Memorial Day activities continue today with ceremony on courthouse lawn
The Memorial Day weekend started off locally with a group of volunteers placing flags on veterans’ graves in the Breckenridge Cemetery and will continue today with the annual ceremony at the Veterans Memorial in front of the Stephens County Courthouse, presented by members of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7767 and Auxiliary.
The ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. on the southwest corner of the courthouse lawn, 200 W. Walker St. in Breckenridge. Due to today’s rain, chairs will not be set up, but a canopy will available to protect attendees in case the rain continues, said Russell Blue with the local auxiliary.
Following the ceremony, the VFW Auxiliary will have its annual fundraiser, selling halved chicken, sausage on a stick, whole corn (in the shuck), and baked potatoes in front of the courthouse. Funds raised from the sale are used to help pay for the cost of putting the names of the deceased veterans on the memorial every year.
On Saturday, about a dozen volunteers arrived at the Breckenridge Cemetery early and joined Jim Merson in putting flags at the graves of veterans buried there. Merson, who has been placing flags in the cemetery for about 10 years, said there are approximately 900 veterans buried in the Breckenridge Cemetery.
He will be picking up the flags on Tuesday morning, June 1, and will welcome any volunteers who want to assist with that task, as well.
Linda Hirt and veteran Arthur Estrada came to Breckenridge from Winters on Saturday to help place flags at the graves of veterans. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
Paisley Thibodeaux and her family volunteered on Saturday morning to help honor the local veterans who are buried in the Breckenridge Cemetery. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
Cutline, top photo: Karen Chakerian of Breckenridge looks for veterans’ graves in the Breckenridge Ceremony on Saturday morning. She and other volunteers joined Jim Merson in the project to honor the veterans for Memorial Day. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
