Create a Valentine to show your gratitude for the men and women who sacrificed for our country. Valentines will be delivered to the residents of Homes for the Brave and Female Soldiers, Forgotten Heroes in Bridgeport, CT.
Join us at Wilton Veterans Memorial Green along Center Street at 10 a.m. for a wreath laying ceremony hosted by the Boy Scouts. After the ceremony we will travel to Hillside Cemetery to place wreaths on Veterans’ graves. All are welcome.
Each December on National Wreaths Across America Day, our mission to Remember, Honor and Teach is carried out by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery, as well as at more than 1,600 additional locations in all 50 U.S. states, at sea and abroad.
James B. Whipple American Legion Post 86 will hold a Veterans Day ceremony on Nov. 11, at 10:30 a.m., at the Wilton Veterans Memorial Green along Center Street. All veterans and the Wilton community are encouraged to attend.
The Meaning of Veterans Day
While many realize that Veterans Day, which always falls on November 11, is a day to honor our Veterans, few realize the historical significance behind the day.
Veterans Day originated as Armistice Day and marked the end of hostilities of World War I that occurred at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month. Therefore, the day is always recognized on November 11th, regardless of the day of the week the 11th falls on.
In 1919, President Wilson commemorated the first Armistice Day with these words:
“To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…”
The day was originally set aside to honor the Veterans of World War I with a day of parades and remembrances as well as a pause in activities at 11 a.m. on the day.
In 1938, it was made a legal federal holiday for all. However, after World War II and the Korean War, Congress recognized a need to expand the meaning of the day to recognize all of our Veterans and not just those of World War I. In 1954, the word “Armistice” was replaced with “Veterans” as a way to formally include all Veterans of all American wars in the day of remembrance.
Today, Veterans Day is a federal holiday which many cities celebrate with parades and ceremonies. In Washington, D.C., there are ceremonies throughout the city including a wreath laying at Arlington National Cemetery.
Veterans Day is a day not only to remember those who died in service to our country, but also to recognize those who continue to serve today. Americans are encouraged to say thank you to those who fulfill this patriotic duty to maintain the freedoms of our country.
Preserve Local History: Join the Headstone Cleaning Workshop at Hillside Cemetery
Election Day Service Project! November 5th 12-3 PM
Hillside Cemetery, a treasured landmark in Wilton, is inviting community members to roll up their sleeves and get involved in a special preservation effort. On Tuesday, November 5th, Hillside will host a Headstone Cleaning Workshop, offering an opportunity for residents to learn and contribute to the maintenance of this important site.
The workshop will be led by Michael Carroll, director of Rediscovering History. Michael’s team will guide participants through the process of safely cleaning headstones. Attendees can purchase a comprehensive cleaning kit that includes all the necessary tools and materials for the job.
As the manager of the cemetery, I spend a lot of time at Hillside. So I thought it appropriate to discuss the significance of All Souls’ Day which falls on Nov 2nd. While All Saints’ Day on Nov 1st is focused on Christian martyrs and saints, All Souls’ Day is about the members of your own family and family history. It’s a day for being with family, visiting the cemetery, sharing memories, and honoring traditions.
A walk through Hillside reveals many past lives. We can see headstones of those who have lived 90 years, even 100 plus years. There are markers that show lives cut short by war—some dating all the way back to the Revolutionary War and on up to the Afghanistan war. The saddest memorials are those of children and young people. Some headstones are inscribed with a favorite toy, there several very old graves marked with a little marble lamb. The newest graves are often covered with notes, mementos, and photos left by friends and family. This past year from last November through today we buried 61 beloved individuals at Hillside.
On All Souls’ Day, I encourage you to make time to celebrate your family and its history. Play a favorite game, listen to favorite music, prepare a family recipe, go through a photo album, call a distant relative. Just try to connect with your family.
My little prayer for today is:
May we remember those who have died in the past year.
May we celebrate their lives, even as we continue to grieve.
And may the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Each year, the President of the United States issues a proclamation declaring this week as Constitution Week.
