Honoring veterans, celebrating Memorial Day weekend in Lewiston

Piper shares details on veterans monument ceremony

Hello everyone. I cordially invite you to join us for the dedication of the new veterans monument on Sunday, May 24, at 1 p.m. in the Village Cemetery behind the old stone church in the Oakwood Section of the cemetery (South Fifth and Cayuga streets).

Two years in the making, this project is now complete. This being the 250th birthday of our country, I decided it was time to honor those veterans who fought in the Revolutionary War through Vietnam. I chose to do this as a lot of the early gravestones are difficult to read, tipped over, broken or missing.

With this custom monument, all veterans are listed in accordance with the war(s) they fought in. In working with Tom Collister, curator of the HAL Museum, it has been determined that 72 veterans are known to be interred in cemetery grounds. Exact lists document the names in order of their service to our country.

I have enlisted the Rev. Susan Cox Keppy to officiate at the ceremony. We will be joined with an Honor Guard from the Lewiston VFW Post 7487, a 21-gun rifle salute from the Newfane American Legion Post 873, to honor our veterans and their sacrifices in the service of our country. Also, there will be the raising of the colors and a wreath-laying segment, as well as historical characters.

Any and all veterans past and present are encouraged to attend, in uniform if so desired, to be included in the honors. Members of all veterans and American Legion posts are encouraged to witness this historical event, as well as any officials of the towns, villages and cities in the county. 

I will be acknowledging the donors who made this monument a reality during the ceremony.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, a second ceremony will be held to consecrate the newly installed columbarium in which I collaborated with the village officials to create a memorial garden allowing the cemetery to remain a working cemetery. Being the oldest cemetery in the county, for which I have and still volunteer my time and efforts to keep it maintained as a historical site.

There are currently 24 niches available for sale at a cost of $1,500 each. The cost of lettering the faceplates is the responsibility of the owner. Inquiries concerning purchase may be made at the village clerk's office during regular business hours.

There are tentative plans for possibly adding a second one in the future. Again, this project has been in the making for just slightly over two years while the legalities were addressed.

I hope to see everyone in attendance. This has been my largest project in an attempt to preserve and showcase the vast history in the village, as well as creating a museum in the Red Brick School to allow access to view my personal collection of local history.

I remain:

Russ Piper

Village of Lewiston Historian/Cemetery Gatekeeper

Memorial Day in Lewiston

Bruce Andrews, left, owner of Great Lakes Real Estate, presents his annual donation of 1,000 U.S. flags to Victor Eydt, chairman of the Lewiston Memorial Day Remembrance Committee. The flags will be distributed before this year’s parade.

For the past eight years, Great Lakes Real Estate has generously donated U.S. flags to be distributed by a local Boy Scout Troop before the start of the annual parade.

Memorial Day activities in the Village of Lewiston begin with an 11 a.m. parade. The route begins at Fourth and Center streets and proceeds to Academy Park and the “Circle of Honor” veterans memorial. The parade is rain or shine. Center Street will be closed to vehicles starting at 9 a.m.

Residents, visitors, families and children are invited to watch the parade.

At noon, VFW Downriver Post 7487 will hold a memorial service to honor fallen veterans. (Submitted photo)