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Look Back: Graves decorated to honor fallen

It’s more than a headstone. The Civil War gravestone above, standing near the edge of the Bethel Presbyterian Church Cemetery near Waverly, represents the life of Joseph Barron, a farmer, enrolled in the Union Army at Marietta in 1861. He was then 25 years old, had blue eyes, brown hair and a florid complexion. Private Barron survived the war. He was honorably discharged on March 30, 1865 at Washington, D.C. What we celebrate today as Memorial Day was first recognized in 1868 as Decoration Day, a day to honor Union soldiers who died in the Civil War. Near the turn of 19th Century, it was changed to Memorial Day, honoring veterans of all wars. For this 2017 Memorial Day, Joseph Barron’s headstone will represent the thousands of headstones throughout Wood County, honoring the lives and service of all those who have made themselves available to protect the rights and freedoms of our United States of America. (Photo Provided)

Camp Jenkins C.S.A.: Ladies And Gentlemen To Decorate The Graves Of Confederate Soldiers

Those who were designated to place Memorial Day decorations and flowers on graves are requested to meet at Judge McCluer’s office, Saturday morning at nine o’clock. They will proceed from there in carriages to Riverview where there are five Confederate graves; to the Off Fellows where there are three; to Holliday’s, where there are three; to Dils and Foley’s cemetery where there is one; to Neal’s up the Sand road, where there is one; and to Tavenner’s, where there is one, making 14 in all.

Parkersburg Daily

State Journal

May 28, 1891

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Memorial Day At Riverview Cemetery; Impressive Services Left Til Afternoon

The decorating of the soldiers graves had been left until afternoon when it was done in the presence of a vast assemblage. There on a stand erected for the time a little girl repeated verses appropriate for Memorial Day and the dead heroes. Then came the address of the day. It was delivered by the Hon. George Loomis and was a masterpiece of eloquence.

There was an abundance of the most beautiful flowers furnished by the ladies, and the school children, under the direction of Capt. Shaw, made a beautiful picture.

Parkersburg Daily

State Journal

May 30, 1891

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Memorial Day

Today is the Knights of Pythias Memorial Day, set aside at the last session of the Supreme Lodge of the World as a time for the decoration of the graves of buried Knights. This is the first observance and is being celebrated all over the country. In this city there was no public demonstration, but under the supervision of Hope Lodge, No. 10, K. of P. and by direction of Grand Chancellor J.W. Mather, the graves of nine deceased members of the order were appropriately and beautifully decorated. There are six graves of Knights in the Odd Fellows’ cemetery [behind PHS stadium], two in Holliday’s [end of Sixth Street] and one in Cook’s [Riverview].

Parkersburg Daily

State Journal

June 11, 1889

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Decorating The Graves

Andrew Mather Post G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic) has detailed the following men to see that soldier’s graves in the following cemeteries are decorated on Decoration Day:

Wadesville- Otto Shultz; Cedar Grove- D.W. Welch; Tracewell’s- J.G. Kesterson; Hoyts- M.V. Traugh; Mt. Pleasant- David Stewart; Mt. Moriah, Low Gap, Harkness and Davis- J.W. Postlewait; Kincheloe- J.L. Bailey; Red Hill- George Beorn; Bethel- Joseph Fisher; Williamstown- Thomas Prettyman; Briscoe- Wm. Bell; Lubeck- J.S. Kesterson and Wm. Hall; Bethel SouthSide- J.G. Kesterson; Tavennerville- Wm. Kirk and John Baker.

Parkersburg Daily

State Journal

May 18, 1898

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