Sam Felton
Mayor
Town of Marlinton
This Memorial Day holiday weekend, I wish you all well.
School is about out.
Summer is busy.
New high school graduates make plans for college in the fall.
Families begin vacations.
Many plan their cookouts and family reunions.
In the midst of all these activities, I hope we recognize this weekend is more than the official kick-off to summer.
Memorial Day is more than just a holiday. Certainly, it is more than just a day off. Memorial Day is a Holy-Day that should give us pause and an occasion to remember. A Memory Day that calls us to a time of solemn reflection. It gives us opportunity to express thankful gratitude for this great country of ours. We should always remember the price that has been paid and continues to be paid, that we might remain the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. This Memorial Day, as you remember your loved ones, take time to honor the legacy of fallen service members and remember their surviving families. They deserve our support. Pray for those in active service. Respect the sacrifice made by all veterans and first responders, on our behalf. Remember to say, “Thank You for your service.”
With more veterans per capita than any other cemetery in the state, Marlinton’s Mountain View Cemetery is a special place. The care and tending of Mountain View Cemetery is important to us. I understand a special place deserves special care. Going into this special weekend, heavy rains have hindered some of that care. Recent strong winds displaced many decorations from gravesites. Flowers were reported to be scattered all over. Many ended up against the fence that runs on the town side of the cemetery. I am trusting things will be in order by the weekend. When things like this happen, all we can do is gather the decorations, not knowing where they came from. I would suggest to each of you, do not let wind or rain stop you from visiting the resting place of your loved ones. Wind and rain may disturb gravesites, but, neither wind, nor rain, nor time and space can remove the precious memories of our loved ones from us.
Remember and be thankful for them.