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Tuesday, October 15, 2024
HomeCommunityMemorial Day Ceremony at Silver Bay Veterans Home

Memorial Day Ceremony at Silver Bay Veterans Home

Memorial Day, observed on the last Monday of May in the United States, is dedicated to re­membering and honoring the brave men and women who died while serving in the U.S. mili­tary. For many Americans, it’s a time for solemn reflection and gratitude, visiting cemeteries and memorials to place flags on the graves of fallen soldiers.

It’s also the unofficial beginning of summer, with brats and beer and outdoor activities.

The Veterans Home in Silver Bay is deeply honoring service members who made the ulti­mate sacrifice with a significant public event on Memorial Day, May 27, at 1:30 p.m. The program is open to residents, their families and friends, and the general public. Weather permit­ting, the festivities will be held outside.

What was an annual tradition, the public Me­morial Day event was suspended during the last few years because of the COVID pandemic. This year, the Veterans Home is hosting a pub­lic event for the first time, and there is a strong sense of community commitment to making it a success. Your presence and support are greatly appreciated.

“We need to get visitors back,” said Randall Walz, Volunteer Service Coordinator.

The American Legion Color Guard, which consists of veterans from across Lake County, will present the colors for the ceremony.

The chaplain at the Veterans Home, who is also the commander of the Two Harbors Amer­ican Legion, will offer a blessing and introduce the two speakers, one representing the mili­tary tradition and one representing the families served by the Veterans Homes in Minnesota.

First to speak is Dale Hoogeveen, Past Com­mander of the Minnesota Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). He will be followed by Dan O’Neill, the brother of a former, long-time resident of the Silver Bay Veterans Home. The program will wrap up with refreshments and a social hour. According to Walz, visitors play a crucial role in uplifting the residents’ and their families’ spirits and well-being.

Your presence on Memorial Day is a way to honor those veterans who are still with us and the good people who deliver quality care every day. A valuable asset for the City of Silver Bay and Lake County, the good people working at the home consider it an honor to provide the highest care to those who answered our nation’s call.

They’ve been at it since 1991, delivering a range of services, including skilled nursing care and specialized dementia care.

Steve Fernlund
Steve Fernlund
Typically these “about me” pages include a list of academic achievements (I have none) and positions held (I have had many, but who really cares about those?) So, in the words of the late Admiral James Stockwell, “Who am I? Why am I here?” I’m well into my seventh decade on this blue planet we call home. I’m a pretty successful husband, father, and grandfather, at least in my humble opinion. My progeny may disagree. We have four children and five grandchildren. I spent most of my professional life in the freight business. At the tender age of 40, early retirement beckoned and we moved to Grand Marais. A year after we got here, we bought and operated the Cook County News Herald, a weekly newspaper in Grand Marais. A sharp learning curve for a dumb freight broker to become a newspaper editor and publisher. By 1999 the News Herald was an acquisition target for a rapidly consolidating media market. We sold our businesses and “retired” again, buying a winter retreat in Nevada. In the fall of 2016, we returned to Grand Marais and bought a house from old friends of ours on the ridge overlooking Lake Superior. They were able to move closer to family and their Mexico winter home. And we came home to what we say is our last house. I’m a strong believer in the value of local newspapers--both online and those you can wrap a fish in. I write a weekly column and a couple of feature stories for the Northshore Journal. I’m most interested in writing about the everyday lives of local people and reporting on issues of importance to them.
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