BUCYRUS, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—Bucyrus will observe Memorial Day on Monday, May 26, 2025, with a parade and a program honoring fallen service members.

Weather permitting, the day will begin with a parade forming at Washington Square at 9:00 a.m. The parade is scheduled to step off at 9:30 a.m. and proceed to Oakwood Cemetery, where the Memorial Day program will commence at 10:00 a.m.

The program will be held at the Lemert Memorial within the cemetery, unless ground conditions are too wet. In that case, the program will be moved to the columbarium, located at the northeast corner of the cemetery property.

In the event of rain Monday morning, the parade will be canceled, and the program will be relocated to Bucyrus Elementary School, located at 245 Woodlawn Avenue.

This year’s Parade Marshal is Vietnam Veteran David Fellows, a 1961 graduate of Buckeye Central High School. Fellows served in the U.S. Air Force from 1961 to 1969. Upon his return to Bucyrus, he married Sally Uhl, and they were together for 57 years until her passing in 2024. They have one son, Brett (Amanda) Fellows. Fellows retired from American Electric Power Company after 35 years of service. His community involvement includes 30 years of coaching Bucyrus Little League Baseball and volunteering as a scorekeeper for Bucyrus basketball games. He was also a 20-year member of the Bucyrus Area Veterans Honor Guard, assisting with veterans’ funeral services and flag raisings at Bucyrus football games.

All current and honorably discharged veterans will serve as Assistant Parade Marshals.

The Master of Ceremonies for the program will be David Robertson, a Vietnam Veteran who served in the Air Force from 1967 to 1971 as an Aircraft Mechanic. Robertson is a life member of American Legion Post 181, where he has served as post commander and is currently in his 36th consecutive year as post adjutant. He has been an active member of the Color Guard, Honor Guard, Veterans Memorial Society, and numerous other veterans’ organizations. Robertson retired from the Bucyrus Police Department in 1996 after 23 years of service and later from Zeigler’s Electrical Service in 2016. He resides in Bucyrus with his wife of 45 years, Beverly (Brandy) Robertson.

Pastor Andrea Taphon of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Sulphur Springs will deliver the Invocation and the Benediction. Pastor Taphon is the wife of a veteran and has worked in the church for 13 years, specializing in children’s ministry.

The keynote speaker will be Pastor Brodie Taphorn, also of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Sulphur Springs. A 1993 graduate of Lexington High School, Pastor Taphorn joined the Army Reserve. He has served the Church for over 20 years and will begin serving as a Chaplain in the Naval Reserve this June. Pastors Brodie and Andrea have three children: Abby, Carolyn, and Silas.

The Bucyrus High School Marching Band will perform the National Anthem and the Military Escort. General John A. Logan’s General Order No. 11, which designated May 30th as the day to remember the nation’s war dead, will be read by Bucyrus High School graduate Charles Miley. Fellow BHS graduate Isabella Stang will recite President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.

The Salute to the Dead will be presented by the Bucyrus Veterans Honor Guard, followed by the playing of Taps by Lainey Palmer and the Echo by Cami Myers.

The program will be replayed later in the day on Crawford County Now and Iconic Rock Q92.7 WQEL’s Facebook pages.

Any veteran wishing to participate in the parade is encouraged to attend, and vehicle transportation will be available for those who need it, with members of Moose Lodge 669 serving as drivers. Area Scout Troops are also invited to participate in the parade, and those interested should meet at Washington Square at 9:00 a.m.

Throughout this week, members of the Veterans Memorial Society have placed more than 3,500 flags on the graves of veterans in Bucyrus and surrounding township cemeteries. The Veterans Memorial Society is comprised of honorably discharged veterans from various conflicts and peacetime.

Residents are reminded to fly their flags daily, if possible, and to observe the proper etiquette for Memorial Day by flying the flag at half-staff until noon, then raising it to full-staff for the remainder of the day.

American Legion Post 181, located at 123 E. Rensselaer Street, will host a Hog Roast after the services from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The meal is free for all honorably discharged and active-duty veterans, while family and friends can join for a freewill donation.