In 1995, Edith Pirkle, then 83, decided Maiden needed a 4th of July parade. She got a store owner to make her a sign, recruited her neighbor to join her, and the two walked down Main Street in Maiden waving a 3x5 American flag.
“When we got back to our car, I said, ‘Kathy, this gives me such a good feeling,” Pirkle recalled in 2015. “I said, ‘I’m going to start a parade.’”
In 2015, the parade that began with two ladies marching through downtown Maiden had become an annual tradition with more than 300 participants. The town had decided to name the parade for her: the 4th of July Edith Pirkle Parade.
To get her parade approved, Pirkle had to get the approval of the town council. She wouldn't take 'no' for an answer, one councilman recalled. The vote was unanimous and the parade has been held every year since.
In 2015, she was honored as its Grand Marshal. She passed away the next Spring, but the parade she started continues--her legacy in her beloved hometown.
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