by MERLE MONAHAN
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
merlemonah@aol.com

IVOR
Between 35 and 40 people from the Ivor community gathered Sunday at the Ivor Cemetery to honor the area’s military veterans who lost their lives in combat. It is not immediately known how many are interred at the small Ivor cemetery, but records show that the graves of several Civil War soldiers are there.

The hour-long service, conducted on stage at the far end of the cemetery, began as the Rev. Dr. Nancy Moore, of the Blackwater Baptist Association, introduced the Newsom Family Band. All members of Milfield Baptist Church, Curt and Claudia Newsom and their sons, Curtis and Wyatt, along with a friend, sang several hymns, as each accompanied himself on a musical instrument.

David Barlow, a member and teacher at Rocky Hock United Methodist Church in Wakefield, was the featured speaker.

Barlow’s message explained the meaning of Memorial Day and noted that many different people from many different locations are taking credit for initiating the day to remember the slain veterans. Originally called Decoration Day, it is aimed at decorating veterans’ graves with flowers. 

Barlow said his research indicates that the day could have been started by one lady form Petersburg prior to the Civil War, who put flowers on veterans’ graves until her death, after which others took over for her.

Now a national holiday, it has been known as Memorial Day since 1882.