Happy Memorial Day

I thought I should give everyone a bit of a history lesson since tomorrow is Memorial Day.  Smile!  So here goes.  Enjoy!

Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head of an organization of Union veterans - the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) -established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers.  Maj. Gen. John A. Logan declared that Decoration Day should be ovserved on May 30.  It is believed that date was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country.  The first large observance was held that year at Arlington Cemetery, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.

The ceremonies centered around the mourning-draped veranda of the Arlington mansion, once the home of Gen. Robert E. Lee.  Various Washington officials, including Gen. and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant, presided over the ceremonies.  After speeches, children from the Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphan Home and members of the GAR made their way through the cemetery, strewing flowers on both Union and Confederate graves, reciting prayers and singing hymns.

Local springtime tributes to the Civil War dead already had been held in various places.  One of the first occurred in Columbus, Miss., April 25, 1866, when a group of women visited a cemetery to decorate the graves of Confederate soldiers who had fallen in battle at Shiloh.  Nearby were the graves of Union soldiers, neglected because they were the enemy.  Disturbed at the sight of the bare graves, the women placed some of their flowers on those graves as well.

Today, cities in the North and the South claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day in 1866.  Both Macon and Columbus, Ga., claim the title, as well as Richmond, Va.  The village of Boalsburg, Pa., claimes it began theirs two years earlier.  A stone in a Carbondale, Ill., cemetery carries the statement that the first Decoration Day ceremony took place there on April 29, 1866.  Carbondale was the wartime home of Gen. Logan.

Approximately 25 places have been named in connection with the origin of Memorial Day, many of them in the South where most of the war dead were buried.  The official birthplace of Memorial Day was declared in 1966 by the Congress and President Lyndon Johnson to be in Waterloo, N.Y.  There, a ceremony on May 5, 1866, honored local veterans who had fought in the Civil War.  Businesses closed and residents flew flags at half-staff. Supporters of Waterloo's claim say earlier observances in other places were either informal, not community-wide or one-time events.

By the end of the 19th century, Memorial Day ceremonies were being held on May 30 throughout the nation.  State legislatures passed proclamations designating the day, and the Army and Navy adopted regulations for proper observance at their facilities.  It was not until after World War I, however that the day was expanded to honor those who have died in all American wars.  In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by an act of Congress, though it is still often called Decoration Day.  It was then also placed on the last Monday in May, as were some other federal holidays.

There are even some States who have Confederate Observances. You can find more information at the below link: http://www.va.gov/opa/speceven/memday/history.asp?utm_source=3birds&utm_medium=Web&utm_campaign=AUBURNVW_Fun+Facts+About+Memorial+Day

We have many Memorial Day events in the Kansas City, Missouri area, and one such event is held at the World War 1 Museum and Liberty Memorial.  Even if you don't go on Memorial Day this museum is well worth visiting.  I prefer to go when it's not crowded because I like to take my time.  There is a lot to see there. 



Liberty Memeorial and WWI Museum

Here is a link where you can get more information about the museum and Liberty Memorial.  http://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/wwi-museum-hosts-events-to-mark-memorial-day

I want to dedicate this blog to all of our servicemen and women, and thank you for giving so much to keep our way of life. 

 

Now, I want to end with a quote from General George S. Patton Jr. (1885-1945) - "It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died.  Rather we should thank God that such men lived."

 

Personally, I'm thankful for all of our military.  Thank you for reading.  Have a wonderful week, and I'll see you next Sunday.
 
God Bless America!

Sandra K. Marshall, Author

http://www.eirelanderpublishing.com
http://www.skaymarshall.com  

What Bills are being passed in Your State?

Do you pay attention to what your state legislature is doing?  Rarely does anyone pay attention to what is going on in their state.  Do you know they pass rates to raise our heat bills in summer and raise rates for our electric bills in winter?  People usually don't even notice it happening.

Where is the news media when this is going on?  Oh, they tell you about it once or twice, but that isn't nearly enough to reach everyone.  Then again who cares about the heat bill when it's 90 degrees out?  Why do you think the utilities companies try to pass rate hikes in the opposite season you're affected by them?  It's because they don't want you to notice.

There was a bill Ameristar and other casinos were trying to get passed in Missouri to extend credit to gamblers while they are at the casino, so they won't have to stop playing when they run out of money.  Fortunately, this bill was voted down this time.  We really need to watch for another bill to be presented because this wasn't the first time the casinos in Missouri tried to pass a similar bill.  They will definitely try again.

Have a nice weekend, and I'll see you again soon. 

Sandra K. Marshall

http://www.sandramarshallblog.blogspot.com   

The Mormon Temple in Liberty Missouri

Good Morning Everyone,

This past week, some friends and myself took a tour of the Mormon Temple near Kansas City.  We were curious to see what it might look like and to get a better understanding of Mormons.  After all, we may have a Mormon President in the fall.

First of all if you leave a comment on my blog there will be no flaming here.  Even if you do not agree with their religion, in this country, the good old U.S.A., we are allowed to worship as we please. 

I admit, I found their temple and beliefs interesting even if I don't believe the same way.  For this blog, I'm not going into a lot of detail about the Mormon faith.  I'm only going to show some pictures and give you some interesting tidbits that I found interesting. 

If any of you are interested in taking the tour the temple is open to the public until April 28th and after that date it's only for church members.  There is no cost to the public. 

The picture at the left and below are of the outside of the Temple.  The   Temple is not used for church          services.                                         

These are the only two pictures I was allowed to take.  Once inside, we weren't allowed to use our cameras.  The pictures after this will have been downloaded from the Mormon website. 
                                                           

The picture on the left is the entrance to the Temple.  The painting on the wall is beautiful as is the whole Temple.  Once inside the Temple, the men and women go to dressing rooms to change out of their street clothes and put on white robes.                          

The room on your right is an instruction room. Latter-Day Saints learn of their premortal and mortal lives and of the blessings they can receive in the next life.                         

Above is the Celestial room.  It symbolizes life as eternal families with our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.  There is a room called the Sealing room.  In a sealing room, a bride and bridegroom are married not only for life but for eternity. 

The picture on the left and below are of the baptism font.  It is unique        in that the baptismal font rests on      the backs of twelve oxen,                  symbolically representing the twelve tribes  of Israel.                                

Baptisms are performed for the dead with the belief they can choose to accept being saved or not on the other side.  

      

There is a lot of history about the Mormons in the Kansas City area.  Did you know Mormons believed the Garden of Eden was located in Independence, Missouri?  The rapid growth of Mormons in Missouri led to political and social conflict with non-Mormons in the area.  They were driven out in 1838 and went to Illinois where they were driven away again.  They returned again in the 1900's.  The Latter Day Saints are a huge part of the history of Kansas and Missouri.  

I hope you have found this post interesting and educational.  There is so much more to learn than the bare minimum I have posted.  If you wish to find out more go to http://www.mormon.org.

Have a great week, and I'll you next Sunday. 

Sandra K. Marshall

http://www.eirelander-publishing.com

http://www.amazon.com/author/sandramarshall 

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