By KRYSTAL NURSE
The Sun
After weeks of collecting donations, wreaths were placed on gravesites in the Gloucester County Veterans Memorial Cemetery by families, area organizations, volunteers and the People for People Foundation, which organized the Dec. 8 Wreaths of Remembrance event.
Families of late loved ones were invited to attend the event for a private ceremony and to pay their respects to those who aren’t alive for the holidays. A larger ceremony was held by the county for the rest of community.
“It’s a beautiful cemetery, and it’s such a beautiful ceremony that they (the foundation) do,” said Wendy Rice of Williamstown, whose husband, Army Vietnam veteran SP4 Wayne, is buried at the cemetery. “I always come to this.”
Winslow and Washington Township residents Karen Humphreys and her sister Susan Winkles, respectively, have attended the ceremony every year since their father, Cpl. Earl Bende, World War II Army veteran, passed away in 2009. Their late mother, Catharine, is also in the cemetery.
“I just think it’s such an honor to have a place where we can go and feel very happy because there’s flags flying, there’s always people here, there’s tributes to everyone who’s buried here, and I find it very positive to come and visit my parents in this kind of environment,” said Winkles.
“It’s amazing to see how many people come out, and it’s unfortunate to see how full the cemetery is,” said Joe Lynch IV, whose father, Joe Lynch III, U.S. Army veteran, is laid to rest at the cemetery. “It’s a little sad just seeing how many more veterans are here.”
Bernadette Blackstock, chief executive officer of the People for People Foundation, said every year the organization mobilizes its fundraising efforts to lay wreaths on all gravesites. This year, there are 2,700 veterans in the cemetery.
“We keep seeing it grow, and the fact that it’s growing means that someone had to die, and it becomes very sad that we’re here to celebrate that death, but we also come together in fellowship with other families we have,” said Blackstock.
The event started after the nonprofit sought to honor late veterans in a way that wasn’t too costly for the community and still offer a quality service.
“Together, in a partnership with some friends, Rich and Laurie Gess – and Rich happened to work for Home Depot – they came together for us to be able to provide the wreaths at a $5 cost,” said Blackstock. “Today they’re up at $7, but over a nine-year period, it’s not too bad.”
Blackstock said she’s happy to see families and the 1,000 volunteers come by every year to help them out.
Steven Swain, who served in the Vietnam War with the Army, has attended the event for two years since his father, 2nd Lt. Joseph M. Swain of the Army and Air Force, passed away in November 2017.
“He was my hero, and it’s just a special event, and it touches everyone that comes and sees it,” said Swain. “It’s very nice to see people come out.”
Blackstock said when wreaths are laid on graves, a private ceremony is held above the site as they read a prayer that states “may we thank our servicemen for their sacrifice, and may we never forget.”
