DECORATION DAY

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DECORATION DAY -- A SOUTHERN TRADITION? Decoration Day appears to be a tradition found mainly in the Southeastern United States. Usually, the day before the Decoration Day, members of the family gather to clean the grave site by pulling up weeds, treating ant beds, removing old flower arrangements, leaves and other natural debris, and so on, particularly in cemeteries that are not "perpetual care". Some cemeteries have graves that are now flattened for mowing and have perpetual care, but in others, all weeds are removed from the grave and sand, dirt, or gravel is heaped to cover the grave. Some of the smaller cemeteries have no maintenance except that done by churches, family members, nearby home owners, or community volunteers (such as Scouts and individuals). It is my personal belief that these traditions evolved when people were buried in a blanket or pine box and over time, the grave would sink so additional dirt, sand, or rock was mounded up to compensate as well as to help mark the grave. PLEASE CONSIDER NOTIFYING ME OF THE DAY DECORATION IS HELD AT YOUR CHURCH/CEMETERY.  (w4ctk@farmerstel.com)
THE MONTHS OF MAY AND JUNE May  1st SATURDAY: Smith Cemetery  1st SUNDAY: Fairview Methodist Church Cemetery Green's Chapel Cemetery Lebanon Cemetery-Lebanon, AL Union Hill Cemetery (Pumpkin Center)--near Fischer, AL   2nd SUNDAY: Crossville Cemetery (aka Melvin's Chapel in very early days)--Crossville, AL Corinth Church Cemetery/aka Fyffe Cemetery--Fyffe, AL Deer Head Cove Cemetery (aka Cagle Cemetery)--clean up is on the 2nd Saturday Glenwood Cemetery -- Fort Payne, AL Husky (aka Jennings) Chapel Cemetery--Lookout Mountain (*2nd or 3rd Sunday?) Lusk Chapel Cemetery Miller's Chapel Cemetery-Pleasant Hill Community  Skirum Cemetery Stewart Cemetery--Lookout Mountain Trinity Methodist- Cemetery-Sylvania, AL Unity Baptist- Cemetery-Sylvania, AL Walker's Chapel Cemetery--near Dogtown, AL Whitehall Cemetery--10 a.m.   3rd SATURDAY:  Adamsburg Cemetery (?Liberty Hill Cemetery)--Adamsburg, AL  Black Oak Cemetery-3rd Saturday before the 4th Sunday--Cherokee County, AL   ***(This is not Black Oak Cemetery at Grove Oak, AL)*** Henegar Cemetery (Saturday before the 3rd Sunday-sometimes is on the 3rd Saturday) Mt. Herman Cemetery Mt. Vernon Cemetery   3rd SUNDAY: Beulah Baptist Cemetery Green's Chapel Cemetery Little River Cemetery -- Mentone, AL Mt. Pleasant Cemetery Nazareth Baptist Church Cemetery (aka Warren's Graveyard)--near Rainsville, AL Pine Grove Methodist Cemetery Town Creek Baptist- Cemetery-Rainsville, AL Violet Hill Cemetery--Valley Head Wesley's Chapel Cemetery--Co. Rd. 27 near Sylvania 4th SUNDAY: Bankhead Cemetery -- Mentone, AL Gravel Hill Baptist Cemetery--Collbran, AL Hopewell Baptist Church Cemetery Kirk Memorial Cemetery--near Powell's Crossroad--Rainsville, AL Lankford Cemetery Miller's Chapel Cemetery--Pleasant Hill Community New Home FCM Cemetery--Fyffe, AL (?4th Sunday) Valley Head Cemetery -- Valley Head, AL Last SUNDAY: (sometimes the 4th Sunday and sometimes a 5th Sunday) Mountain View Memory Gardens -- near Chavies and Pleasant Hill Community, AL Union Grove Cemetery--Crossville, AL   JUNE First Sunday: Walnut Grove Cemetery--north Fort Payne, on Hwy 11 *Additional dates/cemeteries will be added as made available to webmaster.
GRAPHICS PROVIDED BY: "Memories" from free graphics by unknown artist.