Ladies boast over 165 years with VFW

By CHARLES W. JOHNSON / News Editor for the Southern Standard

These three ladies have over a century and a half of service between them as founding members of the local VFW Ladies Auxiliary which was formed in 1949. They are, from left, Juanita King, Rose Walker and Dot Holder.

Reaching more than half a century of membership with any organization is quite a milestone as local VFW Ladies Auxiliary members Rose Walker, Juanita King and Dot Holder would probably tell you. Together these three ladies have logged over 165 years of service and are still going strong. All three are founding members and were there when the group was formed in 1949, some 55 years ago.

The three ladies were on hand recently cooking lunch for residents of the Tennessee Veterans Nursing Home in Murfreesboro who take a bus up to the local VFW once a month to enjoy some home-cooked food and pleasant conversation with McMinnville VFW members. The ladies originally drove to Murfreesboro and provided doughnuts to nursing home residents, but eventually opted to start providing the service here. The earlier group included Walker, Holder, and another founding member, Elsie Safely.

“We’re all getting older,” Walker said, “and it was hard for the three of us to drive. So we said, ‘Would you all like to come up here and let us cook for you?’ And they said yes.”

According to Walker, the veterans look forward to their jaunts to Warren County and typically choose the trip over other activities.

“When they ask them, ‘Would you rather go to the movies or go to McMinnville?’ They’d say, ‘We want to go to McMinnville.’ They like to talk and visit. They enjoy doing it,” Walker said.

Around 10 residents make the trip up once a month in a group bus provided by the nursing home.

Providing the veterans with a monthly outing is just one of the services the VFW provides, and the founding ladies say they enjoy working in the community. Walker noted there are only five or six founding members still around, including themselves.

Walker, Holder and King have similar stories as to how they got involved.

“Well, my first husband was in the second world war,” King said. “He was a lifetime member, and I’ve been working with them ever since.”

King said she finds the work rewarding.

“I like the things we do for people,” King said. “Just like we’re doing today.”

“Each year we have a drawing for a school,” Walker said, “and give them $300 for accelerated reading.”

Holder said she enjoys the fellowship the group provides, though it’s somewhat bittersweet.

“I just love to come out here and be with everybody,” she said. “Though so many of them are gone now. But we’ve still got all the old memories and I still come regularly.”

Walker put it all in perspective, noting that for all the ladies, it’s the chance to offer some service to those who have given so much service to their country that keeps them going.

“That’s what I like about it,” she said. “We can’t do enough for our veterans.”

Current Ladies Auxiliary president Diane Wisniewski says the group is actively recruiting new members.

“We need a lot of new members,” she said. “We have over 280 members on our books, but as far as active members, we really don’t have that many.”

The group meets once a month on Thursday night and Wisniewski said anyone with a family member, such as a spouse, brother, father or grandfather, who has served in a war on foreign soil is eligible. Those interested in joining can contact the local VFW at 668-8392 for more information.