Wreaths Across America Matters in Flathead County
Every December, as Montana settles into its quiet winter rhythm, citizens across Flathead County gather in our local cemeteries with a shared purpose: to remember. The tradition of Wreaths Across America is simple in appearance — a single evergreen wreath placed gently on the headstone of a veteran — but behind that small gesture lives a powerful reminder of service, sacrifice, and the cost of the freedoms we enjoy.
What makes this event special is not the ceremony itself, but the community that surrounds it. Here in the Flathead Valley, families, veterans’ groups, schoolchildren, and neighbors stand together in the cold, not out of obligation but out of gratitude. We say the name of each veteran as a wreath is laid because remembrance is an action, not just a sentiment. It is a promise that those who served — whether in times of peace or unimaginable conflict — will never be reduced to a forgotten line in a cemetery ledger.
In a season often focused on celebration and gift-giving, Wreaths Across America offers something quieter yet deeper. It asks us to pause. It asks us to teach our children that respect and gratitude are not seasonal. And it allows us, as a community, to stand together in honor of the people who stood for us.
2025 WAA Ceremonies in Flathead County You Can Attend
|
Cemetery |
Address / Location |
2025 Ceremony Time |
|
Glacier Memorial Gardens Cemetery (Kalispell) |
2659 U.S. Hwy 93 N, Kalispell, MT 59903; Ceremony address listed as 15 Depot Park, Kalispell MT 59901 |
December 13, 2025 — 10:00 AM; wreath placement immediately following ceremony |
|
C.E. Conrad Memorial Cemetery (Kalispell) |
641 Conrad Dr., Kalispell, MT 59901 |
December 13, 2025 — 11:00 AM MST (wreath placement) |
|
Woodlawn Cemetery (Columbia Falls / Flathead-area) |
See WAA Flathead Composite Squadron’s location listings |
December 13, 2025 — 12:00 PM MST (wreath placement) |
|
Whitefish Cemetery (Whitefish / Flathead area) |
Hwy 93 W & Ramsey Avenue, Whitefish, MT 59937 |
December 13, 2025 — 10:00 AM start, wreath placement at 1:00 PM MST |
As we look ahead to this year’s wreath-laying ceremonies across Kalispell, Columbia Falls, and Whitefish, I hope more of our residents will consider joining this meaningful tradition. Come volunteer, sponsor a wreath, bring your family — and take a moment to truly feel the weight of what it means to be a community that remembers.
In Flathead County, we don’t just honor our veterans once a year. But on this December day, we do it together.