Memorial Day Services in the Area

Here's a look at this weekend's Memorial Day activities in the area:

Altamont Masonic Lodge #533 is hosting the Altamont Memorial Day Parade on Monday, May 27. The parade will lineup at 9am on the Altamont Community High School parking lot. The parade will step off at 10am and will travel west on Division Street to Main Street, then head north on Main through the downtown area to Union Cemetery. A Memorial Day ceremony will follow about 10:30am.

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The Strasburg American Legion Auxiliary Unit #289's Poppy Day sale will conclude Saturday morning, May 25, with volunteers located at the bank, post office, and Marathon station. Proceeds will assist various veterans activities.

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The Effingham Memorial Day ceremony at Oakridge Cemetery will begin at 10:30am on Monday, May 27. American Legion Post #120 is the host organization, led by Commander Don Borries. The speaker will be Tim Hodge, a veteran, a retired Illinois State Police trooper, and current leader of area Boy Scout troops. Charley Newlin will sing the National Anthem, and Matt Stead will play "Taps". 

Other Memorial Day observances in Effingham on Monday will be at St. Anthony Cemetery at the Theodore Hoffman gravesite at 9am, and at Woodlawn Cemetery at 11:15am, following the Oakridge ceremony.

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The Watson Memorial Day ceremony will take place on Saturday, May 25, at 9am. The ceremony will take place at Watson Cemetery.

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The Teutopolis Memorial Day ceremony will be held on Sunday, May 26, at St. Francis Cemetery around 9:30am, following the 8:30am Mass.

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The Dieterich Memorial Day ceremony will be held on Monday, May 27 at 10am at the Dieterich Community Veterans Memorial next to Liberty Memorial Park. In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held in the Dieterich Park Pavilion. Dieterich Mayor Brad Hardiek will serve as Master of Ceremonies. The guest speaker will be Donald Dorn, a Vietnam and Desert Storm veteran and longtime Dieterich American Legion Post #628 Commander. Feel free to take along your lawn chairs.

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There will be a Memorial Day ceremony at Island Creek Cemetery, rural Montrose, on Sunday, May 26. The ceremony will begin at 2pm.

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There will be a Memorial Day military display on Saturday, Sunday and Monday at 14274 North 500th Street at Altamont. Admission is free to the event, which will run from 9am to 6pm each day.

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The Mason Memorial Day observance will be Sunday, May 26. There will be a dinner at the Mason Civic Center served from 11am to 1pm. There will be a guest speaker at 1pm, followed by an Honor Guard. The service will begin at 2pm in Mason Union Cemetery.

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The Ewington Cemetery Memorial Day ceremony begins at 10am on Saturday, May 25.  Local Boy Scout Troop members will assist with the observance.  Amanda Maloney will be playing Taps.  In addition, there will be a Name Call of all military members buried in Ewington Cemetery.  The recently-reset tombstone of Lucretia Porter and her infant child will be unveiled by the Ann Crooker St. Clair Chapter, NSDAR.  The public is invited to attend the service.