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 SUNDAY: Fairview Methodist Church Green's Chapel Lebanon Cemetery-Lebanon, AL Union Hill (Pumpkin Center)--near Fischer, AL   2nd SUNDAY: Crossville Cemetery (aka Melvin's Chapel in very early days)--Crossville, AL Corinth Church/aka Fyffe Cemetery--Fyffe, AL Glenwood Cemetery -- Fort Payne, AL Husky (aka Jennings) Chapel Cemetery--Lookout Mountain (*2nd or 3rd Sunday?) Lusk Chapel Miller's Chapel Cemetery-Pleasant Hill Community  Skirum Cemetery Stewart Cemetery--Lookout Mountain Trinity Methodist--Sylvania, AL Unity Baptist--Sylvania, AL Walker's Chapel--near Dogtown, AL Whitehall--10 a.m.   3rd SATURDAY:  Adamsburg (?Liberty Hill Cemetery)--Adamsburg, AL  Black Oak-3rd Saturday before the 4th Sunday--Cherokee County, AL   ***(This is not Black Oak Cemetery at Grove Oak, AL)*** Henegar (Saturday before the 3rd Sunday-sometimes is on the 3rd Saturday) Mt. Vernon   3rd SUNDAY: Beulah Baptist Green's Chapel Little River Cemetery -- Mentone, AL Mt. Pleasant Cemetery Nazareth Baptist Church (aka Warren's Graveyard)--near Rainsville, AL Pine Grove Methodist Town Creek Baptist--Rainsville, AL Violet Hill--Valley Head Wesley's Chapel--Co. Rd. 27 near Sylvania 4th SUNDAY: Bankhead Cemetery -- Mentone, AL Gravel Hill Baptist--Collbran, AL Hopewell Baptist Church Cemetery Kirk Memorial--near Powell's Crossroad--Rainsville, AL Miller's Chapel Cemetery--Pleasant Hill Community New Home FCM--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--north Fort Payne, on Hwy 11 *Additional dates/cemeteries will be added as made available to webmaster.
GRAPHICS PROVIDED BY: "Tombstone" from free graphics by Chris Sternes, graphics artist "Memories" from free graphics by unknown artist.