Parkview Cemetery honors the fallen in Memorial Day ceremony

HASTINGS, Neb. (KSNB) - Memorial Day may be the unofficial kickoff to summer, filled with barbecues and time at the lake, but the real reason for the day is to remember the fallen service men and women of the U.S military.

In Hastings, the Elks Lodge put together a memorial service at Parkview Cemetery, complete with laying of wreaths, a 21-gun salute, and the playing of “Taps.”

“My father was in World War II, my grandfather was in World War I, my sons are both in the military right now, so I’ve been brought up knowing Memorial Day you take a time to thank those who have gone on before us to make sure we have a right to be here and be free,” explained Julie Rothfuss, the Exalted Ruler of Hastings Elks Lodge 159.

For veterans who served, and lost friends, Memorial Day is a time to keep their memory alive.

“It’s kind of personal because of my 21 years of service and the sailors I served with, some of whom aren’t with us today, and the valor they went through,” said Jim Lutz, a veteran of the Navy and the keynote speaker at the event.

In all about 200 people came to witness the ceremony.

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