Why Do we Celebrate and Promote Constitution Week
1. To encourage the study of the historical events that led to the framing of the Constitution in September 1787;
2. To remind the public that the Constitution is the basis of America’s great heritage and the foundation for its way of life;
3. To emphasize U.S. citizens’ responsibility to protect, defend and preserve the U.S. Constitution.
Drug Overdose Prayer for Victims and Families
Dear God of All,
We come to you grieving with broken hearts over our loved one who has become the victim of an overdose. Our sorrow knows no depths as we consider the preciousness of the life lost and the cruelty of the addition and the terrible accident that robbed them of a good life and cause their death.
Those of us left behind feel victimized ourselves. We feel helpless because we have been robbed of huge pieces of our own life and our future by this merciless disease.
Despite our sorrow, we pray for the strength to choose life. We choose to affirm the goodness and sacredness of the life of our loved one. We acknowledge their worth in your sight and we hold onto our love for them even through the pain. We pray that you will remove all traces of regret, guilt and shame from our hearts and minds. We pray your forgiveness and mercy over every difficult incident between us and our loved one that was caused by the addiction. You know the road we have walked and how often we have felt that we should be doing one more thing to help, prevent or rescue. We lay this entire journey at your feet and offer it up to you as our baptism into the suffering of Christ, believing that we did the best we could and that this is all that you ask of us.
Join us on Saturday, July 20th for the 12th annual Wilton Street Fair! Look for the Hillside booth, we will be there to answer any and all your cemetery questions. Contact Pam for more information. pam@wiltoncongregational.org
There is a growing movement to return to natural burials. They can include using biodegradable materials that help the body return to the earth naturally.
Join the Humanists and Freethinkers of Fairfield County at the Wilton Quaker Meeting House on Monday, July 8th at 7 PM. This program features a panel who will inform and discuss the options and obstacles for having an environmentally friendly burial. For example, there are only a few cemeteries in CT that can accommodate a green burial.
Panel includes: Congressman Keith Denning, one of the co-sponsors for terramation in CT, Rebecca Lautenslager of Shaughnessey Banks Funeral Home, and Pam Brown from Hillside Cemetery in Wilton, a hybrid cemetery.
This meeting is free and open to all. You must Register to Attend.
GO TO: https://bit.ly/GreenBurialsCT
IN-PERSON: We will be meeting at the Wilton Quaker Meetinghouse. You are encouraged to arrive at the Meetinghouse at 6:15 pm to socialize and get settled before the 7 pm program starts. Snacks and beverages will be served beforehand. The Wilton Quaker Meeting House is at 317 New Canaan Road, Wilton, CT.
BY ZOOM: If you are unable to attend in person, you can attend via Zoom. When you register you will receive an email from Zoom containing a “Join Meeting” button you may use when the event start time approaches. 6:45 pm check-in. 7 pm program.
Please register whether you intend to attend in person or virtually.
GO TO: https://bit.ly/GreenBurialsCT
Click here for more information.
Veterans’ Flags will be removed the weekend of 7/06. If you have any questions, please contact the office at 203-762-5591 or pam@wiltoncongregational.org. Thank you!
On Memorial Day, we honor those who gave their lives for our country. Please join us at the flagpole for our traditional ceremony. Our warmest wishes and deepest gratitude for the ultimate sacrifice of our fallen heroes.
Veterans’ Flags will be placed the weekend of 5/25 and removed the weekend of 7/06. If you need a flag to honor your loved one, please contact the office at 203-762-5591 or email Pam at pam@wiltoncongregational.org. Thank you!
Please join us at the Never Forget Garden at Hillside to commemorate Patriots’ Day! There are 42 Revolutionary War Patriots buried in three of Wilton’s cemeteries. Click here for a program!
POSTONED UNTIL SEPTEMBER
Funeral and Memorial service and burial planning can be a quandary when someone you love has died. You may not be sure what to do, who to approach, or even what you or your loved one wants. The same holds true for your loved ones. Why not make it a bit easier for them and think ahead of what your wishes might include?
