“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 opened in late 2015 with the first veterans being laid to rest on November 11, 2015. Almost six years later, on August 9, 2021, ground broke at the site for a veterans home also to be built in Preston. Construction delays pushed the opening date back several times, but it finally welcomed its first residents on January 3, 2024, a day for which many had been waiting.
The cemetery was developed through the programs and services side of Veterans Affairs while the home was developed through the healthcare department, with different procedures being used for each one. Because of that, there was little involvement between the two places in Preston as the veterans home was planned for and built. “There was some involvement in discussions, but in truth, they’re very separate when it comes to the establishment of these two,” Cemetery Administrator Robert Gross explained. However, just because they came from different departments doesn’t mean that there hasn’t been some collaboration. While the veterans home was still under construction, staff used space at the cemetery and several collaborative tours between the two were held. The home employees have also found it helpful to have the cemetery staff nearby to ask questions and provide support. At a local level, several veterans worked hard advocating for both the veterans cemetery and the veterans home. Local leaders such as state legislators, county commissioners, and Preston city officials were also very involved in both projects. “Fillmore County has been advocating for veterans for a long time and it shows,” Kinneberg commented. “We are now the only community in the state of Minnesota to have both a veterans cemetery and a veterans home.”
As the county seat of Fillmore County, Preston seemed like a somewhat obvious choice to house the cemetery and home, but there was more to the location choice than that. “The city of Preston really embraced both projects,” Kinneberg noted. “However, the support from the surrounding communities was very important to having both the vemetery and the home here. Veterans from all over the area advocated, and with the help of local leaders we were able to see this dream become a reality.”
Gross echoed her thoughts. “I think going back to when this location was selected as a potential location for the cemetery, it proved that there was a lot of pride in this area with veterans,” he said. “That people really cared and that they were willing to commit to that care. They backed it up.” Gross takes pride in ensuring that the cemetery is run with the level of care due a nationally recognized shrine and is confident that that same level of pride and commitment will be extended to the veterans home.
Staff at the cemetery and the home look forward to working together in the future with volunteer opportunities, open houses, providing information to families interested in services, and more. Nineteen of the veterans home employees participated in the recent annual wreath placement ceremony at the cemetery. Memorial Day programming at the cemetery and Veterans Day programming at the home will more than likely have a level of joint collaboration between the two as well. “I think it will be a two-way street,” Gross said.
Having the veterans cemetery and the veterans home in Preston may create more opportunities for veterans to use both of those services here rather than in other places. “I think if their wish is to be buried at the cemetery, then it might be comforting to know the area and know that they are in a community that fully believes in taking care of veterans for years to come,” Kinneberg said.
Gross cited continuation of care as a drawing factor as well. The home and the cemetery are poised for a natural relationship with families in planning stages for themselves or loved ones being able to receive information from each one about the other. Gross noted that when funeral services are being held at the cemetery, fellow veterans will often attend and then ask for more information afterwards, giving the cemetery staff the opportunity to share information about not only the veterans cemetery, but the veterans home as well.
“I think the nice part of having both here is that it really helps give veterans in southeast Minnesota an opportunity to always be taken care of in their corner of the state. We are honored to serve them,” Kinneberg said.
Gross agreed, noting that no matter what stage of life a veteran is at, the services available to them in Preston are well-rounded. “It creates an incredible balance,” he said. “It creates a full circle of life opportunity for veterans in rural Minnesota that historically did not exist.” In addition to being of great benefit to the veterans, the home and the cemetery have both provided a positive economic impact on the community with new jobs opening up and more opportunities for local businesses to increase their customer base to include new residents and even the State of Minnesota.
For more information on the veterans home or cemetery, visit mn.gov/mdva.
