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Seipstown Grange #1657 Presents a $1,000 Donation to the Northwestern Lehigh Veterans Memorial Committee on Veterans Day 2023

Seipstown Grange Donation

Kenneth Gehringer and Richard Hausman (both Vietnam Era Veterans and Members of Seipstown Grange #1657) present David Keller (a member of the Northwestern Lehigh Veterans Memorial Committee) with a check for $1,000 on Veterans Day, November 11, 2023. Other members of Seipstown Grange #1657 in attendance were Diane Gehringer, Ann Wertman, Gloria Zimmerman (shown on the left). Additional members of the Northwestern Lehigh Veterans Memorial Committee participating were Terry Rehrig, Willard Dellicker, Ronald Jerdon and William Mantz (shown in the back row).

At a ceremony, held on Veterans Day 2023 and in front of the Northwestern Lehigh Veterans Memorial at Ontelaunee Park, members of Seipstown Grange #1657 presented the Northwestern Lehigh Veterans Memorial Committee with a $1,000 donation toward ongoing upkeep and maintenance of the Memorial.

Seipstown Grange members participating in this event included Kenneth Gehringer and Richard Hausman (both Vietnam Era Veterans whose names are inscribed on the Memorial), along with Ann Wertman, Gloria Zimmerman and Diane Gehringer. In presenting their $1,000 donation, they all expressed the Grange’s deep appreciation to the Memorial Committee for its efforts in erecting this Veterans Memorial which is dedicated to all local veterans, past, present and future who have served (or will serve) our country.

Northwestern Lehigh Veterans Memorial Committee members present for this event included David Keller, Willard Dellicker, Ronald Jerdon, Terry Rehrig, and William Mantz. In accepting this wonderful donation, David Keller (on behalf of the Committee) expressed the Committee’s deep appreciation for this very generous donation, and noted that this donation would go a long way toward helping defray annual costs for upkeep and maintenance of the Memorial.

The Seipstown Grange is part of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry with a strong history in grassroots activism, family values and community service. In 2015, due to declining membership and the many responsibilities of maintaining a building and property, the volunteers of the Seipstown Grange voted to continue as an organization but sell their property. The proceeds of this sale are held in trust by the State Grange and 10% of the funds are available annually for expenses, community service, and community support.

In its 8th Year of Annual Sharing of trust proceeds, the Seipstown Grange awarded two $1,000 scholarships to graduating Northwestern Lehigh High School seniors who are furthering their education in the fields of agriculture or environmental science, along with $500 awards to 13 local community organizations, and the one-time $1,000 donation to the Northwestern Lehigh Veterans Memorial.

The Food Truck fundraiser held on Saturday November 11, 2023 was a great success.

Three of the food trucks sold out and the raffle for Eight Oaks’ Veterans Cut Bourbon and patriotic pillow brought in $1,231. The Northwestern Lehigh Middle School Students had a history lesson about our local veterans by speaking directly to them and through a “scavenger hunt” looking for names and experiences of the veterans who are engraved on the memorial granite. The weather was great and that Veterans Day fell on a Saturday helped bring the great turnout to our program this year. The committee is planning events for Memorial Day and Veterans Day 2024.

Eighteen names to be added to the memorial in spring of 2024

According to our NWL Veterans Memorial guidelines, veteran’s names may be added to the memorial once a year. The cut off date for submitting names is December 31 each year so the names can be located under the appropriate war for engraving. The engraving, actually sandblasting, is done at the memorial site in the spring, in time for Memorial Day. There is no cost to request a name to be engraved, however each name does cost approximately $100 to have it engraved in the field. This engraving, along with routine maintenance, is why the committee has on-going fundraising programs throughout the year. With this year’s 18 names there will be a total of 2602 veterans on the eleven granite panels. There are 215 available spaces for names to be added throughout the memorial.

New design to provide space for additional names into the future.

A plan was unveiled at the Veterans Day event showing a proposed change to the memorial that will accommodate additional names well into the future. The original memorial design based on the 2484 names that were submitted and researched included space under each war for 330 future additions. After the dedication, 100 new names were submitted which was many more than we anticipated. As a result, the committee, along with our architect, Chris Brown, researched and discussed ways to increase space available to add names in the future. The proposed design will replace the existing steel perimeter fence with a stone wall with sloped granite caps where names can be added in the future.

Rendering of the proposed change to the memorial.

2023 Memorial Day Dedication Program

2022 Memorial Day Dedication Program


Commemorative Coins are still available for purchase to offset Memorial expenses

Contact Justine Bachman 610-760-1175

Either coin can be purchased for $20 each

 

The original Commemorative coin

Commemorative Coin Copper coin (.999 purity) commemorating the May 30, 2022 Dedication Copper Coin

Your contributions will help our efforts to provide such a worthy memorial to our Veterans. Please make a donation.


Name the Eagle Contest

Eagle Monument

A very successful “Name the Eagle” contest was just completed to choose a name for the Eagle mounted at the entrance to the memorial. Third, fourth and fifth graders at Weisenberg and Northwestern elementary schools submitted eight-one names for the eagle. They were asked to research ideas, with their parents and teachers, for names that have a connection with military, history and patriotism.

The winning name, chosen by the Memorial Committee members is “FREEDOM” submitted by Harper Slaski (5th grade Northwestern) and Mrs. O’Niel’s 3rd grade class (Weisenberg). Please see the attached document for second and third place winners and their names. This turned out to be a very successful and well received event that connected our elementary students, teachers and parents to this community project. The energy and excitement from the students was a joy to see.