Honoring Heroes: Memorial Day Remembrance Traditions Span Generations

At Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly Township, Michigan, families gathered on Memorial Day to honor those who served. 

For 14 years, Rosie Weaver has visited her husband's headstone every Sunday before Memorial Day. "Every time I come, I feel the same way, like if I just buried him," she explained in an interview with MLive. Her spouse, U.S. Army Spc. Michael Weaver, died in 2011 due to Agent Orange exposure during the Vietnam War.

U.S. Army veteran Buck Rich makes the 90-mile journey to the cemetery from his home to place special pennies on three graves. Each coin matches the death year of his brothers and brother-in-law. 

During Memorial Day, siblings Hank LeMarbe and Barbara Sauerwald honor the legacies of the service members. Each year, they travel 120 miles to honor those buried in 18 graves across 10 burial grounds. Their family background includes several individuals who have served in the military dating to the American Revolution.

Although they're not veterans themselves, LeMarbe and Sauerwald also support active-duty troops by sending care boxes overseas and raising funds for Fisher House, which serves families of hospitalized veterans in Detroit.