Firemen’s memorial to be dedicated in Masontown
A firemen’s memorial honoring the 87 deceased firemen of Masontown Volunteer Fire Department (MVFD) will be dedicated at the Washington Street fire department this Memorial Day. The memorial was built to preserve the memory of the deceased firemen of the MVFD Company No. 25 and their families, as well as the 50 volunteer firefighters who currently serve the community.
The 8 a.m. service will begin with a welcome from John Maykuth Jr., vice president of the department and master of ceremonies for the event.
The Rev. Stephen Cole, pastor of the Masontown Brethren Church, will deliver the invocation, while the Masontown Volunteer Fire Department Pack No. 654, led by Thomas Colebank, will raise the American flag.
Ed Colebank, fire department secretary, will lead attendants in the Pledge of Allegiance, while VFD Assistant Chaplain Dennis Schiffbauer, Bob Pento, Cole and Chris Kelly will sing “God Bless America.”
Remembrance of the deceased firemen and a list of names of the deceased will be read by MVFD Chaplain Bernard Townsend and fire department trustees James Peavornick and Joseph Williams.
Schiffbauer will lead a dedication to the wives of the firemen, while MVFD Fire Chief Paul Renaldi, Assistant Chief Don Beck and MVFD President Harry Lee will deliver a remembrance of active firemen.
The Firemen Quartet will perform “How Great Thou Art” before mayor of Masontown Thomas E. Loukota delivers the dedication address.
The construction of the honor roll was about a month-long project. It involved the cooperation from the entire fire department and the support and volunteer services of masonry students from the Fayette County Area Vocational-Technical School. The students were led by their instructor, Terry Motchar.
Ed Colebank, who solicited the help of the vo-tech students, said the 14 to 16 students who helped construct the honor roll were able to do a job he felt was equal to a job done by a professional group.