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Pictured top picture: HELEN BERG was given a plaque for 64 years of service to the Lancaster Legion Auxiliary. She is a resident at Kittson Memorial Healthcare Facility. (Enterprise photo)
Bottom picture: MAE GLAD (left) was honored with a plaque, for her 58 years of service and Margaret Swenson received a plaque for serving 57 years on the Lancaster Legion Auxiliary
(Photo by KMHC Activities)
By Gail Norland, Editor
Seventeen women from Kittson County, and members of the Lancaster American Legion Auxiliary, Olof A. Bergquist Unit No. 214, were honored at a ceremony held at the Kittson Memorial Healthcare Center, Nursing Home.
The Lancaster Auxiliary has 96 senior members and 12 junior members, with a total membership of 108.
Seventeen of the 96 senior members were recognized November 2012 for their years of service.
This special meeting was held at the Kittson Memorial Healthcare Center, where some of the members reside.
These women have each given over 50 plus years in service to the American Legion Auxiliary. They have either served or are serving as Officers, have volunteered to bring food and comfort to Veterans and their families during times of need and to do things for local Veterans.
“They have supported our Unit and Post activities and sadly, we have lost two of these women since that meeting. They will be missed,” said Debra Satterlund, Legion secretary.
The women of the Auxiliary recognized were:
Lorraine Carlson-50 years; Betty Steen-51 years (deceased); Betty Leibnitz-53 years; Lois Pantzer-54 years; Verna Lyberg-55 years; Patricia Wise-56 years; Gerane Nelson-57 years; Margaret Swenson -57 years; Mae Glad-58 years; Harriet Sanner-58 years; Crystal Anderson-60 years; Lorraine Nelson-60 years (deceased); Joyce Zimmerman-60 years; Mary Lou Johnson-63 years; Helen Berg-64 years; Peggy Sanner-65 years.
Each women received a plaque inscribed with their years of service on it.
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The Lancaster unit was chartered by the State of Minnesota American Legion Auxiliary March 1, 1921 and will be celebrating their 92nd year in 2013.
Officers for 2013-14 are:
President-Diane Rice; First Vice President-Barbara Peterson; Second Vice President-Maxine Sjostrand; Treasurer-Jody Peterson; Treasurer Emeritus-Peggy Sanner; Secretary-Debra Satterlund; Chaplin/Sgt at Arms-Harriet Sanner; Historians-Gloria Cedergren and Jeanne Laude; and Executive Board Members include Verna Lyberg and Joyce Zimmerman.
The Auxiliary meets the second Monday of each month excluding January, July, and August at 7 p.m. at Foxy Roxy’s Diner.
The Auxiliary plans their yearly events and include celebrating the unit’s birthday in March.
Junior membership is open to girls through age 17. The Junior Activities program prepares girls to become active adult members of the organization, by providing positive volunteer experiences, that instill the ideals of the Auxiliary.
These girls develop leadership skills, while having fun and will hopefully become the future leaders of with a our organization.
Junior members are eligible to apply for the Auxiliary’s National Spirit of Youth Scholarship. Each year, five young women are competitively selected to each receive a four-year scholarship to pursue a college education, currently awarded at $1,000 per year for four years.
Junior members conduct their own meetings and perform their own special activities, community service projects, along with supporting projects sponsored by the Auxiliary and The American Legion Family.
The Lancaster Auxiliary selects one to three junior class girls from the Lancaster and Kittson Central schools, to represent the unit at Girls State. Girls State is a non-political, non partisan, non-sectarian program sponsored completely by the American Legion Auxiliary.
This year marks the 67th session of Girls State and will be held again at Bethel University, St Paul. The girls apply for this unique opportunity, to learn about how our government works. All costs including transportation are paid for by the Auxiliary.
Memorial Day is the highlight of the Legion Auxiliary year. Poppies are a very important part of Memorial Day and many of the members help distribute the Poppy flowers, and ask for a donation. They host a luncheon following the program at the Sion Lutheran Parish Hall.
“Many hours of planning, food preparation and serving go into this project and this is our one and only fundraiser,” said secretary, Debra Satterlund.
The American Legion Auxiliary donates funds to various charities within the umbrella of American Legion Auxiliary, plus to various groups and organizations locally.
October is Membership month and the unit has a meal to help celebrate the existing members, who renew membership and new members who join.
Women are eligible for membership in the Auxiliary if they are themselves a veteran, who served honorably or if they fall into one of the following categories: wife, mother, sister, daughter, granddaughter, great granddaughter, grandmother, great grandmother or step-relatives of an active duty service member or veteran, who served honorably during any of the wars.
If you are interested in becoming an Auxiliary Member, contact: Debra Satterlund at 218-762-6231 or email at rdsatterlund@wiktel.com.
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