Memorial Day events planned across the valley
<p><span><strong>Members of the</strong> Flathead Marines and other volunteers spruce up the Veterans Memorial in Kalispell’s Depot Park on Saturday. W.D. Dillworth of Columbia Falls, left, and Larry Norton of Kalispell, father of one of the Flathead Marines, add sand to the brick joints for greater stability. A Memorial Day ceremony will be at 11 a.m. today at Depot Park. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</span></p><div> </div>
Ceremonies across the Flathead Valley will commemorate Memorial Day Monday. Community members are welcome and veterans are encouraged to attend.
• The Bigfork American Legion Post 86 will present Memorial Day services at the following cemeteries:
Bigfork Community at 9 a.m. and Little Brown Church at 9:30 a.m.
• United Veterans of the Flathead Valley will present military honors at various locations and cemeteries around the valley. The public is invited to attend these ceremonies at any location.
10:30 a.m. — Glacier Memorial Gardens Cemetery, Kalispell
11 a.m. — Veterans Memorial, Depot Park, Kalispell
11:45 a.m. — VFW luncheon, Post 2252, Kalispell
12:45 p.m. — Flag retirement and raising, C.E. Conrad Memorial Cemetery
1:45 p.m. — Fairview Cemetery
2:30 p.m. — Veterans Memorial, Marantette Park, Columbia Falls
3 p.m. — Woodlawn Cemetery, Columbia Falls
3:30 p.m. — Veterans Home Cemetery, Columbia Falls
• Columbia Falls American Legion Freedom Post 72 will conduct a formal wreath-laying from the U.S. 2 bridge in honor of all service people lost at sea. The public is invited to attend.
The ceremony will begin at 1 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Wall in Marantette Park with a march or walk to the bridge for a short memorial service.
Participants then will return to the Memorial Wall for the unveiling of the first bronze plaque engraved with local veterans names at approximately 1:45 p.m.
For more information, call Post Commander Mike Shephard at 250-9806.
• Fairview Cemetery’s annual Memorial Day service will start with an Honor Guard presentation at 1:45 p.m. Kelly Hartman will officiate the ceremony at 2 p.m. The public is welcome to attend.
The cemetery is located at 1225 Fairview Cemetery Road in Columbia Falls.
• A Memorial Day parade is planned at 3 p.m. in downtown Whitefish. The parade starts at Central School.
A wreath-laying ceremony at the Veterans Memorial Bridge is at 3:15 p.m. The parade continues to the Whitefish Cemetery for unveiling of new memorial plaque. An after-parade barbecue follows at the VFW on Baker Avenue.
For more information, contact Dennis Dreyer at 862-4605.
• Polson’s annual Memorial Day parade will start at noon downtown at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Main Street and end at First Citizens Bank. Following the parade there will be a ceremony at Lake View Cemetery. Participation is open to all veterans.
For more information, call 847-331-5518.