Memorial Day

Photos submitted by Heidi McPhee

Monday's Memorial Day ceremony at the War Memorial at the Jerome Center, Bank Street and 

The ceremony featured an invocation, the National Anthem performed by the Batavia Concert Band, the GAR Order of the Day, a wreath-laying by Veteran Services with a Gold Star mother, and the reading of the honor roll. The program concluded with a 21-gun rifle salute, the playing of taps, a benediction, and the singing of “God Bless America.”

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Among the Memorial Day observances in Batavia on Monday were at the Harvest Avenue.memorial and the Upton Monument.

Photos submitted by Heidi McPhee

Photos by Jennifer DiQuattro

Photos by Jennifer DiQuattro

The Village of Corfu held its Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony on Monday. The parade kicked off at noon, with the ceremony immediately following at the Pembroke Intermediate School.

Photos by Kara Richenberg.

Press Release:

The following is the schedule of events and activities being conducted this Memorial Day, Monday, May 26, by Botts-Fiorito Post #576, American Legion:

9:45 a.m. - Form up at the American Legion parking lot for the Annual Memorial Parade.

10:30 a.m. - Parade "Steps off"

11 a.m. - Memorial Day program commences at the Trigon Park Memorial

• Introduction and Welcome by Commander David A. Rumsey
• Invocation by Post Chaplain Gary Bassett
• National Anthem sung by Ms. Aubrey Puccio, Senior LHS!
• Introduction of the 2025 “Poppy Girl”- Ms. Brair DeBellis and 2 “Poppy Ambassadors” Noah and Elijah Ford
• Speaker: Mr. James Ellison, USN, Ret.
• Reading of list of deceased veterans who have passed away in the past year with the placement of Memorial flag for each veteran.
• Playing of "Taps" followed by Firing Squad volley
• Benediction and closing by Post Chaplain Gary Bassett
• Singing of “God Bless America” led by Aubrey Puccio and the combined Le Roy High School bands.

11:45 a.m. - DISMISS

• Hot dogs (Zweigles) and soft drinks free to all after Parade at the Legion Post Home located at 53 West Main Street immediately following the parade.

This morning, some members of the Batavia Business and Professional Women's Club, Inc., placed flags on the graves of Veterans to honor and remember their service and sacrifice this Memorial Day.

Flags were placed in several cemeteries in Bethany and East Bethany.

This is the fifth year this local service organization has carried on this tradition, which it proudly began in 2020.

Special thanks to the Town of Bethany, which purchased and supplied the flags that were placed at the gravesites.

Information provided by Batavia Business & Professional Women's Club 

Press Release:

The 2025 Memorial Day schedule of ceremonies begins on Sunday, May 25, at 2 p.m. with a ceremony at the Western New York National Cemetery, located at 1254 Indian Falls Road in Corfu. 

Additional ceremonies will take place throughout Genesee County on Monday, May 26 are as follows:

7:00 a.m. - Genesee Co. Park – Vietnam Veterans Memorial (Sponsored by VVA #193)

8:00 a.m. - Williams Park W.W. I Memorial (wreath laying, rifle salute & Taps)

8:30 a.m. - Batavia VAMC

8:45 a.m. - NYS Veterans Home

9:30 a.m. - Harvester Avenue Plot (wreath laying, rifle salute & Taps)

10:00 a.m. - Upton Monument (wreath laying, rifle salute & Taps)

10:30 a.m. - UMMC – Jerome Center (Memorial Day ceremonies: Invocation; Nat’l Anthem w/Batavia Concert Band; G.A.R. Order of the Day; Veterans Service Organizations Commemorations; Wreath Laying w/ Gold Star Mothers; Honor Roll w/drum roll; Rifle Salute; Taps; Benediction; “God Bless America”)

11:30 a.m. - Glenn S. Loomis Grave - Elmwood Cemetery (Legion #332) 

12 p.m. - Hansen Bros. Grave – Grandview Cemetery (Legion #332)

Participating Organizations 

• Genesee County American Legion Posts
• Veness-Strollo Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #1602
• Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter #193
• Sons of Union Veterans Abraham Lincoln Camp #6

The LeRoy American Legion Post 576 will be having a parade starting at the post at 10:30 on May 26, 2025. It will go down Main Street to Trigon Park (Old High School). There will be a ceremony with guest speaker Jim Ellison, Capt/USN/Ret, a laying of the wreath, and a ceremonial firing followed by taps that will begin at approximately 11:00.

Batavia Veterans of Foreign Wars – Post 1602
25 Edwards St., Batavia, NY 14020
Post 1602 members will also be placing flags at the Elmwood Cemetery on Friday, May 23, 2025.
On Memorial Day, the post opens at noon for veteran lunch.

The City of Batavia's Memorial Day Parade begins at 9:30 a.m.

In honor of Memorial Day, it is imperative to talk of the stories of those who gave their lives in service to our country. One such Genesee County soldier’s life was just recently brought to light at the museum, Robert J. Zeis, who served and was killed in the Second World War. As with many of the veterans that we have come to remember in the history of the county, the information has come from family members. In this case, it was Robert’s niece, Marjorie Gilhooly, who brought in his medals and service record for us to share.

Robert J. Zeis was born on July 29, 1911, in Buffalo to Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Zeis. He entered the Army even before the United States’ entrance into World War II, joining on April 11, 1941. He was added to Company B of the 28th Infantry, 8th Division. Zeis was shuffled around many training facilities both in the United States and overseas, particularly in Ireland before his unit saw serious action. Their crucible of fire would come almost a month after D-Day, on July 4th, 1944. Technical Sergeant Zeis and his comrades were part of the following forces after the initial landings in Normandy, landing at Utah Beach.

After the breakouts from the beachhead, they were part of the fierce fighting in and around the Normandy peninsula. Their first contact with the enemy was to establish bridgeheads over the Ay River, allowing for further attacks into Brittany and Northern France. During this push, Zeis’s unit captured over 115,000 prisoners and tons of war material.

Robert Zeis would be part of the force that was marching north out of France towards Belgium and the Netherlands in an effort to cross into Germany. They took part in Operation Queen in November 1944 to capture crossings across the Rur River and the Hurtgen Forest. The operation was hard sledding as the German forces controlled the vital dams along the river, and the Battle of the Bulge farther south did not allow for many reinforcements. The Germans blew the dams and flooded the river plain making the Allied attacks even more difficult. 

Zeis’s unit was part of the attack called Operation Grenade, during which the river was finally crossed on February 23, 1945. It was during this attack that Technical Sgt. Robert Zeis was killed that morning. He was initially buried in the American National Cemetery near Margratan, Netherlands, but in 1948 his body was brought back to the United States and was buried in Woodlawn National Cemetery in Elmira. Robert Zeis left behind his widow, Lillian (Seibert).

Technical Sergeant Robert J. Zeis received the following medals for his service, which are pictured in the article. They are in the possession of his niece, Marjorie Gilhooly. Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Service Ribbon, European Campaign Service Ribbon with three Bronze Stars, American Defense Service Medal, World War II Victory Service Ribbon, Distinguished Unit Badge, Combat Infantryman Badge, and Marksman Badge with Rifle Bar.

Photos by Philip Casper

Photos by Jennifer DiQuattro.

Photos by Jennifer DiQuattro.

Photos by Laura Luft.