July 2011

NEWS AND NOTES FROM ST. LOUIS CHAPTER AGSM’s December 2011

It’s hard to believe that the year 2011 is coming to a close. We have acquired some new members this year, a few from southern Illinois and out state Missouri. It looks like we have a mother who wants to revive the Viola Williams chapter near Springfield, Missouri, we welcome one and all. We also have some interested mothers in Arkansas that hopefully will get a chapter started in 2012.

In August this year we held our annual Trivia Night fundraiser. Although we had fewer tables this year, 21 versus 30 tables in the past, our then President Lee Hundelt along with several of our members acquired some great items for our silent auction. We ended up making approximately the same amount of money as the year before! We were able to donate $6,368 to our Missouri USO which has recently been renovated and has a lot of traffic. The USO is located at our international airport in St. Louis. In the photo are Lee Hundelt AGSM , Cathy Nelson (USO) and Susie Moore (AGSM).

Our St. Louis Chapter has also “Grant(ed) a Wish” to some veterans at one of our local VA Medical Centers. Most recently we purchased a karaoke machine for the Substance Abuse Unit located at Jefferson Barracks VA.

Many of us will be participating in the laying of wreaths at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in conjunction with the thousands who participate in Wreaths Across America each year. Afterwards we will have lunch at a local favorite restaurant, we have invited many of the regional Gold Star parents.

Our St. Louis Chapter Secretary Jeanine Rainey received Honor and Remember Flags (along with her two surviving children) at their Scholarship fundraiser honoring Jeanine’s son Lt. Dan Riordan. The flags were an anonymous gift, probably from someone associated with the school or fundraising group. This was the largest trivia yet.

Thank you Lee Hundelt for your dedicated service as our president this past year we will miss your smiling face. Sandy Deraps we will miss your gentle demeanor.

There is a memorial in Crestwood, MO to honor military members who have passed. This monument, erected in 1967 thanks to a couple of Vietnam Mothers. It was discovered two years ago under scrubs; hidden for years. Bruce and Susie Moore’s son Karl has been added since he was a resident of Crestwood. There are continuing fundraisers going on to restore the marker and make it a nicer resting place near the city hall.

The St. Louis Chapter of AGSM were asked to honor the homeless vets who have been buried through the Homeless Veterans Burial Program which began in St. Louis. Our AGSM’s place flowers on 87 graves located at the nearest national cemetery at Jefferson Barracks.

Our group has decided to try to volunteer more times helping our veterans. We are invited to many events as honorees which is very kind. We agree that it is important for us to be presented to the public so they have real people associated with the news of the wars. However, we felt actually volunteering helps us fulfill our mission better. So we shall see what 2012 brings.

Katie Melies

Past Events

Neglected monument found.

This Monument was erected in 1968 in Crestwood MO, then neglected,
overgrown by shrubs and hidden from view. Fund raisers are now in
progress to fix and move it to a suitable site. The name of Captain
Karl Moore, son of Susie and Bruce Moore, who died in1986 was added
later by the Veterans Committee.

Kathy O'Connor, Directer USO of Missouri, receives a donation from President Lee Hundelt and Susie Moore.

Trivia Night 2011.

Left to right-Linda Hobkirk, Mary Jane Kiepe, Katie Melies, Francis Turley,
Jeanine Rainey, Lee Hundelt, Susie Moore and Terrie Hobson. Front
and center a wonderful friend of AGSM and veterans/military alike Carol
(the flag lady) Biggerstaff.

Vietnam mom Lee Van Buskirk receives Honor and Remember Flag.

Jeanine Rainey, is presented with the Honor and Remember Flag at a scholarship fundraiser in memory of her son, Lt Dan Reardon KIA.

Memorial Day 2011

AGSM First to Fight is Julie Vinnedge, Katie Melies, Linda Hobkirk, Lee Hundelt.

AGSM with Silent Drill Marine Katie Melies, Linda Hobkirk & Jeanine Rainey.

Memorial Day photo at Jefferson Barracks Cemetery, Mary Jane Kiepe and Chris Andrews.

New Officers Installed for 2011 at St Louis Chapter

Katie Melies passes gavel to Lee Hundelt.

St Louis chapter members hold a straight pin design of our AGSM logo
given to Frances Turley many years ago.

Several of our members presented our history book to Dr. Lynnea Magnuson,
the Museum and Collection Executive of the St. Louis Soldiers Memorial.

The chapter also voted to support a foundation recently founded by one of
our newer members Chris Andrews. She has established the Missouri
Military Memorial Foundation to build a memorial to the fallen in Missouri
beginning with Desert Storm up until and including the current war. St. Louis
City leaders are very excited that the foundation is planning to place the new
memorial on the "plaza" in front of the Soldiers Memorial Military Museum
which was dedicated on 1936 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. President
Roosevelt handed the honorary flag to the Gold Star Mothers who were very
active in St. Louis at the time. As you enter the vestibule of the building and
look up you see a magnificent mosaic of a large gold star on a red backgroud
dedicated to the mothers of St. Louisans who died in wars.

We were very proud to present the Memorial with a copy of our AGSM history
book (donated by AGSM member Susie Moore). There is an American Gold Star
Mothers display at the museum with some personal items from some local
AGSM mothers, including photos of our children.

St. Louis Chapter 2nd Annual Trivia night.

Left to Right; Sandy Deraps, Chris Andrews, Joyce Fussner, Susie Moore,
Katie Melies, Frances Turley, Lee Hundelt, Jeanine Rainey, Terry Hobson.

St Louis Chapter members out and about.

Our four Missouri Gold Star Moms at Ruth's AGSM convention, June 2010.
Left to right, Lee Hundelt, Katie Melies, Mary Jane Kiepe, Sandy Deraps.

George Lutz at Honor and Remember ceremony
Jefferson City, July 2010 sponsored by St. Louis Chapter AGSM.

Frances Turley (PNP) receiving personalized Honor and Remember Flag in
Jefferson City, MO, July, 2010. Her son, Army SGT Francis "Duke" Corter, Jr.,
was a KIA in Vietnam, October 1969.

Bruce and Susie Moore (PNP) receiving their personalized
Honor and Remember Flag, July 2010.
Their son Army CPT Karl Moore died in Germany
while on active duty, November 1986.

Both recipients were totally surprised. The flags were a gift from the organization
Honor and Remember. We arranged the small ceremony and invited some U.S.
and Missouri legislators to get the word out about George's mission.

Jeanine Rainey, Sandy Deraps, Lee Hundelt, Terrie Hobson at
Honor & Remember Presentation Jefferson City, MO, July ,2010.

Some of our AGSM St. Louis Chapter Mothers in March 2010.
Front row left to right Lee Hundelt, Frances Turley, Katie Melies Jeanine Rainey.
Back Row l-r Terrie Hobson, Mary Jane Kiepe, Susie Moore,
Sandy Deraps (hidden) Joyce Fussner.

Katie Melies MO-AR Dept President
and President of the St Louis Chapter.

Veterans Day Parade 2009 in front of St. Louis's Soldiers Memorial.
Left to right Glenn & Mary Jane Kiepe, Katie Melies and Susie Moore.
In back are Terrie Hobson and Dave Melies.

Our first Trivia judging table and banners above, Aug 2009.

Float that honored Gold Star Mothers in small town parade Memorial Day 2009.