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 veterans home a reality. The group named some of the people who helped bring the home to a reality for Preston: Ron Laughlin, Duane Bakke, Gabby Kinneberg and others.

Don Gildner remembers being encouraged by former City Administrator Joel Hoffman and Cathy Emerson, formerly of the Preston EDA, to pursue the opportunity for Preston. The newly formed committee took the encouragement to heart. They visited all the First District Legions and VFWs. The committee felt strongly that “we needed a home in southeast Minnesota.” About one-third of the state’s eligible veterans are located in southeast Minnesota. Widespread support from the local VFWs and Legions contributed greatly to the success of the project.

In addition, the committee traveled to the state capitol to lobby for locating the home in southeast Minnesota. Representative Greg Davids shared in a phone interview that the vets were in his capitol office one day when the chair of the Veterans Committee, Bob Dettmer, popped his head in and asked to speak to him. In the hall, Dettmer suggested that they build homes at all three proposed locations — Brainerd, Montevideo and southeast Minnesota.

Davids proposed taking the funding out of the Vikings’ stadium reserve. Governor Dayton didn’t want to do that, but said he’d support it in a bonding bill and did so.
Thanks to the efforts and support of Representative Greg Davids and Senator Jeremy Miller, a veterans home for Fillmore County became a reality.

The specific location of the southeast Minnesota home was not chosen yet. Interested cities were given packets of information about the opportunity; eventually Spring Valley and Preston were chosen as finalists.

Since the state legislature didn’t want to make the decision on the specific location, the Fillmore County Commissioners ultimately decided the location. Commissioner Duane Bakke suggested a strategy to make the decision. Presentations were given by both the Preston and Spring Valley groups; following those, the commissioners discussed the merits of each plan. A ballot vote was taken; once the result of that vote was known, the commissioners immediately introduced and passed a resolution unanimously supporting the Preston location.

Commissioner Bakke was also on the Preston Veterans Home Committee.While he was not a veteran, he felt an obligation to support veterans. He was familiar with the legislative workings as well as meeting room locations around the capitol complex.

Bakke attended legislative meetings in 2017 and 2018, riding up with committee co-chairs Ron Scheevel and Don Gildner and other veterans. as well as Cathy Enerson from Preston EDA. They solicited for financial support in southeast Minnesota counties as well; Fillmore County contributed $300,000.

Bakke declared, “It was an honor to be involved in it! I’m proud of the fact I was involved in the veterans cemetery as well!”

Initially, the committee was pursuing a 140-bed facility; they soon reduced it to 100 beds. After visiting the veterans home in EauClaire, they learned the federal standard would be 72 beds. Since there was not enough local funding to support 72 beds, they eventually set on a 54-bed home. Locally, about $1.3 million was raised; the state bond referendum raised $10 million, and the federal government put in the remaining two-thirds of the cost.

According to then Preston EDA Director Gabby Kinneberg, with time passing and construction costs escalating due to inflation and the pandemic, more funding was needed. The state added another $6 to 7 million to fund the road and other amenities.

Who are the veterans that worked so hard on the committee to obtain funding for the home? Co-chair Don Gildner is a vet who ended up in Germany during Vietnam. He felt strongly that veterans needed a home in the area, “It’s a worthy thing to do!” Since he is semi-retired, he had time to do a project like this. Gildner declared that he learned a lot about government as he attended hearing committees and testified. Gildner said he found good support, by and large, as he went door-to-door to area legislators at the capitol with his folders full of literature about the project.
Co-chair Ron Scheevel who had a “rather docile” experience in Vietnam in 1967 compared to many, felt. “We got to do something for the vets!”

Don Brockway enlisted in the Army Reserve from 1967 to 1973. He, too, felt compelled to show support for the veterans and was more than happy to go to proceedings at the capitol to physically support the project. According to Brockway, one of his most impressive memories of the experience was hearing 700 veterans all reciting the pledge of allegiance in the echoing capitol rotunda at the Vets on the Hill event.

Cliff Sackett served in Vietnam from ‘69-‘70. Sackett claimed he survived quite well despite trying to win a war based on body counts. He reiterated the desire to do something for the vets of such encounters.

Although the committee was sometimes disappointed by the slow process of the legislature and the preliminary steps of the actual building project, they appreciated all the support from the city and the county and carried on. The building site was set by the city and had a purchase option for a set price on it before the committee became involved. The site was part of the city’s contribution to the project.

The committee felt the project was worth all the time spent in raising money and taking trips to the legislature. Ron Scheevel said of the opening of the home, “It’s going to be a great day for southeast Minnesota veterans!” He compared it to the coming of the railroad or the ethanol plant as a boost to the local economy. Scheevel said they were told the home will have $13 million coming in and going out each year with half of the amount in direct payroll.