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Flags brighten King cemetery

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Neela Gardner (left) of Winchester hands a flag to her cousin, Jaci Volp of Fremont, at the Central Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery in King. Lyn Strohmeyer brought the girls and three of her other grandchildren to the cemetery May 21 to place flags near headstones. Greg Seubert Photo Neela Gardner of Winchester

Volunteers continue tradition

By Greg Seubert


COVID-19 is behind the cancellation of most Memorial Day services throughout Wisconsin.

One longtime local tradition, however, is alive and well.

Volunteers showed up May 21 at the Central Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery in King to place thousands of flags near headstones.

One group included Lyn Strohmeyer of Fremont and five of her grandchildren: Bo, Neela and Theo Gardner of Winchester and Amari and Jaci Volp of Fremont.

Strohmeyer is president of the Fremont-based Wolf River American Legion Post 391 Auxiliary.

“My father was in the Battle of Okinawa in World War II,” she said. “He belonged to Post 391 and my mother belonged to the Auxiliary. All of my sisters and the granddaughters all belong. My father would come out with the Post and place the flags here in the ‘90s. I never did it because I was too busy.”

Flags up all weekend

In the past, volunteers would show up at the cemetery, located across the road from the Wisconsin Veterans Home, to place flags early on Memorial Day.

This year, however, the flags will be up for the entire weekend.

Bo Gardner placed flags with his brother, Theo. Theo held the flags as Bo poked holes in the ground.

“When they’re all going in the wind, it looks very neat,” Bo said. “A lot of my great-grandparents fought and some of my uncles fought in Vietnam. There are people who gave their lives for our freedom so we can be here today.”

Gardner has made the trip to King with his grandmother for about five years.

“Once my grandson got old enough, it was a tradition,” Strohmeyer said. “I bring them out when they’re around 10. The 7-year-old (Theo) is here by default.”

She said she enjoys bringing her grandchildren to spend a few hours at the cemetery, a final resting place for eligible veterans and their dependents since June 1888.

“I hope they learn that this country and everything that God has blessed us with didn’t come free,” Strohmeyer said. “Sacrifices were made along the way so that they don’t have to be at war or go to war. It’s teaching them respect and honor for those who have gone before us.”

The state Department of Veterans Affairs canceled this year’s Memorial Day waterfront service at the Wisconsin Veterans Home and the cemetery’s annual program and held a virtual ceremony online.

Although the service and program are called off, Strohmeyer encouraged people to visit the cemetery at some point during the weekend.

“I hope the younger people will take the old people out to just drive through so they can see,” she said. “It’s all walks of life, from the Civil War up all the way up to the present time. We’re in the old part of the cemetery, so this is the Civil War. The veterans home was opened for the Civil War vets and as they passed, they came right here. Nowadays, we are such a mobile society that they are coming from all over the world to be buried here.”

Strohmeyer said she is fortunate to have an opportunity for herself and her grandchildren to leave their mark at the cemetery.
“When I heard this was a go for the Wisconsin cemeteries, I was very disappointed that the federal cemeteries couldn’t figure it out,” she said. “This is a privilege.”

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