KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The pain and honor of Memorial Day, paying tribute to men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice in service of the country.

Ceremonies happened at cemeteries and monuments across the country on Monday. FOX4 attended one of those events in the Kansas City Northland.

It doesn’t normally look this way at Terrace Park Cemetery, with bouquet upon bouquet placed at pretty much every single grave site, many of them with matching family members in attendance at Monday’s memorial.

“My dad liked yellow roses and I had some growing. I only had one that was full. So I started with the yellow roses,” Linda Reece said, arranging flowers at a grave.

“We were just talking before you came about how so many more grandkids and great grandkids. So, we miss our parents. But we had great parents, so,” Nancy Ewert, Linda’s sister, said.

Styrofoam crinkled as people poked poppies into a cemetery wreath after having read their relatives’ names.

Jeanette Powell says she comes to this cemetery frequently, mixing the feeling of loss with her good humor.

“They’re up there on the hill by the trash can,” Powell said.

“Not too far from the trash can. It’s a lot easier to find them because of that trash can,” Powell said. “My dad was in the Army and my mom was in the Navy,” Powell said.

People were surprised that both of Powell’s mother had been in service.

“They was shocked that my mom had been in the service. That she wasn’t just like what you call them girls that used to go to the canteen things and dance,” Powell said.

“Yeah, USO,” Powell said. “There’s six of us brats, you know, that they had.”

Her parents—Louie and Ira Jane Ristoff—have both passed away. She reflected on their parenting with her mom perhaps leaning on what she did in the service.

“I’m not sure with my mom, but she ended up training the [Navy] guys to shoot a gun. And it was very difficult on her because they didn’t want to listen to her because she was a woman,” Powell said.

“I miss them every day. I try not to think about it too much cause I get to crying and I don’t like to cry. Even though it gets the dirt out of your eyes,” Powell said, with a laugh.

“I got to where I didn’t cry. I held it inside, but today, I’m very emotional,” she said.