Memorial Day has had a special place in my memory from the time I was a little girl. I have many memories of helping my mother gather roses from our two wild rose bushes in our yard as well as the two peony plants that always bloomed in time for what we called at that time “Decoration Day”. We got fruit jars or mayonnaise jars out of the basement, washed them and filled them with our flowers. Sometimes we still had iris in bloom which we also included with white spirea. We only had to walk about a block to the cemetery where nearly all of our relatives were buried so decorating their graves was an act of both love and respect.
Growing up I looked at May 30th as a special time to remember family and friends who had passed away but in 1971, when congress declared it to be Memorial Day, the last Monday in May, which was a special day to honor our fallen military men and women, as well as for family members.
You can see that my vivid memories still make this a special day.
This year was different however. Instead of being home and taking flowers to the four cemeteries where family members have been laid to rest, we were visiting my sister and her husband in Virginia. I asked if there were special services or events at any of the cemeteries near their home and they quickly found that the historic Christ Church would hold special services. This special church is only a few miles from their home so we decided to go.
The Northern Neck Military Officers Association was in charge. In case you aren’t aware, the Historic Christ Church dates back to July 1670 when the first frame church was built by John Carter who settled in Lancaster County, VA and became a wealthy plantation owner. However, he died months before it was completed. His son Robert eventually replaced that church, on the same spot, with one of brick in 1735 which is still used today and where we attended the special service.
The church was pretty well filled by the time services began. Wonderful organ music helped set the mood. Special scripture readings were done by retired ranking officers in the USMC, USN, and USAF. Guest speaker was Vice Admiral Lou Crenshaw USN, also retired who gave a very inspirational speech. A variety of songs were sung by those present at various intervals during the ceremony. The laying of a special wreath at the altar was done by two men and one woman who each had a long list of military honors and accomplishments. Very impressive. To conclude the ceremony, Bill Harrison, a member of the Kilmarnock & District Pipe Band played “When the Battle’s Over” on his bagpipe as he marched through the church. Needless to say it was a Memorial Day ceremony to remember.
