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Thursday, May 15, 2003

REMEMBERING THOSE WHO HAVE DIED AT HOME AND ABROAD

By Bill Ellis
Special to ASSIST News Service

SCOTT DEPOT, WV  (ANS) -- In the United States and other nations it is customary to have a special day on which to remember those who have died. Though they are absent from us they are remembered with love and respect.

Since the Civil War we have honored those who have died in military service. This was first done on May 5, 1866, in Waterloo, New York, largely through the efforts and leadership of a druggist by the name of Henry W. Welles. Flags and flowers were used to decorate the graves of soldiers.

Many still refer to it as “Decoration Day.” It is a time when family members go to the cemetery where loved ones are buried. They clean the gravesite and leave flowers. As you drive by a cemetery on “Memorial Day” you will see flowers and flags on most of the graves.

By Presidential Proclamation in 1971 it was stated that Memorial Day would be officially observed as a legal public holiday on the last Monday of May. It will be my privilege to join with other family members, mostly cousins, at the home of Margaret Hodge, on the Sunday before that special Monday. Margaret is a delightful host and will see to it that we have plenty to eat and time to visit and recall childhood days.

After our dinner (that’s what we always called the noon meal) has had time to settle a bit, most of us will drive to the family cemetery which is up Sugar Camp Hollow, nestled among the trees on the side of a West Virginia mountain. Some will have pen and paper in hand to gather facts for the family genealogy. Others will have a camera. We will take note of the graves of grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts, cousins, brothers, sisters, an uncle who died during the days of World War II, and other family members.

After we have read the tombstone messages and reminisced, we will have a prayer of gratitude and then cousins Kermit Hodge and Freda Hudnall will lead all of us in a few verses of several hymns our family has sung across the years.

Recently, I read that a graveyard for English soldiers following a war years ago in Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq) had been found. It had become a trash dump. While others paid little attention to their passing over the years of time there was a day when loved ones mourned their death.

Those who forget to remember may have difficulty understanding why they are alive and to what noble purpose they were born. In every country the oral traditions are passed from one generation to another. Listen carefully to what family members pass on to you, especially your parents, aunts and uncles, for those are the things that will someday bring direction, hope, and tranquility to your life.

Carl Yoder once wrote about, “Things to remember: the value of time; the success of perseverance; the pleasure of working; the worth of character; the power of kindness; the influence of example; the obligation of duty; the wisdom of economy; the virtue of patience; the sound of laughter; the joy of originating; the thrill of accomplishing.”

Take time to remember and to express your deep gratitude for those who touched your life and made a lasting and positive difference. Let Memorial Day be a very special day for you.

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Bill Ellis is a syndicated columnist,and convention and conference speaker on every continent. He is the writer of more than 1600 columns and widely known as a motivator utilizing enjoyment of life and just plain fun and laughter while speaking to high school, university and professional sports teams as well as to business and professional groups of all kinds. His keen understanding of human problems make him a favorite speaker for youth, parent, and senior adult meetings. He is accompanied by Kitty, his wife, favorite singer, editor and publisher.

For information on becoming a subscriber to the Ellis Column for your newspaper or magazine, you may contact him at: BILL ELLIS, P.O.Box 345, Scott Depot, WV 25560 or by calling: 304-757-6089.
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