Milton C. Stevenson Post No. 106, Fairmount,
ND
Link to New Veteran's Memorial
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There were 22 World War I veterans attending an organizational meeting in Fairmount Nov. 2, 1919. Their intent was to form an American Legion post and to apply for its charter under the name of Milton C. Stevenson. He was the first person from Fairmount killed in the war. A charter was applied for and the following were the charter members: Leo E. Black, Raymond Mergens, Earl W. Schouweiler, Clermont A. Williams, Cyril H. Mergens, Reid Smith, John W. Deans, R. J. Allen, Alonzo W. Allen, Henry Ruebish, Clarence Ripley, Delwin B. Claybaugh, Palmer M. Aadland, V. 0. Lindquist, and Clyde E. Parriott. After the charter was received, the new officers installed were Harley Swanson, commander; Cyril Mergens, vice-commander; Leo Black, adjutant; Paul Thompson, finance officer; Vic Lundquist, historian; Clyde Parriott, chaplain, and Alonzo Allen, sergeant-at-arms. The first order of business by this new post was the creation of an entertainment committee, which was given a significant responsibility. A local veteran had come home badly wounded and needed assistance for his family. A dance was held on New Year's Eve of 1919. The records do not show what the admission price was, but the gross receipts were $171.55. The expenses for the dance were as follows: orchestra - $29, printing - $9, hall rent $15, cash prizes - $4 and war tax - $16.80. The net proceeds were $97.75. Dances, card parties, community plays and father-son banquets were a steady source of fund raising to help all disabled vets. As the years progressed, other community endeavors were taken on by The American Legion and the Legion Auxiliary. They funded a basketball team in 1920. They have funded Boy Scouts, Babe Ruth, and American Legion Baseball, oratorical contests, coloring book contests. In 1923, the post started purchasing grave markers for all deceased members in cemeteries surrounding the Fairmount area. Rifles were purchased in 1923. It is not known where the initial meetings were held but, in 1920, the post rented the IOOF-Masonic Hall for $30 per month plus custodial, fuel and lights charges. Later, a log cabin in the Fairmount Park was utilized. It was built and became home for our post for many years until the membership grew and the quarters became too small. The log cabin stands today, its space used for storage of park equipment. A larger building on Main Street was purchased to hold dances, card parties, roller skating, home talent plays and an occasional stag party. This all continued until the early 1950s when the building was sold and the Red Owl building was purchased to serve as home for our Legion and Auxiliary. In the 1960s the Drug Store building, which was adjacent to our Legion Hall, was purchased and incorporated into one larger building for Legion and community activities. That building was sold in 1992, at which time the post moved into a new Community Center. Post 106 and its Auxiliary had an active role in building and in the operation of the new center.The Auxiliary of our Legion post is an active participant in Legion programs. The Auxiliary was organized in 1923 with 115 charter members. The post holds Memorial Day and Veterans Day programs each year with the Auxiliary sharing in the programs. The ladies keep active with summer swimming programs, Girls State and similar activities. They conduct a poppy poster contest with awards presented as a part of the Memorial Day program. The Auxiliary hosts a stew dinner after the annual Veterans Day program. Helen Templeton Prochnow, a member of the Fairmount Legion Auxiliary, was installed as the North Dakota American Legion Auxiliary president on June 24, 1986, in Williston. Fairmount is a small community located in the extreme southeast corner of our state. Its population of 450-500 citizens has remained quite constant during the past 70 years. In World War 1, 98 citizens of our community were registered for military training. The Fairmount News printed 107 names of servicemen and women who were serving with a Fairmount mail address during World War II There are not any records available as to the number of those who served during the Korean, Vietnam and Gulf wars, but the percentages would be comparable to those involved during the two world wars. We are like so many other communities in North Dakota, wherein our share of the fallen has been to many residents and are to be remembered in our hearts, prayers and eventually a memorial. Our Legion post is still very active in the American Legion baseball program and has accepted the responsibility of the Babe Ruth baseball program for the past 45 years. These two programs have been the main thrust of our attention and participation in order to maintain an ongoing successful event within our community. Boys State is another of our annual programs. Boys State began is honorable career in Fairmount's northern suburb called Wahpeton. Fairmount High School's superintendent at the time was prominently involved in helping to bring into existence this outstanding program. An award is given each year to a Boys Stater in memory of Superintendent Arve Dahlen, who was a member of our Legion post. Membership is a continuing concern. Membership since 1919 escalated to an all-time high of 106 in 1959, then slowly declining to our present 1994 membership of 73. The decline is due to deaths and members moving to other areas. We have the distinction of having an active member who joined in 1919. He has 75 years of continuous membership. C.R. "Whitey" Swanson turned 96 years of age in 1994 and is still very active. He enjoys an occasional shot of Jack Daniels, which is made all the more enjoyable if it is someone else's Jack Daniels. The need to strengthen and maintain our Legion and Auxiliary organizations is a known and accepted fact. This primary fact is based in the honor we pay to patriotism of the past and the hope we express for the future. Over the years many ideas have been used to sign up members and maybe we should choose the most successful of all gimmicks: radio and newspaper ads, personal contacts, etc., and use them again and again until success is achieved. That gimmick (challenge) was used by our post in 1938, producing good results. Perhaps the challenge should be issued again. This history compiled by Delmer "Stuffy" Steffens |
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Roster of Post 106 Commanders 1919-20 Harley A. Swanson 1920-21 Clifford Wetherbee 1921-22 D.B. Claubaugh 1922-23 Paul M. Thomnpson 1923-24 O.C. Charboneau 1924-25 R.A. Mergens 1925-26 E.G. Anton 1926-27 Earl Schouweiler 1927-28 R.J. Allen 1928-29 L.F. Murphy 1929-30 C.A. Williams 1930-31 H.D. Rafferty 1931-32 William J. Campbell 1932-34 A.M. Dahlen 1934-35 William J. Campbell 1935-36 George Cline 1936-37 Archie Lamberg 1937-38 C.R. Swanson 1938-39 DeWitt E. Myers 1939-40 W. Fleenor 1940-41 E.G. Reubish 1941-42 C.R. Swanson 1942-43 Lawrence Holden 1943-44 Frank Hermes 1944-45 H.R. Swanson 1945-46 Henry Kuddes 1946-48 Harry Astrup 1948-51 Urban Zentgraf 1951-53 Dale Luick 1953-55 Adolph Zentgraf 1955-56 Mrs. Bernadine Luick 1956-57 Clayton Oberle, part year 1956-59 Ed Kurfist 1959-60 Alva Beeghly 1960-61 Rodney Rosenkranz 1961-62 Steve Campbell 1962-63 Kermit Rosendahl 1963-64 Lourn Sund 1964-65 Donald Miller 1965-66 Lester Pauling 1966-67 Leander Braun 1967-68 Willard Schroeder 1968-69 Dave Jenny 1969-70 Richard Schmit 1970-71 Ed Campbell 1971-72 Duane Stiles 1972-73 Delmer Steffens 1973-74 Robert Peters 1974-75 Merle Rubish 1975-76 Aloysius Meyer 1976-77 Jerome Kutzer 1977-78 Robert Meyer 1978-79 Ronald Swanson 1979-80 Ed Krump 1980-81 Dave Roach 1981-84 Jim Axtman 1984-85 Daryl Thompson 1985-86 Vincent Humble 1986-87 Aloysius Meyer 1987789 Melvin Muehler 1989-90 Mel Kaehler 1990-93 Bob Lewis 1993-94 Donald Miller |