ROCKFORD, Mich. — Rockford honored families who lost loved ones in military service with the dedication of a new Gold Star Memorial at the city’s renovated Garden Club Park on Saturday.

The ceremony featured bagpipes, a color guard and the presentation of flowers to Gold Star families.

The memorial sits next to the Blue Star Memorial, which was placed in 2018, and is part of the park’s newly renovated plaza with benches, decorative paving and landscaped areas.

Debby Nelson, a Garden Club member, said the memorial and the park renovations bring beauty and meaning to the community.

“We were planning a garden. And since we’re the Garden Club, we brought all kinds of things here that make it look more beautiful," she said.

Ginny Martin, also a member of the Garden Club, reflected on the c

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