STE. GENEVIEVE – The Sons of the American Revolution in conjunction with the Ste. Genevieve Militia and the Centre for French Colonial Life will honor 10 Ste. Genevieve citizens who aided the Revolutionary war effort on behalf of the thirteen colonies.
Two grave-marking ceremonies will be conducted on Saturday, May 27th.
The first will begin at 10 a. m. when the Sons of the American Revolution Honor Guard, the Ste. Genevieve Militia, invited guests, the public will march from the Foundation for Restoration of Ste. Genevieve’s Jacques Guibourd House located at 1 N. 4th street to the Memorial Cemetery at Merchant and 5th Streets.
There, the ceremony will be opened with a prayer of remembrance, followed by the pledge of allegiance, a short background on the area’s colonial citizen soldiers and remarks on why we are gathered, and the presentation of a memorial plaque.
A tribute will be given in honor of François Vallé père, François Vallé II, Charles Vallé, Jean Baptiste de Lafont, and Jean Baptiste St. Gemme dit Bauvais.
Following, a benediction will be given followed by a firing salute from the Sons of American Revolution Honor Guard and the Ste. Genevieve Militia.
The participants will then march back to the Centre for French Colonial Life’s Le Meilleur House yard located at Market and Main where a militia encampment will be on display. Militia members will be available to discuss the role of the militia and answer questions.
A similar ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Jacques Guibourd House. In this afternoon ceremony, Jean Baptiste Vallé, Jacques Messier, Etienne Parent, Nicholas Janis, and Nicholas Calliot dit Lachance be honored. The assembled honor guard and militia will march back to the camp on completion of the afternoon cemetery ceremony.
The Centre for French Colonial Life’s Saving St. Louis exhibit at 198 Market Street can be toured for a small fee.