We will offer a workshop on effective Funeral and Memorial Planning. We will reflect and think about scripture passages, hymns or music, elements of a service itself. We will discuss planning for after the service, whether burial or cremation, different aspects and services of Hillside Cemetery. And, we will also focus on probate and basic estate planning. This offering will last approximately 1.5 hours. We look forward to seeing you.
Date: SEPTEMBER
Time: TBD
Location: TBD
Pam Brown, Executive Administer, Hillside Cemetery
Attorney Paul H. Burnham
Rev. Suzanne Wagner, Co-Pastor, Wilton Congregational Church
For more information please email pam@wiltoncongregational.org or call 203-762-5591.
Join us at the top of the hill for a beautiful and inspiring service.
Vietnam Veterans Day is March 29th. Let us offer prayers of gratitude and peace to all Vietnam veterans who served and are still suffering the effects of war.
There were 2.59 million American veterans who served during the Vietnam War for over a decade. Let us take a moment of silence in remembrance the 58,282 Vietnam veterans killed in action and the more than 2,646 Americans who remain unaccounted for from the conflict.
Hillside recognizes local women and their significant contributions to Wilton and beyond. This year you will meet artists, authors, and entrepreneurs. We have so many special women to celebrate here at Hillside!
The walk is both educational and inspirational. Meeting these women remind us that within each of us is the power to help make our community the place we want it to be now and in the future. Click here for the brochure. Copies are available to pick up at the Wilton Congregational Church office, 70 Ridgefield Road.
For more information please email pam@wiltoncongregational.org.
Create a Valentine to show your gratitude for the men and women who sacrificed for our country. Valentines will be delivered to the residents of Homes for the Brave and Female Soldiers, Forgotten Heroes in Bridgeport, CT.
Join us at Sharp Hill Cemetery on the corner of Sharp Hill Road and Route 7 at 12 noon for a wreath laying ceremony to honor Revolutionary War Soldiers that fought for our Independence. Sponsored by the Drum Hill Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Join us at Wilton Veterans Memorial Green along Center Street at 10 a.m. for a wreath laying ceremony hosted by the Boy Scouts. After the ceremony we will travel to Hillside Cemetery to place wreaths on Veterans’ graves. All are welcome.
Each December on National Wreaths Across America Day, our mission to Remember, Honor and Teach is carried out by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery, as well as at more than 1,600 additional locations in all 50 U.S. states, at sea and abroad.
As the manager of the cemetery, I spend a lot of time at Hillside. So I thought it appropriate to discuss the significance of All Souls’ Day which falls on Nov 2nd. While All Saints’ Day on Nov 1st is focused on Christian martyrs and saints, All Souls’ Day is about the members of your own family and family history. It’s a day for being with family, visiting the cemetery, sharing memories, and honoring traditions.
A walk through Hillside reveals many past lives. We can see headstones of those who have lived 90 years, even 100 plus years. There are markers that show lives cut short by war—some dating all the way back to the Revolutionary War and on up to the Afghanistan war. The saddest memorials are those of children and young people. Some headstones are inscribed with a favorite toy, there several very old graves marked with a little marble lamb. The newest graves are often covered with notes, mementos, and photos left by friends and family. This past year from last November through today we buried 61 beloved individuals at Hillside.
On All Souls’ Day, I encourage you to make time to celebrate your family and its history. Play a favorite game, listen to favorite music, prepare a family recipe, go through a photo album, call a distant relative. Just try to connect with your family.
My little prayer for today is:
May we remember those who have died in the past year.
May we celebrate their lives, even as we continue to grieve.
And may the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
A Historic Walking Tour
Join us on Sunday, October 22nd at 12 noon for a most unusual tour of Wilton’s oldest burial ground.
For more information please click here.
All around the world communities are work toward and praying for peace. We pray for peace in our town, our state, and country, and our world.
