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Community
IRON COUNTY—In honor of Memorial Day, May 31, Iron County will reflect on the sacrifices made and lives lost by ordinary Americans in service to their country.
Ceremonies will take place Memorial Day morning at cemeteries around the county, led by the West Side and East Side Veterans councils.
Crystal Falls/Amasa: Memorial Day ceremonies in Crystal Falls are arranged by the East Side Veterans Council. Observances start with a short parade that lines up at the intersection of Washington Avenue and Logan Street at 8:30 a.m.
The parade starts at 9 a.m. and marches to the ceremony area at Evergreen Memorial Cemetery, where the program will be held. There will be no parade in Amasa.
Christopher Sholander, the master of ceremonies, will welcome attendees. After the invocation, the Forest Park High School Band will play the National Anthem.
The main speaker will be Steve Rhoades, who will also deliver the invocation. Rhoades was born in Iowa to a clergy family who served churches in the Midwest, South and Pacific Northwest. He attended high school in Portland, graduating in 1972. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Vennard College in 1977 before going on to earn his master’s degree in divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary in 1983.
Rhoades was ordained in 1984 and served a Wesleyan Church congregation in Madison, Wisconsin from 1983-1994.
He and his wife Debra and their son Michael moved to Crystal Falls in 1994 where Rhoades served the Crystal Falls/Amasa United Methodist Charge. He has also served appointments in Marquette and the L’Anse/Zeba/Sidnaw circuit.
In July 2019, Rhoades retired to the family home south of Lake Mary.
Following Rhoades’ speech and music by the Forest Park band, the VFW Auxiliary will lead the wreath ceremony, followed by a volley by the color guard.
There will be a wreath placed in the river at the 82nd Memorial followed by taps played by Army Staff Sgt. Christy Gervais of the Army National Band.
After the ceremony, participants will go directly to the Amasa Cemetery.
In case of inclement weather, the parade will be canceled, and an announcement made on WIKB radio. The service will be held inside the Eddie Chambers Memorial Gym at Forest Park High School starting at 9:30 a.m.
Anyone is welcome to help place flags on the graves at Evergreen Memorial Cemetery. That will be done May 29 at 9 a.m. Doughnuts and coffee will be served.
Stambaugh: Members of American Legion Reino Post 21 will place flags on the graves of veterans at Stambaugh Cemetery on Sunday, May 30, at 9 a.m.
The Memorial Day program on May 31 starts at 10:30 a.m. at the Stambaugh Cemetery flagpole. Senior Master Sargent Marie Brunswick (USAF retired) will be the master of ceremonies.
The flag will be raised by members of the Caspian-Gaastra Fire Department. Master Sargent Gerald Williams (USAF retired), chaplain of the West Side Veterans Council), will give the invocation and benediction.
Linda Nasser and Linda Johnson, members of the Post 21 Ladies Auxiliary, will place a wreath on a cross in honor of all deceased veterans. West Iron County students will give recitations.
This year’s guest speaker will be James (Butch) Testini, who is a retired contractor and businessman with several years of dedicated service to the community. Testini currently serves at vice commander of the Sons of the American Legion Squadron 21 and is currently volunteering his skills to repair the War Memorial in Iron River.
Testini and his wife Marlene live in Caspian.
The Stambaugh Cemetery program will conclude with the firing of the volley by members of the Reino Post 21 firing squad and the playing of taps.
In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will take place at the Caspian-Gaastra Fire Hall.
American Legion Reino Post 21 will also conduct a Memorial Day service at the Iron River Care Center at 1:30 p.m. All are welcome to attend.
Bates Township: The Memorial Day service at the Bates Township Cemetery will start at 8 a.m. with a flag-raising ceremony by members of Veterans of Foreign War Post 3134 of Iron River and the West Side Veterans Council.
The vocalist will be Jessica Thibodeau, while the invocation and benediction will be given by Pastor Corey Shankleton of Northgate Church in Bates Township.
The main speaker will be Brian Rippey, retired Air Force Sargent, and retired Michigan State trooper.
Refreshments will be served immediately after the ceremony at the Bates Township Hall. In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be moved to the Township Hall.
Beechwood: Ceremonies at Rosehill Cemetery in Beechwood begin at 8 a.m., after the AMVETS Post 436 color guard marches to the site.
The wreath will be placed by Harlie and Gracyn Melstrom, who will lead the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance. Trumpeter Curt Brendel will play the national anthem.
Pat Turner, the master of ceremonies, will introduce the Post Chaplain Dale Melstrom, who will give the invocation and benediction.
Melina and Annalia Lopez will give a patriotic reading, followed by a musical presentation by Krista Gussert and Gary Friestrom.
The Memorial Day address will be given by Lieutenant Col. Frank Jirik, retired from the U.S. Army and AMVETS Post No. 436 commander. After his remarks, Brendel will play “America,” after which the roll call will be read, and the benediction given. The Post 436 color guard will fire the volley, and Brendel will also play taps.
Immediately after the program, everyone is invited to relax and visit at the Beechwood Hall for a Memorial Day social.
Iron River: Memorial Day events begin at 8:30 a.m. with the firing of a volley by the American Legion Post 17 at the Iron River Cemetery.
At 9:30, the West Side Veterans Council will lead a ceremony at the War Memorial on Genesee Street. This will be followed by a parade up Genesee Street. The president of the Legion Post 17 Auxiliary will present the wreath at the memorial.
A parade will immediately follow up Genesee Street.
The service at Resthaven Cemetery starts at 11 a.m. Duane Ridolphi will be the guest speaker. Ridolphi is a retired Navy veteran, who began his post-high school career in the Coast Guard. Upon completion of several Naval training assignments, he was assigned to the fast attack submarine USS Sunfish stationed in South Carolina. His next assignment was on a missile carrying the submarine USS Von Steuben. In 1989 he accepted assignment to the Trident Program a new class of submarines.
After receiving training in Bangor, Washington, he was assigned to the USS Ohio that operated in the Pacific area. After completing his tour, he was selected to serve as the Assistant Communications Officer for a Submarine Squadron on the West Coast. His next assignment was on a submarine modified to support the operations of the Navy Seals. His final assignment was as a Communications Watch Officer that provided secure voice and data communications to deployed submarines in the Atlantic operating area.
Duane is married to the former Shelley Viitala and they have two sons, Shaun and Ryan.
Following the Resthaven ceremony, the program will be repeated at noon at the cemetery in Alvin, Wis.