Rahway Knights of Columbus Hold 10th Annual Independence Day Celebration Honoring Abraham Clark

RAHWAY, NJ — On Thursday, July 4, the Rahway Knights of Columbus Council 1146 held its 10th Annual Ceremony Honoring the Life and Legacy of Abraham Clark, one of 56 signatories of the Declaration of Independence, and one of only five from New Jersey. The event took place at Rahway Cemetery, where Clark is buried along with his wife Sarah and three sons who fought in the American Revolution: Aaron, Andrew, and Thomas.

As in previous years, the Merchants and Drovers Tavern Museum (MDTM) supported the event, with Rick Zdan and Michelle McTamney, both of MDTM, in attendance.

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About 25 people were present for the ceremony, standing amidst the colonial-era tombstones, many of which mark the resting place of a veteran of the American Revolution.

The ceremony began at 10 a.m., as Knights of Columbus Grand Knight Libarid "Libby" Maljian, serving as the master of ceremonies, opened the morning affair with a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance.

After this, Maljian provided the crowd with a short description of the life of Abraham Clark, followed by a reading of the Declaration of Independence.

As in previous years, program booklets were distributed to guests that included an essay on the life and legacy of Abraham Clark, several patriotic songs, images of patriotic flags in use during the American War of Independence, and a facsimile of the Declaration of Independence.

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This year, the booklets included three flags: the Bennington flag , the famous 13-star Betsy Ross flag, and the Joseph Reed flag .

Maljian concluded Thursday's ceremony with a closing prayer and a reminder that the nation would celebrate its semiquincentennial (250th anniversary) in just two years. He expressed the hope that, by then, the Abraham Clark event might be inundated with attendees eager to celebrate the life and commemorate the legacy of an American patriot whose final repose can be found on a small plot of land in one historic cemetery in the town of Rahway, New Jersey.

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