Blue Star and Gold Star Memorials – Garden Clubs Honoring Those Who Have Served Our Country
The Blue Star and Gold Star Memorials Program honors all men and women that serve in the United States Armed Services. This program began with the planting of 8,000 Dogwood trees by the New Jersey Council of Garden Clubs in 1944 as a living memorial to veterans of World War II. In 1945, the National Council of State Garden Clubs adopted this program and began a Blue Star Highway system that covers thousands of miles across the Continental United States, Alaska, and Hawaii. A large metal Blue Star Memorial Highway Marker has been placed at appropriate locations along the way.
What we see today is a program that has expanded to include all men and women who had served, were serving or would serve in the armed services of the United States. Memorial Markers and By-Way markers were added to the Highway Markers, to be used at locations such as National cemeteries, parks, veteran’s facilities, and gardens. The Blue Star became an icon in World War II and was seen on flags and banners in homes for sons and daughters away at war, and in churches and businesses. This program has been active all through the years to the present, a fitting tribute to our Armed Forces and especially now.
Forms and Additional Information:
- Do you want a garden club to support a Blue or Gold Star Marker in your community? Contact Chris Seal, TGCI Blue Star/Gold Star Memorials Chairman, justusseal@hotmail.com
- To donate or to install a Blue Star Marker, a Byway Marker or a Gold Star Family Marker: Download the form (below), follow directions, and submit to:
Chris Seal, TGCI Blue Star/Gold Star Memorials Chairman, justusseal@hotmail.com - Guidelines for Blue Star and Gold Star Memorials
- Blue Star Memorial Order Form
- Gold Star Family Memorial Order Form
- Blue Star Memorials Contribution Form
- Also see additional information on the National Garden Clubs, Inc. website.
Blue Star Memorials In Indiana (according to the National Garden Clubs, Inc. – list updated August 2022):
| Date Established | Location | Garden Club Responsible for the Site |
| 2/21/1950 | Centerville, IN | Petal and Stem Garden Club |
| 2/21/1950 | Clear Creek Rest Area I-70 East, Terre Haute, IN | The Garden Club of Indiana, Inc. |
| 12/18/1982 | I-64 East and West Rest Stops Between Dale and Santa Claus, IN | The Garden Club of Indiana,Inc. Southwest District |
| 4/18/1985 | New Castle, IN | New Castle Garden Club |
| 4/18/1985 | Courthouse Lawn, Nashville, IN | Brown County Garden Club |
| 12/9/1987 | Hobart, IN | Hobart Garden Club |
| 4/29/1991 | South Bend, IN | South Bend Garden Club |
| 6/20/1991 | Pendelton, IN | The Garden Club of Indiana, Inc. |
| 4/3/1992 | Crown Hill Cemetery, Meridian St. and North, Indianapolis, IN | The Central District Garden Clubs |
| 5/31/1996 | Interstate 70 W, Near Plainfield Exit, Plainfield, IN | Hendricks County Garden Club |
| 2/13/1997 | Hardinsburg, IN | Marengo Garden Club |
| 3/9/1998 | Interstate 70 E, Near Plainfield Exit, Plainfield, IN | The Garden Club of Indiana, Inc. |
| 8/24/1998 | Dyer, IN | Dyer Garden Club |
| 1/18/1999 | Orange County Square, Paoli, IN | Dirt Diggers Garden Club |
| 1/28/1999 | Columbus, IN | Flower Lane Garden Club |
| 3/4/1999 | Hardinsburg, IN | The Garden Club of Indiana, Inc. |
| 1/8/2001 | US 31, Peru, IN | Peru Garden Club |
| 6/12/2002 | Pioneer Park, Mooresville, IN | Come into the Garden |
| 5/19/2003 | Falls of the Ohio State Park, Jeffersonville, IN | Terrace Garden Club |
| 2/10/2005 | Marion National Cemetery, Marion, IN | Garden Club of Marion |
| 12/22/2008 | Valpariso, IN | Vale of Paradise Garden Club |
| 7/13/2009 | Gilbert Park, Portage, IN | Portage Garden Club |
| 1/10/2012 | VFW Post 1114, Evansville, IN | Westwood Garden Club |
| 4/30/2012 | Bradford Road and S. Dan Jones Rd., Avon, IN | The Garden Club of Indiana, Inc. and the Town of Avon |
| 8/1/2013 | Lincoln State Park, Lincoln City, IN | Christmas Lake Village Garden Club |
| 9/14/2013 | Black River Rest Area on I-64 at Indiana Welcome Center, Princeton, IN | Garden Club of New Harmony |
| 9/14/2013 | Gibson County Fairgrounds, Princeton, IN | Green Thumb Garden Club of Princeton |
| 6/1/2014 | Veterans Memorial Park, 303 W. Henry St., Syracuse, IN | Syracuse-Wawasee Garden Club |
| 11/1/2014 | Eastside Park, Eastside Park Dr., Washington, IN | Washington Arts & Flowers Garden Club |
| 11/9/2014 | Decatur County Courthouse Square; Hwy 46-Greensburg, IN | Give un Take & Greensburg Nightbloomer Garden Clubs |
| 7/1/2015 | Hobart Historical Society, 706 E. 4th St., Hobart, IN | Hobart Garden Club |
| 3/2/2016 | 200 W. Main St., Winamac, IN | Iris‐Elm Garden Club |
| 4/11/2016 | Civic Center, 200 Block Main St., Sullivan, IN | Sullivan County Garden Club |
| 4/19/2016 | 1 Matter Park Circle, Marion, IN | The Garden Club of Marion |
| 4/20/2016 | 9301 Madison, Crown Point, IN | North West District, The The Garden Club of Indiana, Inc. |
| 6/16/2016 | Corner of Manor Ave. & Ridge Rd.,Munster, IN | Munster Garden Club/Northwest District |
| 6/16/2016 | Roudebush VA Medical Center, 1481 W 10thSt.,Indianapolis,IN | The Garden Club of Indiana, Inc. |
| 4/12/2017 | Wellfield Botanic Gardens, Elkhart, IN | The Four Winds Garden Club |
| 7/23/2017 | Crown Point Courthouse Square– Corner of Court & Joliet St, Crown Point, IN | SW of Lake Garden Club |
| 7/23/2017 | Ltg. Tony Jones Dr., Washington, IN | Washington Arts & Flowers Garden Club |
| 8/7/2019 | John W. Hensel Government Center, N. College Ave., Carmel, IN | Broad Ripple Garden Club |
| 11/7/2020 | Courthouse Square, Boonville, IN | Boonville Garden Club |
| 11/8/2021 | The Gazebo – Carmel City Hall, 1 Civic Square, Carmel, IN | Broad Ripple Garden Club |
| 5/30/2022 | Veteran Memorial Park, 100 Johnson St., Richmond, IN | Petal and Stem Garden Club |
| 9/28/2022 | Wolf Lake Memorial Park, 2324 Calumet Ave., Hammond, IN | The Garden Club of Indiana,Inc. North West District |
*Note – There are an additional 13 Blue Star Memorial Markers in Indiana posted between 1950 and 2005. Their locations are unknown. If you know of a marker not listed above, please contact the TGCI Blue Star Chairman at the contact above.