Cemetery Day June 2013

Group Photo--like herding cats

Torrential rain for 3 days and nights could not dampen the spirits or the attendance at this year's Cemetery Day.  A day of family tradition held on the first Sunday of June to memorialize loved ones by the laying of wreaths on their headstones. 

According to some members of the family they can recount the days when they were children 75-80 years ago when Cemetery Day was a work day cleaning the cemetery with hoes and shovels and then followed by a hearty supper when the work was completed. 

Today Rod Clement and his wife  Beverly (who does the majority of the mowing on a riding lawn mower) pretty much keep up the meticulous appearance of this cemetery.  It's estimated that between 125-150 people attended from Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, Texas and perhaps other states I'm not aware of.

The annual business meeting was conducted in the very comfortable family chapel by the very able Keith Clement, who serves as President of the Clement Family Association.   Finances were discussed with a suggestion made that people might want to include the Cemetery when they are planning their estate for the cemetery's future upkeep, election of officers (same as last year), the status from the committee for Family History which updated the group on this blog and the intention of Autumn Clement Curry to establish a family genealogy website in the near future, and an update by the Cemetery Grounds Committee about the addition of the wonderful flag pole donated by Mr. & Mrs. Strachota in memory of their son Michael who perished in the war in Afghanistan, June 2012 and is buried in Clement Cemetery.  Veterans were acknowledged and those who had graduated from any level of schooling were asked to make themselves known.

At the conclusion of the worship service that included a meaningful message about, "returning home to your roots---going home"  it was time to dig in to the fabulous food everyone brings to this event and catch up on some visiting.  So without further ado, enjoy  just a few photos of the decorated headstones and the happy faces of family!