Rothman carried on the tradition held so sacred in her family and others in the Albion area Sunday to honor those who died in service of the country.

“Carrying on traditions like this service are a way of connecting to our collective past,” Rothman said. “The service took on a new meaning when I was a young mom with two young children and my husband deployed overseas. It was a relief when Ben returned from that and all of his deployments.”

A small audience gathered at the Albion Cemetery for the service, some taking spots in the shade of a nearby tree, others soaking in the sun.

All paid close attention to the readings of both the Gettysburg Address, originally read by President Abraham Lincoln at the height of the Civil War, and an honor roll of the names of veterans laid to rest in the Albion and Marietta cemeteries.

T-R PHOTO BY ADAM SODDERS - The audience looks on as the colors are retired at Albion Cemetery Sunday at the conclusion of the Memorial Day service.

“Since its inception, this country has been defended by thousands of brave men and women who have given of themselves in order to preserve those basic tenants of freedom, in order that future generations of not only this nation, but of all nations of the world might benefit from them,” said Albion First Presbyterian Church Pastor Charlie Flick. “We gather together today to remember and honor all those whose service contributed to defending this nation and the ideals upon which it was founded.”

Kindness was one of the main themes of Rothman’s main address Sunday. She said Iowans are known for their kindness, whether opening a door for someone, letting someone merge in traffic or picking up an extra item at the grocery store for a local food pantry.

“The honor roll grows longer as we bid farewell to more veterans, but the tradition of stepping forward to serve our country continues. Not all of us will serve in the armed forces, but all of us can do our part to make this world a better place,” she said. “This Memorial Day, let us renew our commitment to live our lives in a way that will honor the sacrifice of these great Iowans whose names we read, these ordinary men and women who rose to accomplish extraordinary things.”

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Contact Adam Sodders at 641-753-6611 or asodders@timesrepublican.com