From Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel: 800-mile journey honors family patriot
Jeremy Morris made an 800-mile road trip with his wife and baby daughter from near Roanoke, Va., to Racine County - all in the name of family history.
Morris came north to see the dedication of a historical marker Saturday for his ancestor Maj. Andrew Lytle Jr., who fought in the Revolutionary War.
He borrowed a replica uniform from a friend and unintentionally became part of the color guard during the ceremony held at United Presbyterian Cemetery near Union Grove. He said he was humbled to attend.
"To me it's all about patriotism," said Morris, 30. "Knowing that my great-great-great-great-great-grandfather fought for our freedom - that's where I draw my source of patriotism for this country."
The Wisconsin Society, Sons of the American Revolution organized the dedication of Lytle's historical marker, which now stands at the cemetery's entrance.
Brian McManus, a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, said the event marked the culmination of the Wisconsin chapter's efforts to place a plaque in the cemetery of every known Revolutionary War veteran buried in the state.
That endeavor, which began in the 1970s, has now recognized all 40 veterans who've been identified and documented. The number of veterans from that war is low because Wisconsin didn't become a territory until after the American Revolution.
"I can only imagine the sacrifices that all of these veterans made for our freedom today," McManus said. "These markers are kind of like a beacon to travelers."
Along with Morris, several dozen descendants of Lytle were on hand Saturday morning to recognize their forebear. One of them, Jeff Minton of Somers, has researched Lytle's life in recent years.
Lytle was born in Ireland in 1762, immigrated to Pennsylvania and then moved to New York, where he served as a major in the New York militia.
Lytle's father and brother also served in the Revolutionary War.
His son, Adams, who is buried next to him, fought in the Mexican-American War, and three of his grandsons served in the Civil War, Minton said.
Lytle moved to Wisconsin in 1838 and became a farmer. Minton said that Lytle refashioned his battle sword into a pruning hook for apple trees on his farm. Lytle died in 1855 at the age of 93 and was buried at the quiet cemetery in the Town of Yorkville.
As puffy clouds floated over Lytle's grave marker 156 years later, Ed Pierog reflected on the day.
"I think it's just a patriotic thing to do," said Pierog, of West Bend, a member of the Sons of the American Revolution. "It's important to recognize the sacrifices these men made for our country."
