Lawrence cemetery service honors Civil War Medal of Honor recipients

The ground at Oak Hill Cemetery, saturated by rain, sunk underfoot. But between the gray sky and gray headstones shone about two dozen brightly colored umbrellas.

Steve Owen, Denver, CO., prepares to lay a flag at the gravestone of his great-grandfather, Samuel Joseph Churchill, in Oak Hill Cemetery, Saturday, April 18, 2015. The Lawrence chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution - the Betty Washington Chapter - held a Remembrance Service Saturday where they honored three veterans of the Civil War.

Those gathered Saturday afternoon were taking part in a remembrance service to honor Civil War Medal of Honor recipients buried at Oak Hill, 1605 Oak Hill Ave.

The Lawrence chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, named the Betty Washington Chapter, hosted the remembrance service. Members of the chapter spent months tracking down descendants of the Medal of Honor recipients buried at Oak Hill so that they could take part in the service, said DeAnne Rosen, chapter regent.

“It’s important to honor veterans always, but especially Medal of Honor veterans,” Rosen said.

Throughout this year, the Kansas chapters of the DAR have been hosting remembrance services for all of the Civil War Medal of Honor recipients buried across the state, Rosen said. There are three such veterans buried at Oak Hill Cemetery: Samuel Joseph Churchill, Thomas N. Graham and H. Seymour Hall.

As part of the service, descendants of the veterans placed an American flag, a Medal of Honor flag and flowers at each of the three headstones.

Before the service, members of the chapter held a reception for family members who traveled to Lawrence. Paul Templin, a descendant of Henry Seymour Hall, flew in from San Diego. Templin said he learned a lot about his ancestors that he didn’t know.

“It’s interesting to learn about some of my own history and roots,” Templin said.