|
|
|
Senecans gathered Saturday on Oklahoma soil to dedicate the new cemetery chapel at Seneca Cemetery and pay tribute to the fallen.
State Rep. Bill Reiboldt set aside a moment of silence for the victims of the Joplin tornado before honoring veterans from the Revolutionary War to recent action, but especially those of World War II.
“That generation, very sadly, is passing away from us,” Reiboldt said. “We need to preserve their stories and their memories to the best of our ability.”
Many may not have wanted to talk about it before, but now they are ready to tell their stories, he said.
“Their memory is the conscience of our nation,” Reiboldt said.
A visit to Pearl Harbor impressed on him the devastation of war.
“To understand the true cost of war is to understand the value we place on freedom,” he said. “We value the lives that were given so we might live today.”
Some, he said, gave all. Others gave time in the service.
“Others worked hard to build the greatest country and the greatest generation the world has ever known,” Reiboldt said.
Every generation has had to protect freedom, he noted and he called on attendees to honor the death of all those who have served.
“These are truly my heroes and these are our nation’s heroes as well,” he said. “I can assure you that their sacrifices will never be forgotten”
Pastor and World War II veteran Calvin Ackerson offered the benediction. Ackerson’s father fought in World War I, his brother in Korea and his sons in Vietnam and Desert Storm. He thanked God for freedom.
“If you’ll pause just for a few minutes and remember the blessings God has given you then you’ll give him thanks,” Ackerson said.
While they came to honor veterans, Reiboldt asked attendees to be mindful of the Joplin dead from last Sunday’s tornado. Everyone in Newton County knows someone who died in the tornado, he said.
“It’ll take a lot of work to get Joplin back to the way we remember it,” Reiboldt said. “It will probably never be back to the way we remember it.”
New chapel
Saturday marked the dedication of a new 24-foot square, open-air chapel, funded by personal donations.
The cemetery board saw the need and was able to get it built. Uneven roads and tight spacing on the Missouri side of the cemetery brought out the need for another pavilion.
Senecans gathered Saturday on Oklahoma soil to dedicate the new cemetery chapel at Seneca Cemetery and pay tribute to the fallen.
State Rep. Bill Reiboldt set aside a moment of silence for the victims of the Joplin tornado before honoring veterans from the Revolutionary War to recent action, but especially those of World War II.
“That generation, very sadly, is passing away from us,” Reiboldt said. “We need to preserve their stories and their memories to the best of our ability.”
Many may not have wanted to talk about it before, but now they are ready to tell their stories, he said.
“Their memory is the conscience of our nation,” Reiboldt said.
A visit to Pearl Harbor impressed on him the devastation of war.
“To understand the true cost of war is to understand the value we place on freedom,” he said. “We value the lives that were given so we might live today.”
Some, he said, gave all. Others gave time in the service.
“Others worked hard to build the greatest country and the greatest generation the world has ever known,” Reiboldt said.
Every generation has had to protect freedom, he noted and he called on attendees to honor the death of all those who have served.
“These are truly my heroes and these are our nation’s heroes as well,” he said. “I can assure you that their sacrifices will never be forgotten”
Pastor and World War II veteran Calvin Ackerson offered the benediction. Ackerson’s father fought in World War I, his brother in Korea and his sons in Vietnam and Desert Storm. He thanked God for freedom.
“If you’ll pause just for a few minutes and remember the blessings God has given you then you’ll give him thanks,” Ackerson said.
While they came to honor veterans, Reiboldt asked attendees to be mindful of the Joplin dead from last Sunday’s tornado. Everyone in Newton County knows someone who died in the tornado, he said.
“It’ll take a lot of work to get Joplin back to the way we remember it,” Reiboldt said. “It will probably never be back to the way we remember it.”
New chapel
Saturday marked the dedication of a new 24-foot square, open-air chapel, funded by personal donations.
The cemetery board saw the need and was able to get it built. Uneven roads and tight spacing on the Missouri side of the cemetery brought out the need for another pavilion.
“It was built for horse and buggy,” said chairperson Janet Wright. “It’s an old cemetery.”
The Missouri side of the cemetery was started in 1886 and burials began on the newer Oklahoma side in the early 1970s.
Seneca Mayor and Newton County Emergency Management Director Gary Roark spoke at the cemetery dedication.
“This is an unusual day,” Roark said. “There’s a lot of people trying to get their lives back in order, finding their family members after the tornado. The damage there is just beyond imagination.”
The Seneca cemetery, he said is one of the prettiest around and the chapel enhances its appearance. The community, he said, owes a debt to those who care for the cemetery and its board.
