Commemoration Planned For Revolutionary War Veteran

MOKENA, IL — Revolutionary War veteran Charles Denny will be commemorated at a ceremony at Pioneer Cemetery in Mokena on Sept. 7. The ceremony will be held 10 a.m., and Denny will be honored for his service by the Fox Valley Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution.

The village said SAR chapters mark the graves of Revolutionary War Patriots with bronze markers erected on posts near their graves. The Founders Crossing Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, the Village of Mokena, William F. Martin VFW Post #725. will also be represented at the event.

The public is invited to attend, and the ceremony will feature SAR members in Colonial uniforms and dress processing into Pioneer Cemetery, a Color Guard and drummer, several speakers, the laying of a wreath, and a rifle salute and taps. The wreath will be laid by a descendent of Charles Denny, and the SAR plaque will be unveiled.

Guest speakers at the event include Mokena Mayor Frank Fleischer, State Sen. Michael Hastings, State Rep. Margo McDermed, and U. S. Air Force Major General Mark A. Anderson (Retired), as well as state and local officers of the Sons of the American Revolution, the Regent of Founders Crossing Chapter NSDAR, Commander James Hogan of VFW Post #725, and Mokena historian Matthew Galik. A living descent of Charles Denny, Stacey McGowan Olson, will also remember his life.

The village said Denny and members of his family came to Illinois in the early pioneering years.
After Denny’s death in 1839, some members of his family returned to western New York.