It’s been a full week of Honoring, Remembering and Teaching with Wreaths Across America as our President Lives With Purpose. Marilyn Childress has been helping place wreaths since Saturday December 14th. Along the way she met and worked with many of our members and members of the veterans community at large. She first stopped at the Town of Farragut for their ceremony. There were 4 cemeteries this year for a total of 288 veterans remembered. She then lead the program at the Concord Masonic Lodge Cemetery where 172 wreaths were placed. Magnolia Cemetery was the next stop as she lead a wonderful program with 220 wreaths placed on veterans’ gravesites. After that she stopped by Mars Hill Cemetery to place wreath on Moses Cavett’s grave. Cavett Station DAR held their monthly meeting to place wreaths on the 12 veterans buried there. Marilyn is a member at that DAR chapter.
Sunday started early with the Smoky Mountain Program at 10 am. There were about 40 folks who then went to place wreaths in over 20 cemeteries. Marilyn organized and lead this program. During this event she placed a wreath on her 3rd great grandfather who is a War of 1812 veteran. From there she went to the French Broad Methodist Church for ceremony for veterans buried in the forks of the river area. Two new cemeteries with Revolutionary War Veterans were honored with wreath layings, the Armstrong Cemetery and the Campbell Cemetery. A direct descendent of Alexander Campbell placed his wreath.
On Wednesday Marilyn delivered wreaths to the Knoxville Civil War organization. They were placing the wreaths at the Bethel Cemetery. Thursday she delivered wreaths to the Oddfellows Cemetery where 18 Black Union Soldiers are buried along with other veterans.
Friday was another long day. She started out placing wreaths at the gravesite of Revolutionary Patriots Peter and John Brown. From there she went on to Thomas Hall’s grave to honor and remember his service as a Revolutionary War Veteran. The Halls Crossroads community is named after him. Afterward she went the Seven Islands Methodist Church to look for Peter Keener, a Revolutionary War Veteran. She couldn’t find him, but placed wreaths on 5 WWII. veteran gravesites. There are large number of veterans buried in that old Cemetery. She also stopped to honor her Dad and some of her South Knoxville families with a wreath on their graves. The next stop was at the Old Knoxville Courthouse where she placed a wreath on John Sevier’s grave and at the Spanish American Soldier statue. Then a quick visit to place a wreath on James White’s grave. James, a Revolutionary War Veteran, is the Founder of Knoxville. She also placed a wreath on William Blount’s grave. To honor WWI veterans she placed a wreath at the Doughboy Statue at Old Knoxville High School. She finished by honoring her grandfather, a Veteran of the Spanish American War.
Tomorrow she will start again… in Townsend.
