Mower County is ready to honor those who serve Monday.

Annual services for Memorial Day, a holiday with ties dating back to 1865, are set in Austin and other communities to honor the 3,000-plus veterans in Mower County.

“It’s important to honor those who made the supreme sacrifice, those who served and those still serving,” said Norm Hecimovich, president of Austin’s Memorial Day Committee.

In Austin, the day begins with a 6:50 a.m. flag raising at the VFW and American Legion and a 7 a.m. breakfast at the VFW. The committee will raise the flag and host a program at the Veterans Memorial at 7:45 a.m.

The parade, which lines up at 8:30 a.m., begins at 8:45 a.m. and runs from the VFW west on Fourth Avenue NE to Main Street and then goes east on Second Avenue.

The Memorial Day service at Oakwood Cemetery will be held 9:30 a.m.

Hecimovich said people owe veterans a debt of gratitude, largely because they protect and enhance the freedoms Americans have.

“Living in Austin, Minn, would you know there’s a war going on? No,” he said.

During the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Hecimovich said he’s been pleased to see the public separating the war from those fighting. Support for troops has been strong, while support for the conflict has varied.

“Americans have finally separated the war from the warriors, which wasn’t done during Vietnam when the soldiers were blamed,” Hecimovich said.

Along with honoring veterans, Hecimovich said Memorial Day is the one day each year that people take the time to decorate cemeteries and put flowers on all graves — veterans and non-veterans alike.

“I think it’s the only day of the year that everybody honors their deceased family members,” Hecimovich said.
Austin Memorial Day events
6:50 a.m.— Flag raising at the VFW and American Legion
7 a.m.— Breakfast for all Memorial Day Participants at the VFW Post 1216
7:45 a.m.— Raise flag and program at Veterans Memorial, Mower County Courthouse
Service order:
•President, Norman Hecimovich
•Invocation, Ray Watters
•Flag Raising (all flags),
•“To the Colors” Jordan Bentley
•National Anthem, Melissa Navoa
•Pledge of Allegiance,  all participants
•Talk & Dedication, Norm Hecimovich
•Present the Wreath, American Legion, DAV, VFW commanders and auxiliary
•Firing Salute, Rollie Hanson/American Legion
•Taps, Jordan Bentley
•Benediction, Ray Watters
8:30 a.m. — Parade Line-up Fourth Avenue NE
8:45 a.m. — Parade (Fourth Avenue NE, south on Main Street and East on Second Ave. NE
9:30 a.m. — Memorial Day service at Oakwood Cemetery
10:05 a.m. — Honor Navy, Marine and Coast Guard service persons buried at sea at the Horace Austin State Park Bridge with firing a salute and depositing of the wreath in the river.
11 a.m. — Calvary Cemetery by American Legion; Grandview Cemetery by V.F.W./DAV
11:30 a.m.  — Enterprise Cemetery by V.F.W./DAV;  Lansing Cemetery by American Legion
Noon — Midway/Oakland Cemetery, by V.F.W.DAV

LeRoy
8:45 a.m. — Bethany Bible Cemetery
9:15 a.m. — Sea tribute at the trail head of the Shooting Star Trail
10 a.m. — Service at the cemetery in LeRoy

Grand Meadow American Legion
8 a.m. — Immanuel Lutheran & Pleasant Valley Cemeteries
8:15 a.m. — St. John’s
8:35 a.m. — Racine-Salem Cemetery
8:50 a.m. — Sumner Cemetery
9:10 a.m. — Hamilton Cemetery
9:25 a.m. — Frankford Cemetery
9:40 a.m. — Break Creek Cemetery
10:15 a.m. — Program at Grand Meadow High School
11:15 a.m. — Grand Meadow Cemetery
11:30 a.m. — St. Finbar’s Cemetery
11:45 a.m. — Dexter Cemetery
12:05 p.m. — Zion Lutheran Cemetery
12:30 p.m. — Trinity Evangelical Lutheran
12:45 p.m. — Hoflanda Cemetery

Bohemian National Cemetery
11 a.m. — Service followed by dinner in the brick hall.

Lyle
9 a.m. — Cedar City Cemetery
9:30 a.m. — London Cemetery
10 a.m. — Deer Creek Cemetery
10:30 a.m. — Woodbury Cemetery
11 a.m. — Mona Cemetery
11:30 a.m. — Six Mile Grove Cemetery (meal after service)

Hayfield
8:05 a.m. — West St. Olaf Cemetery
8:20 a.m. — Evanger Lutherans Cemetery
9:05 a.m. — St. Johns Cemetery, south of Sargeant
9:20 a.m. — Waltham Cemetery, south of Waltham on Highway 56
9:55 a.m. — Greenwood Cemetery, south of Brownsdale
10:20 a.m. — St. Micheal’s Cemetery, Waltham
10:40 a.m. — Trinity Cemetery, Waltham
11:05 a.m. — Fairview Cemetery, Hayfield
11:30 a.m. — Memorial Day program at Veterans Memorial Park, Hayfield (If it rains, the service will be at the Hayfield High School)

Adams
9 a.m. — The bridge on County Highway
9:30 a.m. — Taopi Cemetery
10:15 a.m. — Marshall Lutheran Cemetery
11 a.m. — St. Johns Cemetery, Elkton
12:30 p.m. — Flag burning at the Adams Legion Post

Blooming Prairie
10:30 a.m. — Parade starting at Prairie Manor Care Center
11 a.m. — Memorial Day service at the Blooming Prairie City Cemetery (If it rains, the service will be at the Blooming Prairie Servicemen’s Club)
12:30 p.m. — Potluck dinner at the Blooming Prairie Servicemen’s Club. (The public is invited to attend and bring a dish)