NEWMAN — Community members, veterans and garden club representatives gathered Friday morning at Hills Ferry Cemetery for the dedication of a Blue Star Memorial Marker honoring U.S. service members past, present and future. The ceremony, organized by Newman‑Gustine Garden Club Chairman Linda Ouse, marked the culmination of a project she described as “a long time in the works.”
“We must remember them,” Ouse said, noting that 851 veterans are buried at Hills Ferry. “It is an honor to have all of you here at our Blue Star Memorial Marker dedication.”
The Blue Star program, created by National Garden Clubs, dates back to the 1940s, when garden clubs planted dogwood trees as living memorials for World War II veterans. The tradition later expanded nationwide, and Friday’s dedication added a new marker to that network…