marched to Oak
Hill cemetery, where the memorial ceremonies were held at the graves of Capt.
O. D. Pease, in whose honor the post here is called . . . The weather, although
threatening for a time, remained fine all through the proceedings. WR
06 05 MEMORIAL DAY 1900
The weather
conditions of last Wednesday were all that could be desired for a proper
observation of Memorial Day, and the exercises as arranged by the O. D. Pease
Post, No. 94, G. A. R., and the Woman’s Relief Corps were generally
participated in by our citizens. The
principal ceremonies were held in the afternoon and were of an order to invoke
reverence and honors for the noble soldier dead. At 1:30 o’clock the procession formed at
Grand Army hall and marched to Oak cemetery . . . . At
the cemetery memorial services according to the Grand Army ritual were held
over the grave of Lafayette Damp, a member of the post who died last fall, the
customary salute being fired at the conclusion of the services. Thereupon the line of march was resumed to
Turner Opera house, where the exercises were opened with an address of welcome
by A. E. Needham, commander of the post . . . . The Opera house was filled to overflowing and
Mr. [Joseph] Davies’ oration was listened to with the greatest interest. His effort was a masterly one and delivered
with the eloquence and feeling that stamped him as a public speaker of rare
genius and wonderful resources. Not in
many a day has Watertown had the pleasure of hearing a more able address or a
more cultured orator. WR
1901
05 17 POST CANNOT AFFORD
MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY
Memorial Day in Watertown promises to be a very tame affair
compared with previous years. For a number of years past the day has been celebrated in
Watertown in every manner, and it was always looked forward to with a great
deal of interest by our people. The
expense of those celebrations has always been considerable
and it has heretofore been borne by the O. D. Pease Post, G. A.R. of this city. This
year, however, the Post feels too poor to bear the expense, and has asked for
an appropriation of $50 from the council for that purpose, the law allowing
money to be appropriated for such a cause.
The council at its last meeting appropriated only $25, the Post has
unanimously decided that would not be sufficient to bear the expense of the
celebration, hence the Post will only carry out a program according to the
ritual of the order. There will be no
public speaker. In afternoon
services will be held at Oak Hill cemetery.
It is hoped the city council at its meeting next Tuesday will
appropriate an additional $25 to the Post. WG
1902
06 15 MEMORIAL DAY 1902
Conformable to usage the members of the G. A. R. resident here and others attended special Memorial services Sunday evening. This year the services were held in the M. E. Church, Rev. A. M. Bullock, assisted by Rev. Wm. Fritzmeier, occupying the pulpit. The church was well filled, a section of the pews being reserved for the “old boys,” some thirty of whom were present, and a sturdy group of old Union savers they were too. The regular church choir was on duty and the rendition of the old army songs and patriotic odes by the choir and the congregation brought back to memory the times when as wearer of the Union blue these same Grand Army boys would sing like songs way down in Dixie. Every music number was an Army song or national anthem. A song by the choir and congregation; prayer by Rev. Wm. Fritzmeier; music. Then the address by Rev. A. M. Bullock, a masterpiece of eloquent thought; patriotic and inspiring, a gem in a becoming setting were the evening’s program of exercises, and though lacking perhaps something of usual formality, was most thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated by everyone in attendance, and by none more than by the veterans themselves.
1908
06 15 MEMORIAL DAY 1908
Memorial Day, May 30, 1908, will long be remembered by the citizens of Watertown, especially the children who with badges and flags took part in the parade. At an early hour, the indications that the day was to be clear, influenced old and young to devote the day to the memory of those who took part in the great civil war and now sleep in the cemeteries in this city.
On this occasion, there was a departure from the ordinary observance of the day and highly appropriate and should be continued, and that was the marching of the band and cadet company from the Northwestern University to the city park and placing garlands upon the monuments erected by Robert E. Lewis to the memory of the soldiers and sailors who enlisted in the service of their country from the city of Watertown. And in this connection, it might not be amiss to call attention to the fact, that the names of Watertown's heroic dead ought to be engraved upon the monument. There are a sufficient number of patriotic men in this city who would contribute the funds to defray the expense if someone would take the initiative.
