MEMORIAL DAY, LE MARS, IA, MAY 1972
Two of the some 25 Gold Star Mothers in LeMars and area inspect a burial flag while reminiscing about their sons who paid the supreme sacrifice during World War II.
Mrs. Orrin (Ella) Kelly and Mrs. Gertrude Albert each hold a poppy, a symbol to honor the millions of American who have died during the wars. Poppy day in LeMars was Thursday.
All Gold Star Mothers will be honored during ceremonies Monday, Memorial Day, at the courthouse in LeMars.
PFC Wayne Harold (Baldy) Albert, 21, was killed June 15, 1944, in France while serving with the army as a paratrooper. His father was the late Charles Albert. The body was returned to LeMars for burial.
Mrs. Albert said the family believes their son took part in the D-day invasion of June 6, 1944, and his death took place in one of the later allied offenses in Normandy. Some of the paratroopers were dropped far back of the German lines.
PFC Ed Kelly, who was 23, was killed in Germany, April 12, 1945. It was April 26 when his parents learned in LeMars that he was missing in action and it was May 1 when they received the telegram that he was killed while serving as a member of the fast armored infantry.
He had attended Westmar (the Western Union) college for three years prior to enlisting. He was killed on the same day that President Franklin D. Roosevelt died.
Edward’s brother Bob was being held at that time as a Japanese prisoner. He was later released.
The body was brought back to Remsen for burial in 1949, Mrs. Kelly said.
~Source: LeMars Daily Sentinel, by Rita Starzl
There will be 25 new burial flags added this year to the Avenue of Flags at the LeMars court house lawn this Memorial Day, May 29.
Fred Riter, chairman, said services will be held there at 10 a.m. honoring veterans and Gold Star Mothers.
With the addition of the two dozen new flags, a total of 330 flags (unless more come in by Saturday) will be flown this year.
There are now 16 avenues. It is expected all flags of this and past years will be flown in this area north and south of the courthouse.
Last year there were 305 flags. Mr. Riter urged those who intend to bring in a burial flag to do so before Saturday, so the flag can be tagged and readied for the service.
This year the additional 25 flags will be dedicated by Wasmer Post 241, American Legion during the Memorial Day services, commander Bill Baack said.
Initiation of the Avenue of Flags was in 1965 when 164 flags were dedicated. Each year since that time more flags and more avenues have been added and dedicated.
New burial flags to be dedicated this year are those of Myllin G. Henrich, John Karpen, George Schrooten, George B. McKown, John M. Gengler.
Harry Louis Baack, Clarence Cowan, Henry G. Kamp, Harold Overman, Clyde Overman.
James Shearon, Eric Wedmark, A.T. Peters, Theodore Less, Paul Traufler.
Kenneth MacKinnon, J.E. Bainbridge, Louis Heeren, Harold Fahrenkrug, Andrew McClintock.
John W. Frerichs, James Robinson, Grant Hanstein, and Harry Burgard and Martin H. Wilkens.
Command Baack said Gold Star Mothers who have indicated they will be present for ceremonies Memorial Day are:
Mrs. Gertrude Albert, Mrs. William Brodie, Mrs. James Burns, Mrs. Elizabeth Foley, Mrs. Emil Hansen, Mrs. Edward Keihn, Mrs. O.M. Kelly.
Mrs. J.F. Kempker, Mrs. Catherine Lamp, Mrs. Christine Manson, Mrs. Lydia Meyer, Mrs. Clara Neubrand.
Mrs. Leo Kettler, Mrs. Joe Schwartz, Mrs. J. Clark Tindall, Mrs. Frank Wilhelmi.
Mrs. Orval Roggow, Mrs. Avery Small, Mrs. Hugh Dowling, and Mrs. Gerald Henrich.
Three who will not be present are Mrs. Alma Rohde, Mrs. Tina Miller, and Mrs. Mabel Rousch.
~Source: The LeMars Daily Sentinel
