Archive for the ‘Avenue of Flags’ Category

12 May

Memorial Day 2010: To salute or swim? Making the most of your day off…

Posted by sunsethillfuneralhome in 2010, American flags, Avenue of Flags, BBQ, Burial, Celebrate, Cemetery, Civil War, Collection, commemorate, Community, country, Dead, Deceased, Decoration Day, departed, drive, Edwardsville, Family, Funeral Homes, Glen Carbon, government, Graves, Grief, Headstones, Herr, Herr Family, Herr Funeral Home, holiday, Legends, Life, memorial, Memorial Day, Memorialization, Metro East, military, national, neighbors, North America, Pond, pool party, remembrance, respect, Respected, Salute, service, soldiers, St. Louis, summer vacation, Sunset Hill Cemetery, Sunset Hill Funeral Home, Support Group, Tombstone, Tradition, volunteer, World War.

Memorial Day is an incredible holiday. Sure, it always guarantees a Monday off of work and sometimes even results in a pool party at the neighbors’, but it’s more than that. Especially for Sunset Hill Funeral Home & Cemetery.

Following the end of the Civil War, several communities set aside a day to mark the end of the war or as a memorial to those who died, and called it “Decoration Day.” The alternative name of “Memorial Day” wasn’t actually used until 1882, and wasn’t declared as the official name by Federal law until 1967, almost 100 years later. Clearly our government has always been the type to take their time.

Whereas Memorial Day was once recognized as a day of remembrance, it is now observed by most businesses as a three-day weekend kickoff to summer vacation season. God Bless America.

Sunset Hill takes a more traditional route when it comes to Memorial Day, however. In fact, the funeral home actually remains open during the national holiday. This is to cater to those community members who also traditionally celebrate Memorial Day, by visiting cemeteries and memorials to commemorate the U.S. men and women who died while in the military service.

Every Memorial Day, Sunset Hill Funeral Home & Cemetery invites all to join them in honoring the veterans who have proudly served this country. This Memorial Day, May 31st, will mark the 21st Annual Sunset Hill Cemetery Memorial Day Salute and Avenue of Flags.

Sunset Hill Cemetery

"Avenue of Flags" on Memorial Day

Over 1,000 American flags will be raised and displayed in remembrance of our fallen soldiers from 9am-3pm on Memorial Day. The event will be opened with a prayer service overlooking the cemetery’s Serenity Lake, followed by a balloon release at noon in recognition of all deceased veterans. The close of services will be signaled with the playing of the taps at 3pm, the time that also marks the national moment of remembrance across the country.

If you would like to volunteer to help raise or lower flags this Memorial Day, please contact the Sunset Hill Cemetery office at 618-656-3220 or visit our website for more info. Or, if you would like to simply skip the BBQ and honor our country this Memorial Day, stop by anytime between 9am-3pm on May 31st and take part in the truly unique experience during your day off.