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1887 History of Story County, Iowa by W. G. Allen

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DECORATION DAY 1886
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the committees proceeded to decorate the graves of those who were laid within its bounds. Each grave was decorated with a wreath of fine flowers and a cross of evergreens, making a neat and tasty display. The following were the names of the ex-soldiers, whose graves were decorated, being all buried in these grounds, so far as known. If any have been missed in the Nevada or Catholic cemeteries, the fact should be reported that it may be remedied the next time:

Dr. A. Patton.
D. L. Stephens
George Adams,
Thos. Richardson,
Q. A. Boynton,
Wm. Talbott, war 1812,
P. F. Chauncey,
S. M. CHENOWORTH,
L. Irwin,
Alba Hall, war 1812,
John W. White,
Frank Bobo,
J. Fetterhoff,
George Schoonover,
Frank Daniels,
R. Lyman,
Joseph Middaugh,
John Confare,
being eighteen in number.

After this duty had been performed the balance of the work was attended to. Frank Burdick read a poem, which was timely and quite well executed, after which Company G fired a salute, giving a good specimen of volley firing, and one much to their credit: The next was the benediction, after which the procession was reformed and all returned to town and dispersed to their various homes.

Very many graves in the cemetery were decorated with flowers, and in a very neat and tasty manner. Quite a number of the soldiers' graves had already received a large floral offering before the committee reached them, and were thus doubly remembered. Thus did our citizens show their appreciation of those that served their country in ours of trial and the dark hour of almost despair at times. The testimony is given that all party feeling is laid aside at least for one day in the year, and all unite on one common level to do honor to those who have simply anticipated the other veterans in reaching the other and popularly supposed to be better land, and who took their lives in their hands upon many a bloody field that the nation should remain intact and not be dismembered, at the hands of a band of traitors, whom misguided clemency permitted to remain in our midst.

The number in attendance was quite large—far larger than has ever before been assembled on a similar occasion. Each and all appeared to enter into the various parts of the program with a determination to make it a success, and such only.

Thanks are due to the various committees for what they did, and to Mrs. Bixbie for the care and forethought in arranging the flowers for the services, and to the concourse for the kindly attention to the suggestions made them. Each one on dispersing to their

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