Help celebrate by decorating peace rocks! Pick up a kit at the Wilton Congregational Church, 70 Ridgefield Road. Then drop off completed rocks at the Peace Pole at Hillside Cemetery, 165 Ridgefield Road. Contact Pam Brown for more info at pam@wiltoncongregational.org
Peace Rocks!
Drug Overdose Prayer for Victims and Families
Dear God of All,
We come to you grieving with broken hearts over our loved one who has become the victim of an overdose. Our sorrow knows no depths as we consider the preciousness of the life lost and the cruelty of the addition and the terrible accident that robbed them of a good life and cause their death.
Those of us left behind feel victimized ourselves. We feel helpless because we have been robbed of huge pieces of our own life and our future by this merciless disease.
Despite our sorrow, we pray for the strength to choose life. We choose to affirm the goodness and sacredness of the life of our loved one. We acknowledge their worth in your sight and we hold onto our love for them even through the pain. We pray that you will remove all traces of regret, guilt and shame from our hearts and minds. We pray your forgiveness and mercy over every difficult incident between us and our loved one that was caused by the addiction. You know the road we have walked and how often we have felt that we should be doing one more thing to help, prevent or rescue. We lay this entire journey at your feet and offer it up to you as our baptism into the suffering of Christ, believing that we did the best we could and that this is all that you ask of us.
We pray that you will give us the ability to honor the memory of our loved one and that we might celebrate their victories big and small. Help us to memorialize the enormous accomplishment of their ability to live under the heavy burden of addiction. Please welcome them into your Kingdom as the whole, healthy people you created, now restored to peace, wholeness and joy in your presence. We believe your Word that says, “no one dies to themselves.” (Romans 14:7,8) We stand on the promise that at the time of this terrible accident that you were there with them in their final hours in supernatural ways that go beyond our understanding.
Although we cannot bring our lost loved one back, we pray for the future time when you will show us how to honor them by somehow taking up the good fight against addiction so that other might live. Right now we’re not ready. Right now we pray that you will help us to take the time to grieve and to heal. Simply place a small glimmer of hope in our hearts that one day You will show us a healing path that will be unique to who we are and who our loved ones are.
And so dear God, heal all of our yesterdays, strengthen and sustain us today and enlighten all of our tomorrows with your Holy Spirit. Amen.
The loss of life due to an opioid overdose does not have to be senseless. We can learn from our failures and forge forward on a path that emphasizes awareness and understanding. Let's end the stigma surrounding addiction and provide individuals with the resources they need to recover. Open dialogue is critical. To connect with resources that provide valuable information on opioid use disorder in Connecticut, visit www.liveloud.org or call 1-800-563-4086 any time, day or night.
On Memorial Day, we honor those who gave their lives for our country. Please join us at the flagpole for our traditional ceremony.
Our warmest wishes and deepest gratitude for the ultimate sacrifice of our fallen heroes. Please watch this moving video created by the American Legion featuring Veterans from Wilton.
Please join us at the Never Forget Garden at Hillside to commemorate Patriots’ Day! There are 42 Revolutionary War Patriots buried in three of Wilton’s cemeteries.
If you need a flag to honor your loved one, please contact the office at 203-762-5591 or pam@wiltoncongregational.org. Thank you!
Join us at the top of the hill for a beautiful and inspiring service.
Vietnam Veterans Day is March 29th. Let us offer prayers of gratitude and peace to all Vietnam veterans who served and are still suffering the effects of war.
There were 2.59 million American veterans who served during the Vietnam War for over a decade. Let us take a moment of silence in remembrance the 58,282 Vietnam veterans killed in action and the more than 2,646 Americans who remain unaccounted for from the conflict.
Hillside recognizes local women and their significant contributions to Wilton and beyond. You will meet a patriot, abolitionist, suffragist, community activist, Justice of the Peace, and journalist. We have so many special women to celebrate here at Hillside!
The walk is both educational and inspirational. Meeting these special women remind us that within each of us is the power to help make our community the place we want it to be now and in the future.
Create a Valentine to show your gratitude for the men and women who sacrificed for our country. For more information contact Pam at pam@wiltoncongregational.org
