Photo And Story
By Kate Resnek
In recent years Memorial Day has also evolved to represent the unof cial start to the summer season, with many families making use of the day off to hold cookouts and family parties.
Clouds loomed over Everett this Memorial Day, however, keeping cookouts at bay and families inside.
Memorial Day has been observed on the last Monday in May since the 1970s. From 1868 to 1970 the holiday was observed on May 30th.
The holiday was first put in place by President Abraham Lincoln who sought to honor American service-members who had died in the Civil War. For this reason, Memorial Day is not to be confused with Veterans Day which honors all veterans as opposed to veterans who lost their life in the line of duty.
As I made my way around Everett the streets, even Broadway, seemed quiet. Stores were closed but there was no smell of barbeque and certainly not the essence of summer that accompanied Memorial Day in Everett last year.
The only people out I saw during a ride around the city were those looking to spend their day off doing errands or getting out of the house for a spell.
Past Everett High School on Elm Street one part of the city was buzzing. This is because rain or shine Memorial Day is undoubtedly the busiest day of the year for the Woodlawn Cemetery.
Memorial Day is of course about remembering fallen veterans and the cemetery is the final resting place for many veterans of the Civil War and onward to modern conflicts.
American flags covered the green grass in front of grave stones as mourners and visitors hoisted wreaths and flowers out of their cars parked on the edge of the narrow cemetery roads.
In the absence of the sun the true meaning of Memorial Day shone through. Not as a
day for barbeques or just a simple day off work but a day where families take time to honor their family members who died in service to their country.
Tony and Marian Bruzzese were at the WoodlawnCemetery visiting the graves of Tony’s mother and father who both served their country.
“They were both very proud to be veterans so this is a day that it’s important to remember the service,” said Bruzzese of her in-laws.