The Freeborn County Women Veterans met to celebrate the day Gov. Mark Dayton proclaimed as Minnesota Women Veterans Day, on April 12. Joan Paczkowski presented the group with a poster of the 1952 women in military service postage stamp, and Kathy Volkman had it framed so it could hang at the American Legion Post 56, where the group meets.

At the meeting the group also nominated Ruth Perry for the Minnesota Woman Veteran of the Year. She had 20 years of military service and continued to serve the veterans long after her retirement. Patricia Johannsen of Alden shared a prayer shawl she made which will be presented at the Minnesota Women Veterans Meeting for women veterans in need.

The group asks all women in military service past and present to join them on Memorial Day as they honor those who have gone before them. The veterans groups will start the recognition at 7 a.m. at Lakewood Cemetery, followed by St. Theodore’s and Hillcrest. The women veterans have provided a wreath that will be presented at the Freeborn County Veterans Memorial about 7:45 a.m.

With more women now than ever before serving in the military, the Freeborn County Women Veterans want to salute the Red Bulls as they return home on a job well done. The group welcomes all interested women in the military to join them the first Wednesday of each month at the American Legion at 5 p.m., to share the fellowship of common experience.