West Virginia State Treasurer Riley Moore spoke Friday at the Purple Heart Proclamation Day ceremony, held at The Sunset Memory Gardens Cemetery, as it became the first Purple Heart cemetery to be recognized in the state of West Virginia. (Photo Provided)

PARKERSBURG — Sunset Memory Gardens Cemetery in Parkersburg received a prestigious honor on Friday.

Sunset Memory Gardens Cemetery was named the only Purple Heart Cemetery in the Mid-Ohio Valley and the state of West Virginia.

A ceremony was held inside the Sunset Memorial Funeral Home where a proclamation was presented by the state of West Virginia. The cemetery and funeral home are located on Dupont Road/W.Va. 95 in south Parkersburg.

Dwight Ullman, general manager, was ecstatic to be a part of the special recognition and noted its importance.

“It is because of our veterans that we are even here to be able to accept this dedication,” he said, “Many of our veterans go without the praise they deserve, so it’s remarkable to get to be a part of this historical honor and we will do our part in ensuring the veterans are always remembered.”

The Sunset Memory Gardens Cemetery became the first Purple Heart cemetery in the state of West Virginia on Friday. (Photo by Maria Rutherford)

With the state’s proclamation of Sunset Memory Gardens Cemetery as the only Purple Heart Cemetery in West Virginia, the funeral home plans to research the number of Purple Heart recipients who are buried there and will eventually construct a wall to honor each Purple Heart recipient located in the cemetery.

“It is a great honor to commemorate Purple Heart recipients buried here, along with their families and all veterans, marking The Memory Gardens Cemetery the very first Purple Heart cemetery in West Virginia,” said State Treasurer Riley Moore.

Maria Rutherford can be reached via mrutherford@newsandsentinel.com.