[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 147 (Tuesday, September 13, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E922]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MT. VERNON MEMORIAL GARDENS 
                                CEMETERY

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                             HON. MIKE BOST

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 13, 2022

  Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 75th 
anniversary of the Mt. Vernon Memorial Gardens Cemetery.
  The cemetery was acquired by Gene and Betty Wells in 1952. In 1967, 
their daughter and son-in-law, Cathy and Eugene Stanford, acquired and 
placed 25 flags to honor our heroes in uniform laid to rest in the 
cemetery. Over the years, they also began placing homemade crosses 
bearing the names of each veteran interred there. Earlier this year, 
the Stanfords and their staff set up an avenue of 419 flags and 1,200 
crosses to represent every veteran laid to rest at Memorial Gardens 
Cemetery.
  In 2019, a local citizen encouraged Memorial Gardens to participate 
in the Wreaths Across America program. Since then, the Mt. Vernon 
community comes out to the cemetery every year to place small flags at 
the marker of each veteran ahead of Veterans' Day. When the wreaths 
arrive in December, the community uses those flags to easily identify 
which graves bear the heroes from the Mt. Vernon area who served our 
nation.
  I also want to recognize the Stanfords' daughter, Lieutenant Colonel 
Samantha Stanford, who answered the call to serve on September 11, 
2001. Twenty-one years later, she continues to patriotically serve our 
nation in the U.S. Army Reserves.
  Madam Speaker, please join me in recognizing the Stanfords' efforts 
to keep the memory of generations of servicemembers alive and for the 
important role they've played in providing a place of comfort for 
grieving Southern Illinois families.

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