Lilacs and Iris on Memorial Day

I remember Memorial Day in Penrose, when we hoped that both the iris and the lilacs would be blooming.  The lilacs grew on the huge lilac bushes on the original home site of the Tvedtness home on the lot next to ours that Dad bought.  The home was long gone, but the remnants of "Emmy's" gardening prowess remained long after their home was gone.  The iris grew on the path from our back door to the barn.  As I remember, quart bottles were used to take the flowers to the Penrose cemetery.  After Dad and Mom died, and both were in the Penrose cemetery, Burchell and Ruby Hopkin told me that they had taken flowers to their gravesite each year on Memorial Day, a moving tribute to our parents for which we all remain eternally grateful since we are not able to be there ourselves, however much we would like to be there.