April 15, 2025
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In Lyndon, a legacy honoring military service continues

The former Lyndon Congregational Church was again transformed into a place of solemn remembrance for the town’s military veterans

By Sarah Ford for Sauk Valley Media

Part of the display of military gear and remembrances that goes up the week of Veterans Day at Lyndon Area Historical Society. (Sarah Ford)

LYNDON – It was about stories of heroism ... and homemade cookies.

The Lyndon Area Historical Society honored veterans with its annual display Sunday. Visitors were welcomed with homemade cookies, a program on new and past honorees and stories that keep memories of military service alive.

The organization’s used the former Lyndon Congregational Church as a solemn space, which holds mementos from past conflicts, from the Civil War through to Iraq.

The veterans’ displays first started in 2016, when almost 70 veterans and families submitted their own fragments of family history, with the showcase on display around the sanctuary and on the rows of pews.

Part of the display of military gear and remembrances that goes up the week of Veterans Day at Lyndon Area Historical Society. (Sarah Ford)

The snapshots of their lives included basic training photos, old newspaper articles, uniforms, dog tags, ribbons, patches, travel receipts, training certificates, post-service photos, and descriptions of their assignments while they fought for freedom.

Lois Pilgrim, vice president of the society, said the number of new displays has remained fairly low in the years since, since most of the local veterans have been represented. Families can choose to donate to the society or get their items returned. Copies are sometimes made.

“We’re very proud of the displays. We love our veterans,” said Pilgrim.

Lyndon Area Historical Society officers are on hand for the opening of the “Honoring Lyndon Area Veterans” display on Sunday. In the front, from left, are Lois Pilgrim, Kris Bielema, and Dale Ann Cook; in the back are Michelle “Mimi” Sweetser and Mary Ellen Rogers. Carol Crady, who was not photographed, also helped with the display. (Sarah Ford)

As visitors walked throughout the building Sunday, the silence of reflection was a reminder of and a respect for the cost of war. Society members also hosted displays such as The Missing Man Table, which honors fallen, missing or imprisoned military service members.

Other items include uniforms, war posters, a trombone played during World War I, Lyndon and Prophetstown service record books, a collection of “Service Star” newsletters compiled by Lyndon High School students from 1942-1946, and photos from Washington D.C.’s veteran memorials.

The 2021 Lyndon area honorees are: Everett L. Glazier, Army – World War II; Floyd Walter Johnson, Army WW II; Jerry Pilgrim, Army – Italy; Darrell Lee Mattson, Navy – Vietnam; Larry Rick, Army Medic – 1975; Duane Elliot Rick, Navy – WWII; and Peter Steven Schmidt, Army – Korea. Nearly seventy other past honorees have their items on display this year.

One of the displays at the Lyndon Area Historical Society that honor the town's veterans and long history of military service. (Sarah Ford)

The Lyndon Area Historical Society is open from 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesdays at 405 4th St. W., and the veterans’ display will be up until March 2022. Interested visitors can also call Pilgrim at 815-213-1952 to set up a visit if unable to attend during normal operating hours. For information, go to www.lyndonareahistoricalsociety.org.

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