Local home puts up Memorial Day display featuring handmade decorations

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – In the front yard of a home on Cooper Street in Youngstown, flags fly in the wind for Memorial Day and accompanying them are handmade signs representing different wars and their dates.

Danielle Hergenrader made the signs by hand in honor of family members who fought in each war.

“We’re very proud of what we’ve done. We’re going to tweak it a little bit more but it’s just the labor of love. It’s just something, you know, we believe in the vets. I’m not a vet but my husband is. I’m just a vet of him for 35 years and we’re still here,” said Hergenrader.

The Hergenraders didn’t put the display up for the past few years but decided to put it out again this year.

Skyler Hergenrader says it’s important to honor Memorial Day and to learn from our past.

“This is just basically my way of saying, ‘Hey thank you and I remember.’ And I’m honoring not only myself but my family, my wife’s family and every military family,” he said.

While the display is to honor their family, there’s also a message the Hergenraders want to share.

“Remember who we are, where we came from and that this is our community,” said Danielle.

“They need to remember this is what our county has been founded on. This is what it’s based on and it’s not just what comes out of Washington or you know, somebody’s bank account. This is bloodshed,” Skyler said.

Tomorrow morning they’ll lower the flags to half-mast and at noon, they’ll raise them again.

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