COUNTY LIFE
Take time to remember those who gave all for America
Memorial Day is an American holiday, observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Memorial Day 2020 occurs on Monday, May 25.
Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades. Unofficially, it marks the beginning of the summer season.
Early Observances of Memorial Day
The Civil War, which ended in the spring of 1865, claimed more lives than any conflict in U.S. history and required the establishment of the country’s first national cemeteries.
By the late 1860s, Americans in various towns and cities had begun holding springtime tributes to these countless fallen soldiers, decorating their graves with flowers and reciting prayers.
Did you know? Each year on Memorial Day a national moment of remembrance takes place at 3:00 p.m. local time.
It is unclear where exactly this tradition originated; numerous different communities may have independently initiated the memorial gatherings. And some records show that one of the earliest Memorial Day commemoration was organized by a group of freed slaves in Charleston, South Carolina less than a month after the Confederacy surrendered in 1865. Nevertheless, in 1966 the federal government declared Waterloo, New York, the official birthplace of Memorial Day.
Decoration Day
On May 5, 1868, General John A. Logan, leader of an organization for Northern Civil War veterans, called for a nationwide day of remembrance later that month. “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,” he proclaimed.
The date of Decoration Day, as he called it, was chosen because it wasn’t the anniversary of any particular battle.
On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, and 5,000 participants decorated the graves of the 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried there.
Many Northern states held similar commemorative events and reprised the tradition in subsequent years; by 1890 each one had made Decoration Day an official state holiday. Southern states, on the other hand, continued to honor their dead on separate days until after World War I.
Memorial Day, as Decoration Day gradually came to be known, originally honored only those lost while fighting in the Civil War. But during World War I the United States found itself embroiled in another major conflict, and the holiday evolved to commemorate American military personnel who died in all wars, including World War II, The Vietnam War, The Korean War and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
For decades, Memorial Day continued to be observed on May 30, the date Logan had selected for the first Decoration Day. But in 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May in order to create a three-day weekend for federal employees; the change went into effect in 1971. The same law also declared Memorial Day a federal holiday.
Source: The History Channel
From a road trip around North Texas to a colorful car show, Nocona is gearing up for its 11th annual springtime festival Cruisin’ Nocona on May 3-4 with lots of family fun activities.
Enjoy the popular Poker Cruise on May 3 as drivers travel a 120-mile trek through the countryside of Montague County enjoying several stops along the way before looping back to Nocona for lunch.
Early-bird registration is $50. Forms are available at the Nocona Chamber of Commerce office at 304 Clay St. #3 or go online to Nocona.org/events to get a form. After April 25 the cost goes up to $65.
There will be on-site registration from 9 – 10:30 a.m. that day at 915 E. U.S. Highway 82, where the cruise starts at 11 a.m. Each driver gets a goodie bag with a Cruisin’ Nocona T-shirt and ticket for the cruise lunch. Additional lunch tickets may be purchased for $20.
First-third place prizes will be awarded to the best poker hands. There will be a big truck light show at 8:30 p.m. at The V at 8:30 p.m. Friday night.
A pancake breakfast served from 8-10 a.m. at The V opens Saturday morning followed by downtown Nocona being filled with classic cars and big trucks for Cruisin’ Car Show. This is the second year to include the big trucks set up along Clay and West Walnut Streets.
Prizes will be awarded to the top 10 cars and pickups, top five motorcycles, Big Truck People’s Choice and Big Truck that traveled the farthest to the show. All makes and models welcomed to enter. Forms are available on the chamber’s website.
The car show will have registration from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Clay and W. Walnut with judging from 1-3 p.m. Awards will be presented at 4 p.m. at the H.J. Justin Building, 100 Clay.
There will be a power wheel car show from 3-4 p.m. in the Justin building. Cecil Allen Moore will entertain at the same location starting at 5 p.m.
Bowie High School staff and students celebrated its first “Signing Day” on April 25 looking on as three seniors signed their letters of intent to pursue different paths to higher education.
Principal Joanne Keeler said she was excited to present this program and show students the success they can have if they work hard and they also could be signing up for their future. She hopes to see the program expand adding more students who are planning their futures.
Jacobi McGregor signed his letter of intent to attend Ottawa University in Kansas on a powerflifting scholarship. He plans to study sports administration.
Iron Atkinson will be joining the United States Army. His grandmother Sherri Waldrop, looked on as he signed the paperwork.
Traycee Stewart, daughter of Susan and James Stewart, will attending West Texas State A&M University on a music education scholarship.
Read the full story on signing day in the mid-week Bowie News.
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Gold-Burg High School’s one-act play, “Interview,” advanced to state competition in Austin after an outstanding performance at regionals last Friday.
The Bears advance with eight other plays with a chance to take the state title on May 13. Students taking honors at regionals were Izzy Rohde who won Best All Around Female Performer. Director Linda Fitzner said Rohde is an eighth grader and they had to obtain permission for her to move up and participate in one-act.
Levi Hellinger and Barrett Allen won All Star Cast and Aidan Foster received a special individual lighting award. Jimena Garcia was honorable mention All Star Cast.
There will be a public show at 4 p.m. May 5 in the Bowie Junior High Auditorium.
For Gold-Burg this is their first time to take a one-act play to state. They have made it to regionals two or three other times, but it is the first for state.
Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.
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