May 10, 2008 09:27 pm
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By Seth Putnam
news@joplinglobe.com
CARTHAGE, Mo. — Tornado sightings and torrential rain brought an early end to a ceremony to honor a deceased Civil War veteran at Park Cemetery on Saturday.
Until the downpour forced the crowd to disperse, a band played patriotic songs, serenading the small group of onlookers, some of whom were dressed in period costume.
“Lord, please join us now as we honor this brave man and others like him,” a chaplain prayed.
A six-man color guard stood watch over the soldier’s grave as the ceremony closed with a moment of silence and personal prayer as tornado sirens sounded in the distance.
The grave was that of a Confederate soldier named Moses A. Waldron (1844-1928). A Carthage resident, Waldron was present at the Battle of Gettysburg and at Pickett’s Charge.
Sue Vandergriff, a self-proclaimed history buff, was responsible for the ceremony and the unveiling of a new headstone for Waldron, whose grave had previously been unmarked.
Vandergriff said that the event was part of an annual attempt to reinstate an old community tradition in which residents would gather in the cemetery to memorialize relatives and loved ones.
“In the 1800s, people would come to cemeteries to have a picnic and decorate their graves,” she said. “We’ve gotten away from that.”
In the 1940s, the management of Park Cemetery put an end to the practice.
“We’re trying to bring back an old tradition and also make sure that these graves are marked,” said Frank Stine, current cemetery manager.
Vandergriff said that in the future, they will continue to try and find unmarked graves to commemorate.
“We concentrate on the older ones,” she said. “They’ve had to wait longer.”
Organizers said that the event, which was cut short due to the storm, will be rescheduled in June or July.
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