There is a photograph of a parade in my office called “Lumberton’s Beauties 1926.” The beauties appear to be standing in the bed of a truck. I can’t identify the truck because it is wrapped in cloth and flags. Behind them are some men who are walking with a banner that reads “Spanish American War Veterans 1898-99.”

The garden behind the library was dedicated as a World War I Memorial Part by the city of Lumberton. The Daffy Dills maintained it for several years and before that the Town and Country Garden Club took care of it from 1981 until 1987. Gail McLean spends a lot of time in the garden now. She is a member of the library’s board of trustees and wants it to look inviting to the people who visit the library. She plants seasonal flowers and generally looks after the place.

It is good to have friends like Gail, whom you can count on. For example, a year or so ago, I was at a meeting at the Robeson County History Museum with Nash Odom. I told him that Betty and I were going to go to the library to cut down all the volunteer shrubbery along the fence on Elm Street. Nash told us to call him and he would help.

So, one Saturday Nash, Bob Andrews, Betty and I arrived at the library a little after 9 a.m. and began to work. By lunchtime we had two large piles of branches, weeds and leaves. Betty, Bob and I decided we were finished for the day. Nash stayed another two hours pulling weeds.

This last fall, the city of Lumberton sent a crew to do all that work and more. Not only did they cut out the weeds and volunteer shrubbery, they rebuilt the benches, pressure washed the brick work and took care of the overgrowth within the garden walls as well.

For the last few years, Chapter 7 of the DAV has raised money to install other memorials that help us remember the sacrifices of those who served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. They will soon install a memorial for Desert Storm. There is also a memorial for those who fought in the War Between the States and there will soon be one for our Revolutionary War.

So, before I retire there will be memorials for most of our country’s major conflicts. I would like to see one for the Spanish American War. Our county must have had citizens who fought in that war because I saw some of them in the picture of Lumberton’s 1926 parade.

If you are interested in helping with that memorial, it will cost about $500. Maybe we can find 10 to 20 people who would donate $25 to $50 each and we can raise it before March 1.

— — —

Try to attend the birthday party the Robeson County History Museum is giving the county on Tuesday. It starts at 5 p.m. Stop by the museum and have a piece of cake. But don’t eat too much because we don’t want you to spoil your appetite. You can help the library by eating at Smithfield’s on Tuesday from 5 to 8 p.m. Twenty percent of your total food bill will be donated to the library.

— Bob Fisher is the director of the Robeson County Public Library. He can be reached at rfisher@robesoncountylibrary.com.