For the past four years, the members of the Sleeping Ute Mountain Chapter of DAR have marked the graves of all veterans in the rural cemeteries in Montezuma County prior to Memorial Day Weekend.
The flags used are the small 4”x 6” flags and may remain at the gravesite after Memorial Day. Members ask the public for assistance in locating these veterans in the various rural cemeteries.
If a family member does not have some type of veterans marker in order for us to determine he or she is a veteran, please call one of the following ladies before Tuesday, May 21, to give them the information:
Lewis, Arriola, Sylvan, Goodman Point, and Fairview: Call Daisy Mahaffey, 739-0627.
Battle Rock, Baskett, Lamb, Majors and other cemeteries in McElmo Canyon: Call Janice Benton, 564-0737.
Cemeteries in the Mancos area: Call Helen Small, 565-8149.
Old Dolores (Peoples), Lebanon and all other rural cemeteries not listed: Call June Head, 565-3880, or Peggy Scates, 564-1924.
Each year about 15 members of the DAR will spend time honoring the gravesites of these veterans by placing approximately 250 flags in the rural cemeteries. They will make every effort to place the American flag on the requested grave. Plans are to place the flags in the different cemeteries May 22-24.
The DAR ladies will remove these small flags when there is any sign of deterioration.
Members of the American Legion will then dispose of the flags in a proper manner.