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Several Memorial Day programs are planned in Pipestone County on Monday, May 27. Below is an overview of when and where the programs will be held and what they will include.
Pipestone
There will be a Memorial Day program Monday, May 27 at 10 a.m. at New Woodlawn Cemetery. Lt. Col. Ed Lapthorn will be the keynote speaker. Lapthorn began his military career in 1986, following high school graduation, by enlisting with the Minnesota National Guard. He went on to earn an Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) scholarship while attending North Dakota State University where he was commissioned as an Armor Officer in 1990.
He was later commissioned as a second lieutenant and, just as Desert Shield was starting, was assigned to Schweinfurt, Germany where he served with the Second Battalion, 64th Armor. After returning from Germany, Lapthorn served in a variety of positions including recruiting in El Paso, Texas; Company Command with the First Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kan.; and Armor School at Fort Knox, Ky.
Lapthorn served 10 years in the regular Army before transitioning to civilian life in 2000. In 2017, he returned to military duty when he joined the South Dakota National Guard. He has held several positions with the South Dakota National Guard, including a year-long deployment to Djibouti, Africa in 2020 with the 196th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade. While in Africa, he served as the executive officer to the commanding general of the Combined Joint Task Force. Lapthorn is now the Commander of the First Battalion, 196th Regional Training Institute located at Fort Meade, Sturgis, S.D.
Lapthorn and his wife, Mary, live in Pipestone and have three adult children, David, Lauren and Olivia.
New at this year’s Memorial Day program is a final roll call, which will be presented by Myron Koets. He said it will be similar to a roll call for those who are in active service, but will include the names of veterans with a connection to Pipestone who have died in the past year. He said the goal is to let people know that veterans are all around us and each day there are veterans who pass away.
“It’s kind of a final acknowledgment,” Koets said.
The roll call will include 17 names of veterans who have died in the last year.
Koets will also be the master of ceremonies during the Memorial Day program. Pastor Jennings Wallace will deliver the invocation and benediction, and Michael-Boock Post 6 Commander Robert Douty, U.S. Army, will provide closing remarks.
The Pipestone Area Schools High School Band will perform “America the Beautiful,” “Star Spangled Banner,” and “America.” Veteran’s services organizations will post and retire the colors, American Legion Post 6 will place the wreath, the Pipestone American Legion Honor Guard will provide a rifle salute, and Cody Norberg will play “Taps.”
Jasper
There will be a Memorial Day program Monday, May 27 at 11 a.m. at the Jasper Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELC).
The main speaker will be Jasper American Legion Auxiliary member Sandy Moose. Post Chaplain Terry Skyberg will provide the opening prayer, Post Commander Les Nath will provide the opening remarks, and Auxiliary Chaplain Edie Aas will provide the closing blessing and prayer.
There will be a reading of the poem “The Experience,” which was written by Rock County resident Alan Harnack, who served in Vietnam from 1968 to 1969. The ceremony will also include the procession of flags with “You’re a Grand Old Flag” performed by Jason Madtson, the singing of the “Star Spangled Banner” by the audience, the singing of “O Beautiful for Spacious Skies” by the audience, “Songs of the Armed Forces” performed by Madtson, “God Bless America” sung by Mark and Cindy Jamison and the audience with accompanists Madtson and Barb Westerbur, “Taps” performed by Paul Prunty, and “Washington Post March” performed by Madtson.
Prior to the program, there will be a silent tribute on the screens to area veterans, active service members and deceased veterans. There will also be a display of the Battle of Brécourt Manor, which occurred June 6, 1944 and was part of the Normandy invasion, provided by Mike Westerbur, of Luverne. After the program, a luncheon will be held in the Jasper ELC fellowship hall, which will include barbecues, chips and bars. The luncheon will be sponsored by the Jasper American Legion Auxiliary and there will be a free will offering with the proceeds going to the Luverne Veterans Home’s project to buy new flag poles.
Holland
There will be a Memorial Day service Monday, May 27 at 10 a.m. at the Holland Cemetery. People can gather at the Veterans Memorial at the Holland City Park before 9:30 a.m. to walk to the cemetery if interested.
Rev. Stephen Wynja will provide the address, Vice Commander John Sullivan will provide the welcome, Adjutant Ron Moffitt will provide the prayer and Ken Winsel will be the master of ceremony. The Pledge of Allegiance will be said, Kolton Hoheisel will read “In Flanders Fields,” Bergen Arp will present “America’s Answer,” the audience will sing “America,” Betty Severeid will conduct the wreath service, the audience will sing the “Star Spangled Banner,” the American Legion Firing Squad will provide a rifle salute, and Commander Earl De Wilde will provide closing remarks. The program will conclude with the playing of “Taps.”
After the program, the Holland Community Foundation will host a Memorial Day luncheon from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Holland City Park that will include burgers and hot dogs. There will be a freewill donation.
Edgerton
There will be a Memorial Day service Monday, May 27 at 10 a.m. at the Southwest Minnesota Christian High School Gymnasium in Edgerton.
Brandon Lolkus will provide the Memorial Day address; Post Commander Gary Baker will provide the welcome; Vivian Dyk, from Southwest Christian, will sing the “Star Spangled Banner;” Dick Ruiter will provide the prayer; Caleb Fey will read the “Gettysburg Address,” there will be a Memorial Day Salute video, and the Cadets will place the wreaths. Sophie Schoolmeester will read the names of departed veterans, there will be a moment of silence in memory of the departed veterans, the American Legion Firing Squad will provide the firing of volleys, and Dyk will play “Taps.”
Woodstock
On Monday, May 27, the American Legion Herbert Holtke Post #285 will pay tribute at St. Martin Cemetery in Woodstock at 9:45 a.m. and at the Woodstock Cemetery at Diamond Corner at 10 a.m.
The post will also pay tribute at 9 a.m. at the Ellsborough Lutheran Cemetery near Lake Wilson, the Lutheran cemetery near Lake Wilson at 9:15 a.m., and the Hillside Cemetery in Lake Wilson at 10:30 a.m. At 11 a.m. there will be a Memorial Day service at the Lake Wilson American Legion Hall. Attendees are invited to a picnic dinner in the Legion Hall, compliments of the Legion and Auxiliary.