Molly Sommer waited until the annual Crown Point Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony were finished before making her way through the gravestones at Historic Maplewood Cemetery. Sommer, a second-generation piper living near the cemetery, played ‘Amazing Grace’ on her bagpipes while moving through the graves to honor those who lost their lives.
The event took place on Monday, May 25, 2026, with people lining the streets or placing chairs outside Historic Maplewood Cemetery. This location marked the end of Crown Point’s Memorial Day parade and hosted the ceremony. Sommer’s grandfathers served in the military, although neither is buried in Crown Point cemetery. For her, playing the bagpipes each Memorial Day is a personal tribute. “I love to do it to pay my respect,” she explained.
After the chairs from the earlier Memorial Day ceremony were removed, most attendees who had listened to speeches and watched the parade that began at Joliet Street and concluded at the cemetery had left by the time Sommer played her tribute. Several people had umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun, while others sought shade under trees.
Post 20 Commander Kevin Dvorak delivered greetings during the tribute service, accompanied by an invocation and closing prayer from Perry McLemore of Southlake Christian Church. Dana and Dawn Stewart of Crown Point were recognized as a Gold Star Family during a wreath-laying ceremony; their son, USMC Cpl. Ian Wesley, died in 2004 while serving his country. “Twenty-two years later, it’s still hard,” Dawn Stewart expressed, wiping away tears.
Crown Point Mayor Pete Land and U.S. Rep. Frank J. Mrvan, D-Highland, were among the speakers at the tribute. Keynote speaker Stephany Leonard shared her experience of losing her husband to suicide after his military service during Monday’s Memorial Day program.
Leonard recounted being a veteran, a mom, and the widow of a fellow veteran. She shared the heartache of losing her husband, Jesse Meredith, who was a U.S. Army National Guard member. Meredith took his own life in April 2014 due to the effects of PTSD. Leonard, a mother of two and a former U.S. Army National Guard member herself, initially kept her husband’s death quiet, as explaining the pain was challenging. “Today, one of the reasons I share my story openly is because I never want another veteran or military family to feel ashamed of struggles they did not choose,” Leonard said.
She encouraged seeking support sooner than she did, learning that healing doesn’t come through silence. She emphasized that life can have purpose even after suffering significant pain. “As we honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice, I hope we also recognize the human side of service — the families behind the uniforms, the struggles that sometimes persist beyond war, and the lives quietly fighting battles each day. Lead with kindness. Be patient with people.”
Deborah Laverty reported this story for the Post-Tribune as a freelance journalist.