American Legion Auxiliary Unit 68 Recognizes Gold Star Mother

 

 

 

The delay in the recognition and presentation for a Gold Star Mother – Helen Leach Hale almost seemed planned so that it would coincide with the 250th Anniversary of the adoption of the United States Declaration of Independence. The Gold Star recognizes “that an immediate family member died while serving in the United States Armed Forces during a period of war or armed conflict.”

Members of the Everett H. Hale American Legion Auxiliary Unit 68 gathered June 23, 2026, at the Spring Valley Cemetery, along with two Everett H. Hale American Legion Post 68 members, for a Gold Star Mother ceremony, which opened with a prayer led by Chaplain Delories Oeltjen.

Everett H. Hale was killed in October 1918 during the first World War in France. President Catherine McKellar shared, “Helen Leach Hale’s great-grandson, David Utterbach, his mother Jane Hale Utterbach and niece of Quincy Hale were unable to attend the Gold Star Mother Presentation. Quincy Hale is Everett H. Hale’s brother and son of Gold Star Mother, Helen Leach Hale.” She continued by introducing Spring Valley historian, Sharon Jahn, who offered Hale family information plus insights which were both interesting and inspiring.

One such tidbit was that when the American Legion Post 68 wanted to name their unit after Everett H. Hale, a post in Wisconsin was also seeking his name for their post. The parents were asked to decide which American Legion post would be named after their son and they chose Spring Valley.

Another interesting item learned was that Everett H. Hale’s parents were given an opportunity to travel in an all-expense paid trip to France to the grave of their son, or to have his body exhumed and be buried next to the place of their final resting places. They chose to bring their son’s remains home, and the three of them have grave markers near the center of the Spring Valley Cemetery by the large Civil War Soldier Monument.

After Sharon Jahn’s discourse, Barb Yetter shared a telegram with information about where Everett H. Hale was buried in France. Catherine McKellar then placed the Gold Star Mother marker and American flag near her gravestone. After joining hands and praying “The Lord’s Prayer,” Chaplain Delories Oeltjen concluded the ceremony with prayer.

The organization begun by Grace Darling Seibold was named after the Gold Star that families hung in their windows in honor of the deceased veteran. After years of planning, on June 4, 1928, 25 mothers met in Washington, D.C. to establish the national organization now known as American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. For more information, contact: American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. Headquarters, 2128 Leroy Place NW, Washington, D.C. 20008, call (202) 265-0991 or email info@americangoldstarmothers.org.