As the years pass, the traditional Annual Candlelight Ceremony remains a cherished moment for the Seward community, bringing people together to reflect and find solace in the memories of those who have passed.
People gathered at the Seward Cemetery on Dec. 9 for the ceremony to pay tribute to loved ones who have passed away. The service was not only for persons buried at the Seward Cemetery, but for anyone who has suffered a loss and wanted to join others in remembrance.
Ornaments were placed on the memorial tree, a tradition that has been carried by the city of Seward for decades.
Steve Schafer and Deb Schafer planted the memorial tree on cemetery grounds where ornaments were originally placed each December. Now due to weather, the event is held indoors. The Schafers began the tradition of hanging ornaments on that tree in remembrance of their late daughter 23 years ago.
They sent out letters inviting those that had lost someone and they also posted it in the paper to ensure that others knew that anybody could join them. Even though they no longer reside in Seward, their tradition continues to carry on.
The ceremony is still well received by the community 23 years later. Heartfelt, Inc., and two funeral homes, Zabka-Perdue and Volzke, collaborate in making the evening a memorable one.
“It is one way for us to reach out and give back,” said Diane Krieser, president of Heartfelt, Inc.
Heartfelt, Inc., also conducted its first annual candlelight memorial service the day before. The Children's Memorial hosted an outdoor event, where candles were placed on the sidewalk for people to walk through the memorial for peace and reflection.
This formed part of a worldwide event that occurs on the second Sunday of December each year. Similar to Monday night's service, people from all over light their candles at the same time in memory of children who have lost their lives.
Losing a loved one is a difficult situation. During the holidays, many families have a tough time dealing with those losses. Memorial ceremonies help in bringing peace to families and the community during difficult times.
“It creates a nice memory for families to get together and remember their loved ones,” said Jeff Volzke, chairman of the cemetery board. “Everyone’s welcome. Both funeral homes take care of the refreshments part of it after the memorial part of it.”
The Monday night ceremony offered snacks and refreshments. Minister Chuck Blanco was brought in from Concordia and a program was held in which attendees sang Silent Night around the tree.
