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Remember Memorial Day

Program set for French Church

WOOLSTOCK — A special program is planned for Monday at the historic church east of Woolstock.

A program and history of the of the French Lutheran Church will be presented at 1:30 p.m. on Monday. Those attending will have a chance to tour the building and the grounds.

The 122-year-old building has had some recent updates, thanks to a nonprofit organization that’s working to restore and renovate the building.

According to Gary Groves of Webster City, chairman of the nonprofit board, a sagging exterior wall has been repaired and a fresh coat of paint is going up both on the inside and the exterior of the church.

New windows have also been installed.

“We’ve received some donations — that’s how we were able to do the windows,” he said. “And now we want show people what their money has done.”

Groves’ connection to the French Lutheran Church are through his grandparents and great-grandparents, who arrived in the U.S. from France. The Woolstock and Wall Lake townships in Wright County were favorite areas for many French settlers, starting in the 1860s, according to Groves. Some came directly from the Alsace-Lorraine area of France. Others made their way to Wright County from Illinois, according to Groves.

He said many of those early settlers are still familiar names in the area today — Claude, Kastler, Bernard, Mourlam, Marshall, Grandgeorge and Hisler, to name a few.

The church was built in 1896 with a dedication service held in August of that year.

In the late 1920s, lightning struck the steeple, causing damage to the entire building. In 1953, a tornado touched down in the area. The front entrance and steeple were torn from the main building and carried into the adjoining cemetery. News accounts from the time said that the church was moved from its foundation and the building came to rest on the lawn. Community members worked to build a new foundation and the entry and steeple were also reconstructed.

“The program on Monday will consist a few words from me about what we’ve done, where we’re going,” Groves said. Carroll Kastler, whose ancestor donated the land for the church in the 1880s, will give a history of the church.

“We just want to have nice day for people to come out. They may want to put some flowers on a grave if they have someone buried in the cemetery,” Groves said.

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Memorial Day 2018 area events

Fort Dodge — Monday, 10 a.m., Webster County Veterans Memorial Park, 1386 National Ave.; Karl L. King Municipal Band will perform; shuttle bus pickup at 9 a.m. at soccer field parking lot north of Harlan and Hazel Rogers Sports Complex. In the event of rain, program will be moved to St. Edmond High School auditorium, 501 N. 22nd St.

Algona — Monday, 10:30 a.m., Memorial Day Service at Kossuth County Courthouse. The Rev. David Grindberg, of First Lutheran Church, will be the guest speaker. Flags will be posted around the courthouse. New flags will be added honoring those who have died within the past year. The program is sponsored by American Legion Post 90, VFW Post 254, in cooperation with Battery B, 194th FA of the Iowa National Guard. A ceremony will also be held at the Upper Des Moines bridge to honor comrades lost at sea, and then continue on to Calvary Cemetery, Riverside Cemetery, East Lawn Cemetery and St. Benedict Cemetery.

Boxholm — Monday, 10:30 a.m., Arthur Anderson Post 63 of the American Legion of Boxholm conducting Memorial Day Service in the Community Building.

Clarion — Monday, 10 a.m. at Clarion-Goldfield-Dows High School.

Dayton — Monday, 10 a.m. at Dayton Cemetery.

Duncombe — Monday, 9 a.m., Duncombe American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary conducting a Memorial Day Service under the flags on Main Street.

Eagle Grove — Monday, 9 a.m., downtown memorial at corner of South Park Avenue and West Broadway Street. 10 a.m. Memorial at Rose Hill Cemetery. In case of rain, the program will be held at the Wright County Fairgrounds show arena.

Emmetsburg — Monday, 9 a.m., First United Methodist Church. Parade starts at 9:15 a.m., then march to memorial service at Five Island Lake, honoring sailors and World War I veterans. Reconvene at Emmetsburg Cemetery. The Rev David van Heuvelen will lead prayers. Eagle Scout Tom Crocoll will deliver Logan’s Address and Eagle Scout Alex Hall will recite Gettysburg Address.

Farnhamville — Sunday, 2 p.m., Memorial Service at Reading Cemetery.

Gilmore City — Monday, 10:30 a.m., Gilmore City-Bradgate High School. James Peterson will be speaking.

Gowrie — Monday, 10 a.m., Gowrie Cemetery. In case of bad weather, it will be held at Gowrie United Methodist Church, 1306 Market St. Event is by Peterson Post 431 and the Gowrie American Legion.

Humboldt/Dakota City — Monday, at sunrise, flag raising ceremony; 9:15 a.m., parade; 9:25 a.m., salute to dead at Sumner Bridge; 9:30 a.m., Memorial Service at Bicknell Park.

Lake City — Monday, 9:15 a.m. service at Cottonwood Cemetery; 11 a.m. service at Lake City Cemetery.

Lake View — Monday, 10 a.m., Veterans Plaza, Speaker Park. Retired Brig. Gen. Gary Eischeid is keynote speaker. American Legion members will perform a service commemorating fallen soldiers, followed by a 21-gun salute. Another service will be at 11 a.m. at Ferguson Cemetery.

Lehigh — Monday, 11 a.m., west end of the bridge in Lehigh; noon, all-Lehigh potluck at Lehigh Community Building.

Manson — Monday, 10 a.m., Manson Northwest Webster High School auditorium

Otho — The Otho Cemetery Memorial Day services will be Monday at the Otho Cemetery, 2668 Osceola Ave., Otho, starting at 10 a.m. with the decoration of the veterans’ graves and the ceremony at the Unknown Soldier’s monument. The program will start at 10:30 a.m. with the speaker being Ron Newsum, head of the Brushy Creek Area Honor Flight program. In case of rain the program will be held at the Otho Methodist Church.

Pocahontas — Monday, 9:30 a.m., Calvary Cemetery; 10 a.m., Summet Hill Cemetery. The Rev. Craig Collison will be speaking. Flanders Field and Gettysburg Address will be read along with the names of veterans. Pocahontas Area High School Band will perform. Rain location will be Pocahontas Area High School Gym.

Renwick — Monday, 10 a.m., Veterans Memorial Park. Retired Col. David Trask will be speaking.

Rockwell City — Monday, 10:30 a.m., Rose Hill Cemetery.

Sac City — Monday, 10 a.m. at VFW Post, 409 N. Fifth St. The Rev. Dan Pobanz, of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, will be speaking.

Stratford — Monday, 10 a.m., Stratford School gymnasium; 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; Stratford Lions Club freewill offering taco bar to benefit Hamilton Count Freedom Rock upgrade.

Webster City– Monday, 8:45 a.m., Marshall Crippen Bridge, North Des Moines Street, honoring those who were lost at sea; 9:15 a.m., Cass Center Cemetery; 10:10 a.m., parade to Graceland Cemetery; 11 a.m., service at Graceland Cemetery.

Whittemore — Monday, 9:45 a.m. Parade begins at Legion Hall, with service at Community Center beginning at 10 a.m. Legion Unit Seely Walsh Post No. 425. The Rev. Ed Girres will be leading prayers. Bishop Garrigan High School Band will perform “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Dan Green, commander of Seely Walsh Post No. 425, will be speaking. 21-gun salute and flyover.

Williams — 9:30 a.m., Williams American Legion Post 633, Williams City Park.

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