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This
interview is about the honor of building flag cases with the Black Hills
Woodworkers Guild of Spearfish for the families of deceased military veterans.
http://sdpb.org/Archives/ProgramDetail.asp?ProgID=7175
| Program Name: Dakota Digest
Flag Cases
Related Topics:
Military
Originally aired Friday, June 13, 2008
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| The first photo is Navy
veteran Paul O’Donnell’s sons, Dale (left) and Dean, holding their
father’s burial flag and the hickory flag case donated to them by the
Black Hills Woodworkers Guild of Spearfish. The second photo is of a
bronze sculpture of a veteran’s burial flag in the hands of a family
member. Photos courtesy of Jim Kent.
Tomorrow is Flag Day, established by
presidential proclamation in 1916 as the time to honor the symbol of our
nation. For those men and women who serve in the military, Flag Day
holds a special significance. On today's Dakota Digest, SDPB's Jim Kent
visits with woodworkers who are donating flag cases to the families of
deceased military veterans. These cases will hold the last symbol of
their nation's gratitude to their loved ones - the veteran's burial
flag.
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© 2008 SDPB ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
This is a brief
interview with SDPB's Jim Kent about the restoration of an antique window
that will bring joy to this family for many years to come.
http://sdpb.org/Archives/ProgramDetail.asp?ProgID=7072
| Program Name: Dakota Digest
Family Window
Related Topics:
Art & Culture
Family
Originally aired Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Heirlooms from parents and grandparents are
often treasured symbols of a family's history and can be an inspiration
for future generations. However, those heirlooms often can be lost or
damaged with time. One South Dakota family recently rediscovered a piece
of their past and shared it with SDPB’s Jim Kent for today’s Dakota
Digest.
Color pictures to the right show the
window before it was restored and after. The artist who restored the
window is Christie Jensen - her web site is
www.Terrastu.com
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| © 2008 SDPB ALL RIGHTS RESERVED |
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This is a story about my volunteer work with the SD Woodworkers Guild,
Spearfish Chapter and our decision to donate time for making flag cases for the
families of veterans. These cases will be given to the Honor Guard to be
distributed to families in the area who want to pay homage to a loved one.
Woodworkers honor veterans with flag cases
Death of a good friend inspires Spearfish man
By Kayla Gahagan, Journal staff Thursday, December 13, 2007
SPEARFISH -- Putting time and talent into honoring an old friend was an easy
decision for Larry Reuppel.
Corky Witt, left, and David Talsma of the Black Hills
chapter of the South Dakota Woodworkers Guild work on a prototype for
memorial flag cases. They will donate the cases to military honor guards to
give to families of veterans. (Photo courtesy of John English)
With the recent death of Don Burdick, a good friend who was a Vietnam
veteran, Reuppel decided he would put his woodworking skills to use.
In many cases, the family of a deceased veteran buys a wooden case to house the
complimentary flag that a military honor guard presents to them at the funeral.
Reuppel did some research and decided to design and build the flag case that
would carry Burdick's flag.
"We were both woodworkers," he said. "His wife asked me if I would make this for
him. I said, 'Sure; I'd be happy to.'"
It was about that time that the Black Hills chapter of the South Dakota
Woodworkers Guild was starting to take root. He decided to join and shared his
vision with them.
"It was kind of a coincidence," he said.
His project became their project, and the guild has committed to building more
of the cases using Reuppel's design. Members plan to build 40 flag cases this
year and donate them to honor guards, who will then distribute them to families,
guild member John English said. On average, a hardwood flag case costs about
$150.
Part of the reason for the project comes from the history of its members.
"We have a lot of veterans in our group," English said.
He said Ketel Thorstenson, an accounting and investment-planning firm, and
FoxHammer, a dental-vacuum and compressed-air consulting firm, are donating the
materials for the cases, which will be made of walnut.
Reuppel's design includes an area under the flag where pins, medals, pictures or
shell casings can be displayed.
"They can put whatever they want in there," he said.
The cases are an appropriate gift for a family that has recently lost a loved
one, guild secretary Christie Jensen said.
"It's a good thing," she said. "It's of the heart. There's enough hardship with
a death."
Reuppel said the first case he made took "several, several hours" but that the
process would be quicker now.
He said it is a good project because it honors a group of people who deserve it.
"It's a group that's rapidly disappearing," he said. "It's really the tail end
of them."
There are currently 40 guild members, with 16 of them active. Eric Edwards and
Eric Lie serve as co-presidents.
The group meets at the Black Hills School of Woodworking on U.S. Highway 14,
near the Veterans of Foreign Wars chapter in Spearfish. English said everyone is
invited to attend the meetings or join the guild.
"It's one of the best things about the guild," he said. "You don't have to know
anything; you just have to be interested."
Reuppel's flag case is nearly finished now, and he hopes to give it to his
Burdick's wife, Pearl, before Christmas.
When Burdick died, his family had an auction, and Reuppel bought his sander. He
didn't need to buy the wood, though -- Burdick had given him some walnut, which
he used to craft the flag case, smoothing it with that sander.
He plans to invite Pearl Burdick and her family over for supper and give them
the case.
"I think she will be kind of overwhelmed with it, really," he said.
Contact Kayla Gahagan at 394-8410 or
kayla.gahagan@rapidcityjournal.com
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