Preston Veterans Cemetery hosts Memorial Day Observances and reunions

May 28—PRESTON, Minn. — The day before a national holiday to show appreciation for people who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the Armed Forces, Robert Gross, superintendent of the Preston Minnesota Veterans Cemetery, aimed his gratitude at those assembled for observances there.

The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs hosted special ceremonies at each of the three State Veterans Cemeteries on Sunday including cemeteries in Duluth and Little Falls.

Gross thanked the hundreds who attended the observances for taking time from their lives and weekends. He said although the Preston Veterans Cemetery is a resting place for veterans, those interred there live on through memories of the people who visit.

"No veteran truly ever dies as long as they're remembered by a grateful nation," Gross told the crowd.

For Betty Smith, whose husband,

Navy veteran Dallas Smith

is buried at the cemetery, memories of visiting the blufftop location with him were comforting, she said. Smith died in 2021.

Smith and her son Jordan Smith and daughter-in-law Annah Smith laid red, white and blue flowers at Dallas' marker.

"This is such a beautiful spot," she said "We're lucky to have this here."

Smith looked for some of her friends' stones as well.

"Did somebody put some flowers on Steve's?" she asked.

Smith was looking for Steve Huyber's stone. She found the stone and her friend Cindy Huyber, who was married to Steve.

"It's good to have company out here," Smith said.

Cindy said Steve loved coming to the Preston cemetery for Memorial Day and other observances.

"He was very patriotic," Cindy said. "You stood for that flag when Steve was around."

Before the ceremonies, musicians from the 34th Infantry Division Red Bull Brass Quintet played for the crowd.

The VFW Post Auxiliary 6893 in Preston posted colors for the event.

Stella Burt sang the National Anthem, and Nathan Pike, a veteran of the Minnesota National Guard who served on three deployments led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance.

The Preston Veterans Cemetery opened Veterans Day in 2015 when the first veterans were laid to rest there that day.

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