Memorial Day 2022 services in Hancock County

Memorial Day will be observed on Monday, May 30. Services at Garner, Klemme, Britt, Kanawha, Corwith and Goodell are as follows:

Garner

Services at Garner will begin at 10:30 a.m. at Central Park with the arrival of the Garner Ceremonial Unit. Hancock County Veterans Affairs Director Gerald Edgar, VFW Commander Herman Robinson, and American Legion Commander John Tammen will welcome the audience.

Rev. Mark Lund, pastor of St. John Lutheran, will lead the opening and closing prayers.

GHV delegates to Boys State Samuel Wood, and Girls State delegate Kenadie Lau will lead the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Mayor Tim Schmidt will give the Memorial Day address.

The VFW Auxiliary, American Legion Auxiliary and the Girl Scouts will provide floral tributes

Music will be provided by the GHV 7-8^thgrade band. 

Garner area veterans who passed away in the past year are: William Reece (peacetime service), James Wold (Navy, WWII), Dale Kapping (Army, Vietnam), Randy Schleusner (Army, Vietnam), Martin Rogness (Army, WWII), Arthur Zurn (Army, WWII), Edward R. Kotz Sr. (Navy, WWII), Henry Gremmer (Army, WWII), Timothy W. Jones (Navy, peacetime), Merrill J. Peters (Marine, peacetime), Phillip C. Boehnke (Army, peacetime), Pearl Barkema (American Legion Auxiliary), Daniel Davis (Air Force, Korea), Delbert R. Cassel (Marine, Vietnam), Jeannine Chambers (Air Force, peacetime), Andrew G. Janssen (Army, peacetime), Gary Jandell (Army, Vietnam).

The program concludes with the ceremonial 21-gun salute and Taps. In case of rain, the program will be held at the high school auditorium.

Klemme

Memorial Day services at Klemme begin 9:30 a.m. at the United Methodist Church. The American Legion Color Guard will advance and retire the Colors. Verlyn Kaduce will be the Master of Ceremonies. Pastor Deb Devine will give the invocation.

Klemme American Legion Scholarship recipients Kylie Anderson and Shelby Greiman will be recognized.

Harlan Block will be the Memorial Day speaker. Block will share his experience as one of the Honor Flight participants to Washington D.C.

The program will include the reading of deceased veterans. Recently departed veterans are: LeRoy Josten, Lawrence Bock, Roger Bachman, Ivan Blumer and Leo Blumer.

Music will be provided by the Belmond-Klemme Band and Choir.

Memorial Day observances continue at the Ell Township Cemetery, for the traditional placing of wreaths at the Veterans Memorial Monument, a prayer, followed by a rifle salute and Taps.

Britt

Memorial Day services at Britt are hosted by the VFW Post 347, American Legion Post 315, and their Auxiliary organizations. The program will begin 10:30 a.m. at Evergreen Cemetery with the Posting of the Colors. Commander John Francis will welcome the audience.  Rev. Anna Wolf, pastor of the First Lutheran Church, will give the invocation.

Patriotic readings will be given West Hancock students David Smith, Morgan Francis and Brandon Peterson.

American Legion Chaplain Gene Gunther will read the names of departed veterans:

•2021 - Charles L. Trunkill, William J. Spencer, Ralph G. Martin, William Clifford Smith, Duane A. Engstler, Dennis E. Kline, Charles Conway, Gary R. Hejlik, David L. Bernhard, Lannie A. Buns, Lillian Williams, Donald Goeres, Ralp R. Richardson.

•2022 - Donald Hiscock, Dennis L. Zuehl, Jerald F. Weiskamp and Ilmar Upeniks, James Johnson, Henry G. Schreiber.

Rev. Steve Couch, pastor of the Britt Evangelical Free Church, will deliver the Memorial Day address.

Music will be provided by the West Hancock High School Band and Chorus.

The audience is encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs. In case of rain the program will be at the high school.

Kanawha

Memorial Day program at Kanawha will be held at the Amsterdam Township Cemetery at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 30. American Legion Commander Dean VanDeWiele will be the Master of Ceremonies. Pastor Jason Semans from Wright Christian Reformed Church will give the invocation and benediction.

Decoration of the grave of the unknown soldier will be done by Boy Scouts Jackson Johnson and Brayden Langfitt. Patriotic songs will be sung by the audience. 

There will be a reading of the names of the honored dead. Since Memorial Day 2021, two veterans were added to the list of honored dead: John DeWaard and Gerald Schreiber, both U.S. Army veterans.

The program concludes with the ceremonial 21-gun salute and “Taps” by Kanawha Severson Post #77.

In case of inclement weather the program will be held at the West Hancock Junior High School in Kanawha.

Goodell

Memorial Day Services at Goodell will be May 30, 10:30 a.m. Bob Daniels, Vice Commander of the American Legion District 3, Post 191 in Hampton, will be the speaker.

Lunch will follow, served by the American Legion Auxiliary.

Corwith

Memorial Day observance at Corwith will be held 10:30 a.m., Monday, May 30 at the Corwith Cemetery. Rich Fish, Commander of the American Legion Post 229 will be the Master of Ceremonies. Denise Group, former pastor of the Corwith United Methodist Church, will give Memorial Day Address.

In case of rain, the program will be held at the Corwith Community Center.

The annual alumni dinner will be served at 12 noon at the Corwith Community Center. For reservations, call Leona Welter at 515-583-2106 or 515-570-8292.