Editorial

Remembrance and Honor

by Ruth Isenberg

Memorial Day weekend was beautiful, with cloud-free sunny skies, and perfect summer temperatures. It was also the perfect opportunity to remember the men and women who died while serving this county. Many people did just that, marching in or attending parades and memorial services. Despite its status as the unofficial start of summer festivities, Memorial Day is a holiday that is, and should be, tinged with sadness, with pride, and with healing.

It began as Decoration Day after the Civil War, and that is when the healing aspect began. In the south, women decorated the graves of soldiers who died in the many battles. But they didn’t just decorate the graves of fallen Rebel soliders. They also decorated the graves of their foes, the Union war dead. It was a small gesture, but an acknowledgement that despite the war and the bitter disagreements behind it, the men who died were human beings, mourned by those left behind, often far from home and those who loved them.

After World War I and World War II, many more of those who died were buried far from their homes—gone, but never forgotten. They were honored not only by their families, but also by the people they fought to liberate across the sea.

Memorial Day would be a good time for us to not only remember the sacrifices of men and women who have died while fighting for our country, but also to consider trying to heal the divisions that threaten the peace and stability of our nation today. We are still one country, despite our differences, and men and women have died to preserve that country and its liberties. We need to remember and honor their sacrifices.

The local festival season got a big start on Memorial Day weekend, with a super-successful Irish Festival attracting “fantastic…record attendance,” according to The Big Two’s general manager Melanie Murphy. The Mountain Laurel Resort’s Country Music Festival packed the ballroom there. And in White Haven, the return of the St. Patrick’s Church Bazaar drew more people than there was food prepared for (a good thing), raising money to maintain the parish.

White Haven resident Ray Ward has obtained a retired caboose through his work at Henkels & McCoy. “Ward, now retired after 26 years with H&M, managed to secure the also retired caboose…” Ward is now negotiating with property owners to place the caboose in the White Haven Thriftway Plaza, near to Wilmot Engineering.

The front page photos show Civil War re-enactors offering an honor guard salute to honor Civil War veterans buried in the Laurel Cemetery in White Haven.

The Weatherly Lions will hold their meetings outdoors at Tweedle Park starting on June 7.

Eleanor and Philip Jeffries, Sr., celebrated their 50th anniversary in marriage on May 8 with a family party in Lancaster. The couple was married by candlelight at 8 p.m. on Friday, May 14, 1943, at the Methodist Church in Wooster, Ohio. The couple met at the Ravenna Ordinance Plant.

Hundreds of perennials have just arrived at Gerry & Mike’s Nursery.

Dan Simon contributed a very complete Veterans’ column with details on jobs outreach.

Life Scout Kenneth DeVito presented a bike safety and inspection course for his Eagle Scout project. The event drew a respectable crowd.

Ed Gower reported that the Lions team continued their winning streak, topping the Thriftway team to claim the first half title in the White Haven Area Sports league standings. Gower also reported that the White Haven Babe Ruth earned another win, this over the Mountaintop Royals last Tuesday.

Wagner Brothers has extended their undefeated start in the Weatherly Area Girls Softball Association to 6 – 0.

James Jancewicz hurled a no hitter, striking out 11 batters as the Fire Company downed the Legion 3-1 in recent Weatherly Little League action.

Crestwood’s Bob Hines came back from the PIAA Track & Field Championships with a bronze medal in the 800meter run, and a sixth place as the anchor of Crestwood’s 1600-meter relay team with Matt Louvet, Jason Pawlowski and Jason Rice.

Weatherly’s Troy Gregory, a member of the Lebanon Valley College Flying Dutchman basketball team, travelled with the team on a seven-day European Goodwill Tour. The team was to do some sightseeing and play against some club teams.

Phil Engman Rambled

On about the NBA playoffs, baseball, and the NHL’s Stanley Cup (predicting Montreal in six without the Pittsburgh Penguins in the picture).

Ruth and I reviewed a meal at O’Donnell’s Tavern, east of Freeland. It was a fine meal for two, for under $20 total.

The Carbon County Sesqui ’93 parade will be held in Weatherly on June 12 at 4 p.m. Weatherly’s Sesqui ’93 festival will be ongoing in Eurana Park on June 12 and 13 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and the Weatherly Hill Climb will also run both days.

From The Journal Issue of June 3, 1943

Publisher W. C. Taylor

At the formal dedication of the honor roll, the display was unveiled by three mothers who each had four children serving in the armed forces: Mrs. Ruby Lachette, Mrs. Alex Lemich and Mrs. George Swerdon.

The sum of $92.70 was turned in by the Girl Scouts on Saturday for the sale of poppies, to the American Legion Auxiliary.

The State highway between East Side Borough line to Lehigh Tannery received its final dressing of oil on Sunday, and is a decided improvement.