Memorial Day Parade at Paw Paw
The annual William H. Norton Memorial Day Parade will be held in Paw Paw, Saturday, May 26 at 1 p.m. Lineup is 12 noon at Paw Paw School.
A car show will be held before the parade.
Top 30 trophies will be presented, along with specialty trophies.
Grand marshals
Margaret Hott Zembower has been a tireless and devoted community leader and educator. She began as a teacher at Allegheny High School and retired as Director of the Office Technologies at Allegheny College of Maryland. She is currently the representative on the Morgan County Board of Education and serves as an advocate for Paw Paw and the children of Paw Paw. She is a member of Church of Christ, the Eastern Star, Chairperson for the Friends of the Library, Chairperson for the Paw Paw Scholarship; Committee and the Morgan County Republican Committee.
Jerome (Jerry) Kline, son of Everett (Pickle) and Mildred Kline, graduated from Paw Paw High School in 1953. After serving in the Navy for four years, he returned home to work at B.H. Moser and Sons store. In 1954 Jerry and his wife
Margaret took over B.A. Moser's Store renaming it Jerry's Grocery which they
continued to run for 22 1/2 years. He was the Morgan County Tax assessor for four years. He has served in various capabilities throughout the
community over the years. His activities included membership in the Paw Paw Lions Club as tail twister as well as being president of the Paw Paw Library. He is also superintendent of Paw Paw United Methodist Church Sunday School and a longtime member of the Paw Paw United Methodist Church Choir.
He is also a member of the Berkeley community choir.
He is a member of the American Legion. Each year he awards
a savings bond to a graduate of Paw Paw High School.
William D. Sparks served with distinction as a staff sergeant with the 25th infantry division in the Korean War. Those awards included the Combat Infantry Badge, the Korean Service Medal with three battle stars, a UN Service Medal, and a good conduct medal. He is a charter member of the VFW and other organizations including the Combat Infantry Association, the Infantry Association, and the DAV. He currently resides with his wife of 37 years, Oma Lee Parrill Munson Sparks.
History
Some important information about the W.H. Norton Memorial Day Parade in Paw Paw.
William Henry Norton was born on April 4, 1917 to James Henry and Hazel Brown Norton. Most people knew him as June. He graduated from Paw Paw High School in 1934. Then he worked for Keystone Tanning and Glue Company until 1942 when he joined the Army. He serves with the 93rd Field Artillery Unit. He worked for the town of Paw Paw putting the first water system in.
He returned home in 1945 and worked for P.E. Nixon and Company. Along with his father and his brothers, he bought the Nixon General Merchandise store and formed J.H. Norton & Sons in 1947. He worked in the store until 1965 when he became Superintendent of the Water Works.
He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, Lions Club and Paw Paw Volunteer Fire Company. He was chairman of the Memorial Day Parade Committee. He was president of Paw Paw Alumni Association and contributed to reviving the Alumni Banquet and Dance.
On April 7, 1947, he married Mary Ann Kaylor in St. Charles Catholic Church in Paw Paw. She graduated from Paw Paw High School in 1939. She lived in Green Spring and rode the trrain to school every day for two and half years.
William Henry (June) Norton died March 2, 1972. Paw Paw's mayor, Joseph Swack, proclaimed the annual Memorial Day Parade be named, "The W.H. Norton Memorial Day Parade."