Upon the public buildings and many of the business buildings "Old Glory" was hung at half mast, the stars and stripes waved from many private homes and there were a large number of elegant, patriotic decorations . . . Watertown Weekly Leader
1910
06 15 MEMORIAL DAY 1910
Decoration Day on Monday was cold and
chilly, but this did not prevent a very large turnout of our people at both the
afternoon and evening exercises. The parade in the afternoon
to Oak Hill Cemetery was the largest ever
witnessed here on a similar occasion. In the morning details of the
G. A. R. Post visited the various cemeteries and decorated the graves of the
old soldiers there in. At 1:30 p.m. the
procession outlined below was formed at the corner of
Main and North First streets and marched to the grave of O. D. Pease in Oak
Hill Cemetery, where services were held according to the ritual of the G.A.R.
The afternoon program was as follows:
Marshal of the Day and Aides
Northwestern Cadets and Students
Public Schools
Parochial Schools
Mayor, Hon. F. E. McGovern
and Reception Committee in Carriage
Imperial Band
Commander of O. D. Pease Post and
Committee of G.A.R.
Deutscher Krieger Verein
O. D. Pease Post No. 94, G.A.R.
Older G.A.R. Veterans in Conveyance
Children in Carriages to Decorate
the Graves of Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Lewis
Watertown Military Band
Common Council in Carriages
Board of Education in Carriages
Committees in Carriages
Woman's Relief Corps in Conveyance
Citizens in Carriages
Arriving at the tower in the cemetery, the
head of the column halted, open order, and presented arms while the
Grand Army Post passed through to music of fife and drum to the grave of the
late Comrade
O. D. Pease, where services according to the G. A. R. ritual were held as
follows . . . Watertown Gazette
1911
05 30 MEMORIAL DAY SERVICE, ST. BERNARD’S CEMETERY
1918
END OF WWI - Includes Company E of Watertown
< PORTFOLIO OF PICS
MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY / Lest We Forget
Silently a group of high school students
stood mingled with strangers near Memorial Bridge,
patiently waiting for the long awaited event. Five or ten minutes passed and then out of
the quiet air a sound of a band was heard. Then all eyes and ears were alert. The Cavalry Band led the procession. When about one third of the parade had crossed
the bridge, the people of the parade stopped, the band played “The Star Spangled Banner,” the flags went up; hats went off and
a beautiful wreath was dropped from a hovering airplane into the water. The spectators then regained their breath and
the old men, who had lived through those perilous years, wiped an unashamed
tear away. The remaining parade
consisting of boys and girls from Junior High, the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and
shining automobiles finished the procession that led to the Oak Hill
Cemetery. The Blue and
White, 06 1931,
Published by the Students of Watertown High School.
c.1942
-- -- MEMORIAL DAY AT MEMORIAL PARK
1966
05 27 MEMORIAL DAY 1966
With bright sunshine flooding the city, flags flying
in a cool breeze that prevailed during temperatures in the 50s, Watertown
yesterday celebrated another Memorial Day.
There were crowds along the streets where the parade marched from the
city’s west side, with a halt at Cole Memorial bridge and then to Watertown
Veterans Memorial Park where the solemn rituals were carried out. Speaker of the day was Loran F. Patten of
Horicon, state commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Commander Palmer J. Freres of the
Pitterle-Beaudoin Post 189, the American Legion opened the program and presided
at the ceremonies. Watertown Daily Times
2014
05 26 
Portfolio of WDTimes images
2020
05 25 MEMORIAL
DAY
Taps video/audio
2021
05 29 Portfolio
of images
< PORTFOLIO OF MEMORIAL DAY PICS
History of Watertown, Wisconsin