More than 2,000 wreaths set by veterans’ graves in Orleans County

Provided photos

Volunteers helped set 250 wreaths at Hillside Cemetery in Holley/Clarendon on Dec. 14 as part of Wreaths Across America. The wreaths were set at the graves of veterans.

The Holley Rotary Club led the effort for the second year. The Rotary Club joined Wreaths in 2o23 and hoped to do 100 wreaths. It doubled that goal in 2023. The wreaths are $17 each.

The Holley Rotary Club organized Wreaths Across America at Hillside Cemetery. Some of the volunteers are shown at a veterans’ memorial at the cemetery. The memorial includes five granite etched stones for the Marine Corps, Army, Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard. The memorial has a pentagon-shaped concrete base and a 25-foot flagpole.

Wreaths Across America has grown in Orleans County since Medina was the first to do it at Boxwood Cemetery in 2013.

Medina started with seven wreaths in 2013 at Boxwood. On Dec. 14, the community placed 1,260 wreaths at five Medina cemeteries. That includes 573 at Boxwood, 455 at St. Mary’s Cemetery, about 200 at Sacred Heart Cemetery and the remainder to Bates Road Cemetery and Tanner Cemetery on Telegraph Road.

Photos courtesy of Jacob Hebdon: Lance Corporal Nick Fitzak carries one of the wreaths during a ceremony at Wreaths Across America on Dec. 14. Medina has participated in the event each year since 2013.

“The community of Medina was very generous in their donations to the Wreaths Across America organization,” said Gloria Brent, chairwoman of the event in Medina. “Next year we hope to expand our reach to include all of Bates Road and Tanner Cemeteries with plans to cover all of our local cemeteries as awareness grows in the coming years.”

Veterans were part of a ceremony at Boxwood at noon on Dec. 14. After that a big group of volunteers placed wreaths at five cemeteries in Medina.

The following participated in the Wreath Laying Ceremony: The Color Guard and Honor Guard from the VFW and American Legion in Medina; Master Sergeant Michael Owczarczak – Master of Ceremonies; Sergeant David Kusmierczak, Chaplain for VFW & American Legion; Technical Sergeant Patrick Little; Sergeant Major Jonathan Little; Sergeant First Class George Pogel; Lance Corporal Nick Fitzak; Merchant Mariner Diana Anderson; Second Class Petty Officer W. Thomas Snyder and Assemblyman Steve Hawley.

“We were very fortunate to have Technical Sergeant Patrick Little and Technical Sergeant Scott Little perform Echo Taps during the ceremony,” Brent said. “Madelyn Elliott from the Medina High School Acapella Choir flawlessly performed the National Anthem.”

Assemblyman Steve Hawley was part of the wreath-laying ceremony at Boxwood.

Brent thanked to the following organizations that participated in this year’s event:

• The Boxwood Cemetery Commission led by Jacob Hebdon. (Members include Gloria Brent, Jeff Pasnik, Mary Lewis, Nicki Fredericks and Janet Husung.)
• The Medina Village Department of Public Works led by Jason Watts, superintendent.
• The Medina Village Clerk’s Office led by Jada Burgess, the clerk/treasurer.
• The Carpenters Local Union 276 with Jeff Pasnik brought 36 members and family from Orleans and Niagara Counties.
• The Girl Scouts of America – Troop 70183 out of Lockport led by Kelly Stahl.
• The Boy Scouts of America – Troop 18 out of Gasport.
• The Boy Scouts of America – Troop 35 out of Medina led by John Dieter.
• The Friends of Boxwood – Offered free hot chocolate to the participants at the event.

The Lyndonville community placed 445 wreaths at veterans’ graves. The effort is funded through an endowment by Anna Stelianou. She funded the wreaths in honor of her five brothers who served in WWII and the Korean War.

Stelianou is shown in front of this group photo outside the Webber Café on Main Street, where there was a brunch for volunteers before they headed out to lay the wreaths on Dec. 14.

The 445 wreaths will be placed at veterans’ graves for six cemeteries in Lyndonville: Lynhaven, Yates Baptist Cemetery, Angling Road, Marshall Road and Greenman Road as well as the Robin Hill Estate.

The American Legion Houseman-Tanner Post 1603 is organizing the Wreaths Across America program in Lyndonville.

State Sen. Rob Ortt attended the brunch before going to Mount Albion cemetery for a wreath-laying ceremony there. Mount Albion participated in Wreaths Across America for the first time on Dec. 14.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Jenn Thom carries a wreath to be laid down at a grave of a veteran at the Veterans’ Section at Mount Albion Cemetery.

Thom is a leader of Operation Honor, which led the effort to have Mount Albion Cemetery included in Wreaths for the first time. There were 225 wreaths placed at the cemetery on Dec. 14.

Operation Honor purchased 100 of the wreaths with other contributors purchasing 125.

Thom urged volunteers to say the veteran’s name when setting the wreath.