On the third of January, the first residents were admitted into the State Veterans Home in Preston. This is the first new veterans home to open in Minnesota in the last 25 years. Advocates began the long process about a decade ago to make a veterans home in Fillmore County a reality. A dedication ceremony for the Home is expected to be held late in the spring or early … [Read more...]
We Asked the Questions for You
If you are a veteran, the spouse of a veteran, or a family member and are interested in finding out more about the application process at the Minnesota State Veterans Home in Preston, Minn., this article will answer your questions. The newly built home is located at 905 Windmill Road in the picturesque hills above Preston, Minn., a community of 1,350. Preston, located in the … [Read more...]
Preston Offers Well-Rounded Veteran Services
“I have always believed that collaboration is key when it comes to our corner of the state,” Public Relations and Volunteer Coordinator Gabby Kinneberg said about the addition of a veterans home to Preston which is already home to a veterans cemetery. “We are stronger together. And, that was the case with both projects.” The Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery of Preston … [Read more...]
A Quilt for Every Veteran’s Bed
In the fall of 2019, when Spring Valley quilter Jan Poldervaard learned that the proposed new veterans home in Preston was to become a reality, she knew how she wanted to help. Jan had a vision of a handmade quilt on every one of the home’s 54 veterans’ beds. She contacted the Veterans Services Office in Preston to share her idea, and, after a three month wait, Jan got the … [Read more...]
Leaders Who Made the Veterans Home a Reality
More than seven years ago, a group of veterans gathered together at the Preston Servicemen’s Club in Preston to consider the possibility of a veterans home being built in Preston. At that time just one home was being considered in Minnesota. Last spring, veterans Don Gildner, Ron Scheevel, Don Brockway and Cliff Sackett met once again to share the work they did to make the new … [Read more...]
Words from David Dunn, Preston Veterans Home Administrator
The new year is underway, and the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs has opened their first new veterans home in over 25 years here in beautiful Preston! We officially opened our doors on January 3, 2024, admitting our first four residents. As a veteran myself I am honored and excited to lead this phenomenal team and serve fellow veterans. Sitting on top of the 15-acre … [Read more...]
They Keep Answering the Call to Serve
Acknowledging membership in the American Legion, Commander of Post 68, Nathan Pike and District Commander Mark Maloney presented pins and certificates recognizing 16 veterans. “What personally does membership in the American Legion mean?” was the question asked to each veteran. Among these awards were 70-year pins for two members, Roy Christopherson and Harlan Marchant. … [Read more...]
Prevent 22 Task Force Donates $10,000
Did you know that an average of 22 veterans commit suicide daily in the U.S.? That’s a shocking number of veterans who faithfully served our country, isn’t it? Well, Flo Litwinczuk thought so too when she learned the statistic and she and some friends decided they needed to do something about it. For 25 years Flo and her friends had been doing benefits and fundraising for … [Read more...]
Thompson always ready for a challenge
Maynard Thompson began his teaching career at Peterson High School in the fall of 1957 and stayed there his entire career in education. That’s definitely not to say that he had a boring career. Thompson was originally from Peterson; his mother was a teacher there. The summer after his second year of college, the local superintendent saw him downtown and asked him what he was … [Read more...]
Ninety-seven years strong
Hidden within a life story 97 years long are lessons for living a fulfilling meaningful life. Fillmore resident (the village, not the county) Myrtle Winslow Schwartz graciously shared her story that is filled with many practical lessons, and lots of laughs. Ninety-seven-year-old Schwartz was born in Fillmore on November 25. She was one month and one day old when her parents … [Read more...]