The VFW Post 1216 will be hosting a free breakfast starting at 7 a.m. on Memorial Day. The breakfast is for all those who will be participating in the Memorial Day activities and for anyone wanting to stop in.

Sausage, eggs, toast, coffee and juice will be served. Doing the cooking will be Jerry Wayne. The Ladies Auxiliary of the VFW Post 1216 are the driving force behind all the goings on at the VFW. Tillie Minto has been the president of the auxiliary for five years and she was district president for one year. She is a very proud and

active hands-on president of the auxiliary.

"I don't do all the volunteer work alone. If it wasn't for the other 217 members we couldn't do all we do," said Minto.

Minto and her husband Bob are very dedicated and active members of Post 1216. She and Bob have made a sculpture out of poppy tissue flowers the last several years and have won first prize each time with their entry in the state of Minnesota. The sculpture this year was made from 7,020 paper poppies. Minto hand paints each poppy. She uses each part of the tissue poppy from the paper tag to the wire stem and the petals and stamen.

"I really enjoy making the poppy sculpture. It is my favorite thing to do. It is an important project for me. My sculpture this year will be going to national competition in Nashville," said Minto.

Besides the Memorial Day breakfast, the VFW auxiliary women serve meals at the clubrooms for funerals, weddings, birthday parties and other special goings on, member Dixie Hanson elaborated on one event the auxiliary does each fall.

"We sponsor the Voice of Democracy essay contest each year. We get impartial judges to conduct and read the test. This is an important event each year," said Hanson.

Minto and Hanson are at the club rooms almost every day. Being part of the VFW is important to them. Minto's husband Bob was in Vietnam and her dad was in WWII. Her two brothers were in the Korean War. Hanson's husband was in the Korean War.

Minto said,"I have always looked up to the vets since I was young."

Hanson echoed her sentiments saying, "Serving the men that fought means a lot to me."

The two plan on going to all the Memorial day activities. This is an important day for them to remember those who have fought, so we can live in peace.