INSIDE
: Hoops stars profess their faith after rivalry game Volume 3, Issue 31 December 26, 2025
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More Christmas Memories By Sharon Hallack & Amanda Dodge The Oceana Echo Community Correspondents
Mark & Amy Ramthun place wreaths on veterans' graves.
Local veterans were on hand to present the colors.
Wreaths Across America remembers and honors hundreds of area veterans By Claire Marshall
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North Weare Cemeteries by a collaborative effort The Oceana Echo Community Correspondent between the Michigan Dunes Chapter of the Saturday, Dec. 13 DAR and the volunteer marked the second an- group Friends of Pentwanual wreath-laying at ter Township Cemetery. Co-coordinators of Pentwater Township Cemetery in participa- the event and ceremony tion with Wreaths Across are Shannon Larson and America, an organization Melissa Grondsma - who that for over 30 years has delivered closing remarks sought to remember and at Pentwater Township honor deceased U.S. vet- and North Weare respecerans during the holiday tively. Larson was inseason. It was also the spired to bring Wreaths first year that veterans of Across America to PentNorth Weare Cemetery water after years of drivhave been similarly hon- ing to Holly, Michigan, to lay wreaths at Great ored. Participation in the Lakes National Cemetery. WAA’s simultaneous As a member of the DAR wreath-laying ceremony and founder of Friends - celebrated by count- of Pentwater Township less people at cemeter- Cemetery, Larson knew ies across the nation and of the numerous veterans abroad - was brought to buried in Pentwater cemPentwater Township and eteries and how they’d passed this occasion year after year without being properly honored. There are 374 veterans in Pentwater Township Cemetery and 63 more in North Weare, some of whom have served in wars as early as the Civil War and even the War of 1812. The event began at noon at Pentwater Township Cemetery with an introduction from Larson, presentation of the colors, the Pledge of Allegiance, and an opening state-
ment from Air Force Veteran Ray Hilderbrandt. Brenda Hilderbrandt (also of DAR and Friends) directed the laying of the first eight wreaths, each representing a different branch of the American military and those soldiers missing in action or prisoners of war. The wreaths were laid by Girl Scout Troop 8350 and Boy Scout Troop 1155. Following was a performance of taps on trumpet by Rodney Grondsma and Klayton Ruggles with final remarks by Larson. The dozens of volunteers who braved the bitter cold and snow were then asked to choose a wreath from one of several stations located across the 20-acre cemetery to place at the grave of a veteran, helpfully identified by a flag placed at their headstone. Along with laying a wreath at a headstone, volunteers were instructed to spend a moment with the veteran they were honoring by saying their name out loud and thanking them for their service before taking time to spruce up the wreath and place it where the veteran’s name is still legible. Following the laying of wreaths at Pentwater Township Cemetery, volunteers had an hour’s
break before they were invited to do the same at North Weare. In the meantime, volunteers could fortify themselves with refreshments made available by volunteers. Chili was provided by Maureen Murphy alongside homemade cookies, cocoa and hot cider by Steve and Sue Thomas. Prior to the event, the cemetery walkways were plowed by Ryan’s Lawncare of Pentwater, and busing was provided to and from the cemetery at Pentwater’s VFW building. The crowd of volunteers hardly dwindled between the two ceremonies, with plenty of hands to finish the wreath-layings at North Weare at 2 p.m. The volunteers seemed unaffected by the freezing temperatures, winter weather, and slick roads when it came to honoring our departed veterans for their selfless service to the people of our nation. During her speech, Larson reflected on the philosophy that “the dead die twice,” first when their life expires and again when their name is forgotten to the living. “It’s important to remember our veterans, and it’s important that they’re not forgotten.”
• Claire Marshall/Echo
Girl Scout Troop 8350 and Boy Scout Troop 1155 lay the first 8 wreaths.
Now that we are in the official 12 Days of Christmas, we are grateful that that warmth of the memories we shared last week brought joy to so many of you. Here are a few more trips down memory lane to take us into 2026! Rosemary Lambert from Shelby writes: When I was about 5 or 6, my dad was still out milking cows when I would wake up early and creep downstairs into our darkened living room, where the unlit Christmas tree and cardboard manger stood. Hanging on that tree was a little metal bell about 2 inches long, painted a shiny green on the outside. Mom was in the kitchen starting coffee under a bright fluorescent ceiling fixture, which cast a bit of light into the darkened living room. The challenge was for me to sneak to the bell in the tree without her supposedly knowing I was there. She would play along and exclaim, "Who's ringing that bell?" Then I would jump up laughing and say, "It's me!" It's one of those sweet memories of more cheerful family times that is all the more precious since in my later teen years we lost Mommie to cancer. Our adventures in that old farmhouse and the closeness our family shared will always live on in memory. AnnaMae Bush of Pentwater recalls: My mother grew up on a farm in Minnesota and left home at 19 for nursing school in New Jersey. She married there and raised her family of four children. Most of her family had remained in farming and rarely traveled far. Consequently, over 50 years, she could count on two hands the times she entertained her family members in her home, in New Jersey or in Holland, Michigan, where my parents moved in retirement. But one Christmas was special. A nephew who was a pastor had taken a call to a church in Traverse City, Michigan, and moved there with his family that included three sons close in age to Mom’s grandchildren. Mom invited them to celebrate Christmas with our whole family in Holland. To make it memorable, my father rented a horse-drawn wagon for a family hayride. We had a great time tossing the straw at one another and visiting in the joy of the occasion. Combined with mom’s great food and a small gift exchange, it was a holiday memory to treasure. Kevin VanDyke of Shelby shares: When I was 5 or 6, so back in the early to mid1960s, my grandmother, Gertrude Walters, would take my brothers and me to Hardy-Herpolsheimer's department store in Muskegon. They also had one in Grand Rapids, which was featured in "The Polar Express." I was amazed at the animatronic elves they had in the store windows busily working away. We got to ride on the escalator from the first floor to the second, and I remember Rudolph was in the basement of the store. We also got to visit with Santa, and right next to him was a chute, where you would push a button and a toy would slide down as a gift to you that day. I remember that my oldest brother received a large badge of some sort that year, and though I don't recall what I got, I remember the magic of it all.
Merry Christmas to all!
ATTENTION: We have an early deadline next week for the Oceana Echo & White Lake Mirror. We go to press Wednesday, Dec. 31 at noon.