You can take part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the historic Oak Grove and Lawnwood cemeteries this Saturday.
Care to guess how many veterans have been laid to rest in the 10 acres at Oak Grove and Lawnwood cemeteries between South Park and First Ward? Those cemeteries don’t feel terribly large when you walk through them, but among the headstones there, which date back to around 1800, lie 400 veterans, some of whom fought in the Revolutionary War.
At noon on Saturday, December 13, each of those 400 veterans will be remembered in an annual wreath-laying ceremony—and you’re invited to participate.
It’s part of a nationwide observance that was started at Arlington National Cemetery almost two decades ago by the nonprofit Wreaths Across America. The event has grown each year, and now millions of wreaths are placed on the headstones of service members on National Wreaths Across America Day each December—more than three million at 5,200 cemeteries in all 50 states in 2024.
The owners of Fred L. Jenkins Funeral Home have served as location coordinator for the wreath-laying at Oak Grove and Lawnwood cemeteries since 2014.
“My husband, Jared, and I had previously been to the ceremony at the National Cemetery at Grafton, and it was very moving,” says Janna Kerns-Jenkins. “That fall, Jared went into collaboration with the folks at Wreaths across America and was set as a site coordinator. We chose Oak Grove cemetery because it’s one of the oldest in Monongalia County and the War Memorial monument is there.”
In the first few years, she says, one wreath was laid at the base of the War Memorial to honor each of the seven branches of the U.S. armed forces—the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Merchant Marines, Coast Guard, and Space Force—as well as one for prisoners of war and those missing in action.
But in 2017, members of the Elizabeth Ludington Hagans–Colonel John Evans chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) approached the Jenkinses offering to raise money so that a wreath could be placed on each veteran’s grave. Jenkins Funeral Home and the DAR chapter now raise funds together for the event.
Dozens of participants of all ages—scouts and elementary school students, veterans and DAR members—now gather for the ceremony on the second Saturday of each December at the Monongalia County War Memorial monument, rain or shine. Afterward, each takes an armload of wreaths to lay on the 400 veterans’ graves, which have been marked in advance with flags.
“The volunteers look at each stone, take a moment, say the name, and place their wreath,” Kerns-Jenkins says. “One of the greatest things to be a part of and observe is that you always say the individual’s name when you lay their wreath, so that exact individual is remembered at that moment.”
The three main pillars of Wreaths across America, she says, are to remember, honor, and teach. “That’s something we truly embrace—that we’re remembering the fallen, we’re honoring those who continue to serve and their families, and we’re teaching future generations about the importance of what these individuals sacrificed so we can have everyday freedoms.”
The 400 wreaths to be laid this year were paid for through community support at the cost of $17 each. If you’d like to participate this year, you can simply show up at noon. You can also help the organizers know how many to expect by clicking the “Volunteer” button on the Jenkins Funeral Home web page for the event. And mark your calendar for next November, when you can go back on the website and sponsor a wreath for the 2026 event.
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