'Time-honored tradition' returns on Memorial Day

After a five-year absence – and more than a year of planning – a Memorial Day parade will return to the streets of Owatonna.

This year’s event will step off at 9:30 a.m. from the corner of Elm Avenue and School Street, then make the 15-block march south to the Four Seasons Centre for the annual Memorial Day program at 10:30 a.m.

Nearly 50 units will take part in the parade, said Julie Rethemeier, chairwoman of the committee that revived it.

Members of the Owatonna American Legion and VFW Color Guard will lead the parade, followed by other military units.

“It’s a little bit more of a somber event, because it’s definitely remembering and honoring those who served for us,” Rethemeier said, “so that’s kind of the ambiance we want, but we also want it to be a community event.

“We want families to come, and we want them to make it a tradition to come and remember,” she said, “so with that, you need to have other aspects, too.”

That means the Owatonna High School marching band, along with Steele County Free Fair mascots Steely and Stella; the Owatonna Teacher of the Year; the American Dairy Association’s small pedal train, with members handing out cheese sticks; Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts; local politicians; local first responders and much more.

Rethemeier was approached in January 2024 by Brad Meier of the Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce and Wayne Starman, a veteran and member of the Owatonna VFW.

“I was newly, newly retired, and they said, ‘Hey, what do you think about planning the Memorial Day parade,” Rethemeier recounted. “We knew it was (approaching) just a little too fast to get it going last year, so I agreed to do it for this year.”

She also knew she needed a team, so Rethemeier approached her fellow members of the Early Edition Rotary Club.

“I asked if this would be something we’d want to take on,” she said. “We agreed to give it a year, and champion it for our club and for the team.”

The organizers also include representatives of the three Exchange Clubs in town, the Chamber of Commerce, the VFW and the American Legion.

“We have a great team,” Rethemeier said of the parade-planning committee. “Having Wayne (Starman) and Terry (Warner) involved – they’ve done it in years past, so they’ve been super-instrumental. Having their guidance, having them there, it’s worked out well.”

She laughed when asked if being part of a Memorial Day parade committee was something she planned to do in her retirement.

“I did not expect that, no,” she said, “but I’ve done a lot of event coordination, that type of thing. When people ask what I’m doing in retirement, I list the boards: Chamber, Rotary, all those things – then tell them I’m planning a Memorial Day parade.

“That usually gets the raised eyebrows; like, what?”

Rethemeier said the biggest challenge was finding parade participants – and their contact information – after a years-long hiatus, as well as to spread the word that the event is back.

“It’s worked out well, though,” she said. “We’ve had over a year, and it’s been a fun team to work with and I think we’ve got it rolling again.

“I’m just so thankful to Wayne and Terry and the other members of the VFW who have done it for years and years and years,” Rethemeier said. “I really respect that they’ve said, ‘it’s time for someone else to do this,’ and it’s really been an honor for our groups to all get together and help.”

Members of the VFW are hosting a breakfast prior to the parade for the participants and planners.

“I’ve learned a lot about involvement and the importance of honoring this tradition, and remembering,” said Rethemeier, who is not a veteran.

“We’d love to get the community’s younger members to keep this time-honored tradition going, to continue to be the land of the free,” she said.

“It’s so important. Don’t take it for granted.”