Honoring the dead by helping the living. Established in 1914, the VFW Auxiliary serves veterans of this country and our community. At Brainerd Post 1647, we honor the sacrifices and commitment of every man and woman who served, along with their loved ones on behalf of this great country.
Sue Sterling
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Sue Sterling - Auxiliary President since 2021. She is a Little Falls native and has lived in Brainerd since 2008. Sue’s first connection with the VFW was through her father’s veteran benefits, which helped pay for her tuition at the then Brainerd Vocational School many years ago.
Today Sue has three sons who have all served in the military. They served active duty in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Her youngest son, Devon, is currently a member of the Post. Sue’s father, Kenneth Niemann, was active in the Little Falls VFW post and DAV. He was instrumental in making the veterans cemetery at Camp Ripley a reality as Secretary of the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery Association in 1990. Sue is immensely proud of her family and is doing her best as president of the auxiliary to make this post and community a place where veterans and their families are served with honor. To reach Sue Stirling, text or phone 218-831-5540. |
Helen Doucette
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Duane Doucette
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Brainerd VFW Auxiliary Senior Vice President Helen Doucette (Miller). Born April 5, 1934, in Brainerd, Minnesota, graduated from Washington High School in the class of 1952.
Helen’s Story: I married Duane Doucette in 1952 when he came home on leave from boot camp and joined him for a short time before his Marine Corp Company shipped out for Korea.
I joined the Auxiliary to Post 1647 in 1957 under the eligibility of my husband. Our Son Denny was born in 1955 and Jerry in 1958. When our sons were older, I volunteered to help with Americanism and Buddy Poppy routes. In Youth Activity, I helped my husband Duane when the Post fielded its first baseball team in 1973.....oh so much fun traveling with these young people.
Lots to do, I worked my way up the chairs of the Post Auxiliary and have held many offices, including Auxiliary President. You'll find me helping to coordinate dinners, breakfasts, and other events at the post. Contact me at 218-831-2112. Let us continue "Marching Together for Veterans" as "Patriotism Begins at Home."
Helen’s Story: I married Duane Doucette in 1952 when he came home on leave from boot camp and joined him for a short time before his Marine Corp Company shipped out for Korea.
I joined the Auxiliary to Post 1647 in 1957 under the eligibility of my husband. Our Son Denny was born in 1955 and Jerry in 1958. When our sons were older, I volunteered to help with Americanism and Buddy Poppy routes. In Youth Activity, I helped my husband Duane when the Post fielded its first baseball team in 1973.....oh so much fun traveling with these young people.
Lots to do, I worked my way up the chairs of the Post Auxiliary and have held many offices, including Auxiliary President. You'll find me helping to coordinate dinners, breakfasts, and other events at the post. Contact me at 218-831-2112. Let us continue "Marching Together for Veterans" as "Patriotism Begins at Home."
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Saundra Swearingen - Junior Vice President
Saundra runs the Brainerd VFW Auxiliary Americanism Program. There was the Essay Competition for 5th graders. Also see the Coloring Contest for Kindergarten through 4th graders. |
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Secretary/Treasurer - Dawn Garin. She qualified for membership because of her father Bob Marsh, a long-time life member of the Brainerd VFW. He served as an infantryman in the U.S. Army 1949-1950 and then was recalled to serve in the Korean conflict 1951 to 1952.
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Guard - Marna "Sam" Lohse
Sam joined the Brainerd VFW Auxiliary on June 13, 2021, transferring from Jenkins MN. Her husband Don served on the USS Tulare, a navy cargo ship, from 1971 to 1975. Don was deployed to Vietnam in September of 1972 thru May of 1973, operating on the inland waterways of Southeast Asia. From April – November 1974 his ship made second cruise to Vietnam. John received two Vietnam Service Ribbons. They reside in Backus, MN. Don is currently the Jr. Vice Commander of the MN VFW Sixth District.
Sam joined the Brainerd VFW Auxiliary on June 13, 2021, transferring from Jenkins MN. Her husband Don served on the USS Tulare, a navy cargo ship, from 1971 to 1975. Don was deployed to Vietnam in September of 1972 thru May of 1973, operating on the inland waterways of Southeast Asia. From April – November 1974 his ship made second cruise to Vietnam. John received two Vietnam Service Ribbons. They reside in Backus, MN. Don is currently the Jr. Vice Commander of the MN VFW Sixth District.
