Peonies ahead of Memorial Day

Here on the 1st of May our Peonies are blooming. Over the years they have been the most predominant flowers to use for Memorial Day. As a youngster, I well remember Mother and Dad cutting flowers from the row of white peonies that were located between our front yard and the garden. I believe Grandma Vrana had planted them while they were still out on the farm. We would load up the old reel lawnmower along with the flowers and water to go over to the Oak Grove Cemetery to decorate the Vrana graves. The mower was used to cut the grass on the Vrana plots and those of other relatives whom we knew would not be coming. It was an interesting family outing. There were family stories told that might not have been passed down otherwise. Elaine and I have continued to carry on the family tradition here at the Seward Cemetery with close relatives. When Aunt Ethel was still alive, it was a major undertaking to decorate the graves of her extended relatives. That too was a genealogical experience. We have narrowed the list considerably but will still make the rounds the day before Memorial Day. We just wont have Peonies to use for decorations.