Myer continues to gather support for monument

The effort to erect a stone monument off of Memorial Lane continues to gather steam, organizer Lila Myer said Saturday.

“The stone has been ordered, it’s on its way,” she said. Fundraisers have gathered more than $2,500 towards to $4,000 cost of the finished monument to accompany the twin rows of trees planted to recognize those from Granville who gave the ultimate sacrifice and were killed serving the country during World War II.

A pair of bingos held by the Modern Woodmen of America, combined with private donations, a donation from the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the proceeds from an American Legion dinner have the effort just $1,500 short of the goal in just the time since the August announcement of the effort. “I’m very pleased with all of the support the community has shown towards this effort,” Myer said. 

Myer began gathering support for an effort to erect a stone monument to go with the trees some time ago.

“A lot of people don’t know what those trees are there for and this would show them,” Myer said.

Those who do know, those with family members recognized in the Lane are among those Myer said she thinks will support the effort to have a permanent marker at the site.

The proposed monument would bear information about each of the men whose names were read aloud at the reintroduced Memorial Day observances at Granville High School or during the rededication ceremony for the World War II Veteran’s Memorial Clock last September.

The lane, planted with a tree in honor of each man used to have small brass plaques identifying which man a particular tree stood in memory of, but those have long since disappeared, she said.

At this point, Myer said she has received permission to proceed with the monument from the Granville Board of Education. She hopes to see the monument installed near Church Street, near the shot put area adjacent the Lane and football field, to allow people to see it when they pass by or stop to look.

To support this effort Myer is spearheading a fundraiser to collect a total of $4,000 to pay for the monument and installation from South Granville’s Hick’s Memorials.

Should fundraising effort be highly successful and the fund amasses more than the needed $4,000, Myer said any remaining funds will be given over to the World War II Veteran’s Memorial Clock maintenance fund.

“I’m hoping that together we can join as a community to preserve our heritage,” Myer said.

Anyone wishing to contribute to the monument fund can send donations to a bank account at TD Bank: Memory Lane Monument Fund, care of Peter O’Brien, 6 Main Street, Granville, NY 12832.