Road Trip #1 Day 5 - Memorial Day Black Rose Ceremony and Grandma

May 31, 2010
Fort Collins, CO

MEMORIAL DAY MISSION:

Wichita Falls, TX -- Mom and I saw Dad and Tim off early this morning on a PGR Mission to Gibtown, TX. Gibtown is a few miles east of Perrin, TX. They would stand a flag line during the dedication of the Veteran's Memorial at the Gibtown cemetery.

Both Tim and Dad were impressed with the turnout for this tiny community and at the planning and detail that went into the festivities. I learned that there are several really old tombstones in this cemetery, one dating from the early 1800s they said. About 15 Riders were on hand to stand the flag line with temps in the sizzling 90s. They reported that the bag piper played Dixie and the Confederate flag flew among many others. A roll call of all the veterans was read. They tell me the Black Rose Ceremony performed by the Texas Society of the Order of the Confederate Rose was very interesting.


This is a rundown of the ceremony according to the mission report and a slide show follows:
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GIBTOWN VETERAN,S MEMORIAL DEDICATION
MEMORIAL DAY SERVICE
1740 E. Gibtown Rd, Gibtown, Texas 76487
11:00 May 31, 2010 Memorial Day
MASTER of CEREMONIES Opens the Service
Jerry Walden - Commander of SCV Camp #586
POSTING of the COLORS Bill Fowler - Commander of the Texas Division of the Mounted Color Guard
INVOCATION CAMP 586 CHAPLAIN ROBERT SMART
Pledge to the American Flag....SCV will Salute the Confederate Flag
Scott Gates of the Cemetery Association will sing the National Anthem
Scott to introduce the Gold Star Mom and present her with a dozen roses
Bag Pipes will play two verses of Amazing Grace and all are invited to sing along ( Bag Piper is Mr. Rafe Aalderink of Fort Worth Scottish Pipes & Drums )
Roll Call of CSA Veterans will be read by Camp #586 Adjutant Howard McClurkin
Roll Call of the rest of the War Memorial Veterans will be read by Maudie Farris
Rifle Salute to all War Memorial Veterans commanded by Bruce Patusek - 3rd Texas SCV Brigade Commander
Bag Pipes will play Dixie and singing along is encouraged

Norma Holley - Director of the Texas Society of the Order of the Confederate Rose will lead her ladies in the "Black Rose Ceremony"
Drusilla Howell - President of the United Daughters of the Confederacy will lead her ladies in the UDC "Memorial Dedication Ceremony"
Scott Gates will speak on behalf of the Cemetery Association
Lacy McFalls will sing God Bless The USA
The Benediction
SCV detail will be dismissed and the Bag Piper will retreat playing Scotland the Brave
Announce the food to be served to benefit the upkeep of the memorial and cemetery.
Then the flag will be raise to full mast at 12 noon.
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This is the video:

Black Rose Ceremony Gibtown, TX – Memorial Day 2010


The guys rode in about mid-afternoon after a meal with the other PGR at the Green Frog in Jacksboro. They were hot, sweaty, tired and in high spirits.

A VISIT WITH GRANDMA

I did not make the Gibtown mission as time was growing short for this trip. I wanted to spend the day with my lovely Mom and visit my Grandmother (age 99). On the way to see Grandma, Mom and I visited the cemetery where many of our relatives are buried. Lots of flags were flying, marking the resting places of Veterans.

Me and Grandma Memorial Day 2010

Grandma and My Lovely Mom

After a great visit with Grandma (who said she wanted Tim to put a wagon behind the Harley so she could ride home with us) and a quick hug for my Aunt Alice who was working today, Mom and I drove back for lunch in Wichita Falls. We didn't have much luck at our first stop because the cook had quit that morning. After waiting near an hour and no food, we finally gave up and looked for lunch elsewhere. We found it. Afterwards, we visited and watered flowers waiting for our guys to come in.

Molly waiting for her master to ride in...

This evening, friends Ray and Laura stopped by for a visit.

Tomorrow, we ride out on the trip north and west back to Colorado. We have enjoyed the Texas part of our trip so much, seeing the folks and participating in Memorial Day festivities. We have two days to get home - no telling what kind of mischief we can get into on the way back - stay tuned.