TOWN OF LOWVILLE, New York (WWNY) – 3 graves in Lowville’s Rural Cemetery that have been unmarked for decades were dedicated to local veterans this afternoon.
The Sons and Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War and the Lowville American Legion Post 162 conducted a headstone dedication ceremony for Clark Taft Van Valkenberg, James Nolan Jr and Albert Loffler.
In particular, Van Valkenberg was the last Civil War soldier from Lowville.
The ceremony’s organizer says they have been doing research for almost a decade to find all civil war veterans buried in Lewis County, making sure they get the recognition they deserve.
“In my mind, they are truly the greatest generation in our country because they saved our union. They kept our country together and that is what the whole Civil War was really about. Keeping the union together. Preserving it like our founding fathers intended,” said Jeffrey French, event organizer.
French says there are more than 2,000 Civil War veterans they have identified in the county that they are working to get headstones for.
He says they are also looking to go through the same process in Jefferson County.
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