Memorial Day Memories
My earliest memories of this day go back with my Grandparents…. Decoration Day is what this day was called. We would load up their 57 Chevy with fresh garden flowers and head out to the cemetery on the 29th, the day before Memorial Day. Back then Memorial Day or Decoration Day as my Grandma always called it, was always observed on May 30th.
At the cemetery we would place the freshly cut flowers on the graves of my Grandparents father’s, both Civil War veterans, members of the Grand Army of the Republic.
My Grandfathers Dad was with Company G, 12th Indiana Volunteer Cavalry, which is all the Civil War history I have on him. He is in the photo below, bottom row standing 5th one on the right.
My Grandmothers Dad served three years in Company E, 50th Illinois Inf. According to his obituary dated 1909, he was in all the great battles about Chattanooga, and the Atlanta campaign, where he was under fire for a hundred days. He was also on Sherman’s great raid through Georgia and North and South Carolina. He was at Altoona Pass on the October day when Gen. Sherman signaled his famous order to Gen. Corse, to “Hold The Fort, For I Am Coming”. He then marched with his regiment from Goldsboro, NC, through Richmond, and Virginia, then marched on to Washington City, and took part in the Grand Review on the 24th of May, 1865. He is in the photo below, holding the Flag.
This picture was taken around 1906 of the Civil War veterans from the Morocco, Indiana area.
Standing, back row from left- Sam Thomas, Capt. Dan Graves, John Brown, Jonathan Bell, Niel Shue, Finley Shafer, Jacob Hosier, Fred Bartholomew, George Clark, George Weber, William Handley, F. Flemming, James Shafer.
Bottom row, standing- John Don, Andrew Flowers, Rev.George Musson, Rev. Greenway, Fred Mashino, Sitting- Henry G. Sayler, Andrew Ellis, John Vayette, John Grant, Frank Roadruck, George Baker, Cal Sarver, Cyrus Brunton, George Benjamin, David Dexter, John Garrard.
However you celebrate Memorial Day this year, however solemn or happy the occasion, spare a thought and a moment of silence in memory of all those who paid for your freedom with their lives, and of all those who defend it still.
JG,
There is indeed some resemblance.
Tom
Comment by Tom Buchanan — May 25, 2009 @ 12:11 pm
Very nice posting!
Comment by charlie6 — May 25, 2009 @ 2:32 pm
Sometimes I tend to forget about those who served prior to WWII. This was a shot in the arm for me. I started doing my own dig for some of my relatives.
Thanks for the reminder. More importantly, I think it was honorable to pick someone in particular to thank rather than a blanket thanks. Blanket thanks is all good but picking a few out by name means more. It makes it more personal.
We got it good today. I don’t care what anyone says.
Comment by FLHX_Dave — May 25, 2009 @ 2:55 pm
I really liked this post. I visited the graves of our Civil War dead yesterday. Their graves are everywhere in this area… thank you for this timely and thoughtful post.
Chessie
Comment by chessie — May 26, 2009 @ 2:19 am
Dear Electra Glide In Blue:
This was a terrific post. I felt compelled to share it with my friends, many of whom are history buffs. Thank you for reminding me about “Decoration” Day too. In my family, it meant we “decorated” the graves with flags. And my dad had a ’57 Chevy Belaire too!
I am a Civil War history buff, and take regular rides to Gettysburg and Antietam. If you are ever up this way on the 3rd Sunday of a month, I’d like to introduce you to my riding pals.
Do you mind if I post a link to your blog from mine? I like yor style. I write “Twisted Roads,” which is moto content of a highly peculiar nature. I noticed you’d left a comment today (which was very gracious of you, as well as funny), which is how I found my way here.
Fondest regards,
Jack Riepe
Twisted Roads
Comment by Jack Riepe — May 26, 2009 @ 6:14 pm
Jack,
Thanks for the comments, seems we have a lot in common.
I have made it over to your site a couple of times, digging the twisted humor,
and I have added a link back to you.
Thanks,
Electra Glide In Blue
Comment by JG Mashino — May 26, 2009 @ 7:31 pm
Great Site Electra Glide In Blue. Wonderful story and thoughts.
Comment by Deb — May 27, 2009 @ 8:56 pm
[...] Memorial Day Memories [...]
Pingback by Flag Day Patriotism | Electra Glide In Blue — June 14, 2009 @ 7:57 pm
Hi,
I recognized Fred Bartholmew and William Handley in the names you said who were in the photo. My great great grand father Ezra G Handley, and He was in B 51 Ind Inf (51st Indiana Infantry, Company B) and he lived in Morocco Indiana. He had a brother named William whom he lived in the 1860 census in Jackson Township Newton County Indiana along with his father Michael Handley and mother Rhoda Rose Handley, his sister inlaw whom I cannot recall at the moment, his nephew Michael, and Frederick Bartholmew which does not give the relationship to the head of the house. In 1870 Beaver Township Frederic Bartholomew his wife, and brother in law lived next door lived next door to Ezra G Handley , his wife Nancy Jane, their son John Bartholmew, and other children including my great grand father Grant W Handley. Nancy Jane Handley’s first husband George Bartholmew died in the Civil War July 22, 1864 at Atlanata Georgia. He englisted August 11, 1862. I saw that Frederic Bartholmew also enlisted in the civil war. I wonder if the Fred Bartholmew who is in the photo is the Frederick Bartholmew who lived with Ezra G Handley’s brother William and also might be the William Handley in the photo. So far, I did not see that Ezra G Handley’s older brother William served in the Civil war. My wife’s uncle and cousin ride a motor cycle.
Comment by Bill Stebbins — May 3, 2010 @ 1:29 pm
I forgot to say that my wife’s uncle and cousin live in India.
Comment by Bill Stebbins — May 3, 2010 @ 1:31 pm
I saw that Ezra G Handley’s older brother William Handley died about twenty years before this photo was taken. There is another William Handley who lived in near Ezra G Handley in 1880. He might be the William Handley in the photo, but I did not see him in the Us Census before 1880.
Comment by Bill Stebbins — May 4, 2010 @ 7:48 pm
[...] remember where I picked this up, but it’s worth sharing with everyone you know this Memorial Day. The author is [...]
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