Yesterday, members of American Legion Post 562, their
families and friends gathered in the Bergland fire hall
for their Memorial Day ceremony.
The outdoor programs were reduced in scope due to a
severe lightning and thunderstorm that covered much of
Gogebic and Ontonagon counties.
Legionnaire Dave Niemi was the master of ceremony for
the observances. Welcoming the observers Niemi remarked
”that each year their ages grow larger and their numbers
grow fewer.”
Speaking to those attending the service was Rev.
Rosemary DeHut, pastor of the White Pine United
Methodist Church, as well as the Ironwood Wesleyan
United Methodist Church. DeHut spoke of relating to
families left at home as loved ones were away at war.
DeHut’s mother was left at home when her father went
to serve in WWII, her mother worked on warships in
California. Her parents were married on D-Day. Her
oldest brother went to the Navel Academy and served as
naval officer for twenty year. Another brother served at
the DMZ in Korea. DeHut married an Airforce Officer, a
Viet Nam Veteran while he was still in the service.
Today Rev. DeHut has a son-in-law deployed in the Mid
East, leaving behind behind her daughter and two small
children.
“For every generation there have been and will
continue to be men and women going off to war and
families left behind.” She said.
Prayers at the fire hall, Lakeview and Woodlawn Cemetery
were led by Rev. William Abrams. Rev Abrams is the
Legion Chaplin and minister at the Bergland Baptist
Church.
There was a fire on December 27, 2006 at the home of
American Legion Post 562. Their Bergland building was
totally destroyed by fire.
The blaze consumed cemetery flags, grave markers, parade
flags and rifles. Since that time the Legion Post has
since replaced the articles including replacement rifles
used in yesterday’s Memorial Day observances.
Following Rev. DeHut’s address and the closing prayer,
the gathering left the fire hall and moved to Lakeview
Cemetery. There before the graves decorated for the Day
of Remembrance, Legionnaires presented a rifle salute
for their fallen comrades. Following “Taps” played by
Ray Maki; Rev. Abrams then led the group in prayer.
Minutes later, the people moved on yet again for one
more observance at Woodlawn Cemetery, also known as the
new cemetery. There another service shortened by the bad
weather took place.
One more time the Legionnaires prayed, fired their
rifles, and played “Taps” in remembrance of their fellow
soldiers, buried there in Bergland and elsewhere around
the world.
Polar Bear
Cookbook
Thank you
to everyone who submitted
recipes for the Polar Bear
Hockey Cookbook. The cookbooks
are now available. The cost for
the cookbooks are $10.00 so make
sure to grab one for yourself
and maybe one or two as a gift.
They can be purchased at the Pat
O'Donnel Civic Center concession
stand or by contacting Kerry
Roehm or Micki Sorensen.
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