Young helpers crucial for Avenue of Flags

By Molly Roberts
Posted 5/25/21

On Friday, May 29, a group of volunteers will gather at Sharon Hill Cemetery to erect the Avenue of Flags. Bob Spinner will be there and so will Jan Peterseim, but most of the physical labor will …

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Young helpers crucial for Avenue of Flags

Posted

On Friday, May 29, a group of volunteers will gather at Sharon Hill Cemetery to erect the Avenue of Flags. Bob Spinner will be there and so will Jan Peterseim, but most of the physical labor will fall to Mid-Prairie students, from Elsa Schmidt’ FFA chapter and other classes.

About 39 years ago, Jan Peterseim, along with a few friends, decided to start the Avenue of Flags in order to honor veterans in the community. At first, members of the Alpha and Idris Clubs were responsible for set-up and tear-down, but eventually it became clear that more manpower was needed. The Mid-Prairie students came along and the elders who helped set up the flags were impressed with them from the get-go.

“The young people who come to up set up the flags are just wonderful,” Spinner said. “You don’t have to tell them anything twice. They respect the flag. They respect what they’re doing.”

Peterseim said the last several years, the Mid-Prairie students have done nearly all of the physical labor associated with the Avenue of Flags, which she is thankful for. Or, as Spinner put it, “We need those young people because my get-up-and-go has kind of got up and went.”

This year, when Peterseim asked for donations to replace about 20 flags, she was pleased with the community response.

“We asked for donations to replace some flags because they do take a terrible beating in the wind and the rain and everything,” she said. “We got a good response.”

She said any excess donations will be put into a savings account and used to replace flags or poles in later years.

While Peterseim might not be able to be physically involved with set-up and tear-down after this year, she said she’ll still be involved, since she’s organizing the project’s finances.

She said she’ll continue to be involved because it’s a respectful thing to do to honor the men and women who have served in the armed forces.

Spinner agrees.

“We wouldn’t have the freedom in this country if it weren’t for them, those that had their boots on the ground in combat for their country,” Spinner said. “Too many people think that freedom was just handed to us, but it wasn’t. It’s important to honor those that put their lives on the line to get us where we’re at nowadays.”

Peterseim encourages Kalona residents to view the flags from the top of the hill in Highway 1, going north.

“You see all those flags out there, flying in the wind, and it just tugs at your heart,” she said. “When you see them like that, you really understand the meaning behind what they represent.”