Brenda Collins
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Dewayne Collins
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Chaplain - Brenda Collins
Married to Brainerd VFW member Dewayne Collins, a sailor who served on a ship at Vietnam.
Married to Brainerd VFW member Dewayne Collins, a sailor who served on a ship at Vietnam.
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Trustee - Shannon Duus is a life member of the Brainerd VFW Auxiliary. Her Grandfather, Leslie Lindberg, served in World War II. Shannon is proud to be of service at the VFW as one of the trustees.
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Trustee - Dave Montour is a life member of the Brainerd VFW Auxiliary. His father served in Korea and a brother in the Navy. Dave is proud to be of service at the VFW, which includes being one of the trustees.
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Paula Persons
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Mark Persons
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Paula Persons is one of the Brainerd VFW Auxiliary trustees. She qualified for Auxiliary membership because of her husband Mark who is the post Chaplain and Webmaster. Paula is also known as Chef Paula at Gilbert Lodge.
Additional VFW Post 1647 Auxiliary Officers as of 2022:
Conductress - Linda Hummel
Patriotic Instructor - Kim Jensen
Conductress - Linda Hummel
Patriotic Instructor - Kim Jensen
Matt Jendro
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March 9, 2021: Matthew "Matt" Jendro is a Brainerd VFW Auxiliary member. His father, John Jendro, was in the U.S. Army, serving in Vietnam in the late 1960s. Matt is a member of the Brainerd VFW Men's 35 and over Softball Team. They play at Fridays 6:30 pm and 7:30 pm during the summer at Memorial Park, otherwise known as Mills Field in northeast Brainerd. Matt is a postal carrier in Brainerd.
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Jim Falconer
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March 27, 2021: Jim Falconer was born in and graduated from high school in Grand Forks, ND. He served in the U.S. Army and the Army National Guard 1955 - 1959. Jim was as SP4 when serving in the Panama Canal Zone. He moved to Brainerd in 1963 and worked as a postal letter carrier. Jim also played drums with the Brainerd Honor Guard/Color Guard until his retirement. Jim is a member of the Brainerd VFW Auxiliary because he did not serve in a war zone.
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Rita Reikofski is the Minnesota District 6 VFW Auxiliary President.
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U.S. Navy photo of Rita Reikofski.
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Shirley Kuhn is a Gold Star Mother and member of the Brainerd VFW Auxiliary.
The VFW Auxiliary is made up of men and women who have or had a family member who served our country. Dues are $20 per year. Membership meetings are the second Tuesday of every month. Come for a Taco dinner at 5 pm and stay for the meeting at 7 pm.
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Brainerd VFW Auxiliary membership is $20/year.
Ask Helen Doucette at 218-831-2112 or Dawn Garin bdkgarin@hotmail.com. Find eligibility information at: https://vfwauxiliary.org/join-us/eligibility-information/ |
Established in 1914, the VFW Auxiliary is the nation’s oldest veterans’ service organization auxiliary. Members of the VFW Auxiliary are the relatives of those who have served in overseas combat. There are nearly 470,000 members representing all 50 states. We serve the veterans of this country and our communities in honor of the sacrifices and commitment of every man and woman who has served in uniform. It is our mission to assist the VFW in any way we can. We share a common goal of serving veterans, their families and our communities. During the 2019-2020 Program Year, Auxiliaries provided a total of 3 million dollars in monetary aid to veterans, service members and their families. We are a voice for veterans on Capitol Hill; we are instrumental in assisting the VFW pass or block legislation that impacts veterans and their families. We are one of the top ten providers of volunteer hours in the VA medical system. Every year, members fundraise millions of dollars for charitable projects that benefit veterans and their families. We provide hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships for our nation’s youth. We spread patriotism and educate our communities and our nation’s youth about America’s patriotic holidays and the American Flag. We spread the word about Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS), and promote military and veteran suicide awareness. There are more than 3,700 Auxiliaries nationwide working to improve the lives of our nation’s veterans.
May 2019: The Brainerd VFW Auxiliary received awards from Minnesota VFW for good work on projects including: Historian, Scholarship, Americanism and Legislative, along with Veteran and Family Support. Congratulations to the Brainerd VFW Auxiliary.
