BERLIN – The town honored the legacy of Jesse Turner with this year’s Memorial Day parade.
Amid the red, white and blue of the American flag, reminders of Turner, the Berlin Shoe Box owner who passed away in March, were present throughout the parade down Flower Street Monday.
“We are doing this to honor one of the founders of this event, Mr. Jesse H. Turner,” announcer Greg Purnell said. “He’s looking down upon us. Everything in this parade is to honor Jesse.”
Turner started the Memorial Day parade in the mid-1990s with Sandra Oliver. Oliver ran a parade program for local youth and she and Turner decided to give them and other community groups the chance to participate in a parade each Memorial Day to honor the nation’s heroes.
“Mr. Jesse always organized the parade,” Oliver said. “It has grown over the years.”
This year the parade included 30 entries. Purnell opened the event by introducing Turner’s wife, Agnes, who joined him on the viewing stand.
“I thank everyone for honoring him today,” Turner said.
Purnell praised Turner for all he did for Berlin.
“Jesse gave decades of service to this community,” he said.
Purnell added that Worcester County Warden Garry Mumford was also being honored during the parade, as there was a patriotic wreath in his memory on the viewing stand.
“When this leaves here, it will go to the Worcester County Jail where it will remain,” Purnell said.
The members of the Charm Girls Chapter #74007 of the Red Hat Society were a spirited bunch during last weekend’s parade.
Following his remarks about the local men being remembered, Purnell reminded attendees of the parade’s purpose.
“This is a day set aside to honor the veterans who were lost at war,” he said, “those who came home and those who have gone to their celestial home. This is about the veterans. Thank them for their service.”
Hundreds of community members lined Flower Street for the parade in spite of the light rain that fell much of Monday. Among them was Lochanda Davis, Turner’s granddaughter, who was in town from Florida for the event.
“Everyone in this small town is like family,” she said.
Davis said this year’s event was particularly meaningful because of the fact that so much was done to honor her grandfather.
“Just to see how much he meant to the community put a smile on my face,” she said. “I’m proud to be his granddaughter. He definitely represented the town with dignity and respect.”
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