For Memorial Day, honoring veterans and a special mother
Memorial Day weekend. It is hard to believe we’ve moved quickly from sleet storms to dandelions. It is the Midwest. Accept and embrace the weather. On the good side, strawberries are in blossom, so it must be nearly June.
Today is a chance to highlight two stories — a group of people honoring veterans and a man who continues to honor his mother.
First, the John Auten Camp of the Sons of Union Veterans (SUV) of the Civil War (SUVCW) will continue the tradition of honoring Civil War veterans at 10 a.m. today at Bowman Cemetery, 2400 Miami St.
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The honor is part of their genetics. The 21 members are lineal descendants of members of the Grand Army of the Republic. There are also associate members who are history buffs. The John Auten Camp, 8 South Bend is a relatively new part of the SUV, forming in 2018. Other camp organizations are in Fort Wayne and Valparaiso.
Local resident Gregory Fiechtner calls himself one of the “Monument Men.” He and others clean stones and place markers for veterans and descendants. Ongoing research has located an unmarked grave in a nearby city.
Or in the case of John Auten’s place of rest, the camp replaced his weathered marker in City Cemetery. Gregory said the elements had worn down the original limestone marker.
A little history refresher. John Auten (1840-1861) was the first St. Joseph County resident to die in the Civil War. He enlisted in Company I, Ninth Indiana Infantry on April 22, 1861. Three months later, Auten was on a scouting mission at Laurel Hill, near Bealington, Va., which today is known as Bellington, W.Va. At the start of the Civil War, West Virginia was still part of Virginia; it became a state on June 20, 1863.
The body was returned to his home county, and he was buried in August. Reports said nearly 5,000 people attended the burial service. Auten Road is named for him.
From The Tribune's archives: Auten first county resident killed in Civil War
For Gregory, his great great grandfather served in an Indiana company, and after the war, he moved to a homestead in Nebraska. A relative who delved into genealogy confirmed the veteran connection. The family ties to Thomas Martin of Company K were later verified in diaries and homestead paperwork.
Following his retirement as a Lutheran minister in 2018, Gregory joined the John Auten Camp. “It is a sense of history, pride in lineage and patriotism for all of us,” he said. It is a rich history to keep alive.
Readers may have missed the 10 a.m. service. However, history buffs may want to visit the John Auten Camp, 8 SUVCW Facebook page for more history and news.
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Now on to honoring a good mother.
George Oudhuis is well known in Rolling Prairie. He is an outstanding Green Bay Packers fan. He, in fact, is in the Packers Fan Hall of Fame as of 2021. However, that’s not the story today.
George is also known as the Pie Man. He purchases a pie every Friday and finds a worthy person for the pie. He has been doing this since 2008. He recently passed the 800-pie mark. He sees no reason to quit.
He has been a frequent guest in this column space — once when he got to the 500 pies mark. However, 800 was important enough to take note. And 1,000 is on his to-do list.
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His story starts with his mother, Eleanor, who was a wonderful baker. Flakey crust, just the right amount of sugar. “My mom always baked great pies. It was a tradition in our house. Then she quit baking (when she got older and was suffering from some medical issues).” She needed a pie for a weekend event. George got her a pie and he continued to take her a pie every week until she died in September 2008, he said.
He decided that he would pay it forward by giving away a pie a week. He has a set order for a fruit pie at Jennie Rae’s Restaurant in Rolling Prairie.
George picks up the pie and starts his quest to find a worthy recipient.
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Sometimes it is someone he knows, sometimes a stranger. Often it is someone who has touched George’s life. Or someone who needs a boost, a bit of love. He has taken the pie all over the Midwest on visits. A friend who has been going through medical issues got the pie on a recent trip to Indianapolis.
The pie comes with a photo of his mother and an explanation of pie, family traditions and mom. The card asks that the recipient think warm thoughts about his mother and to enjoy the pie. “To me, it is remembering my mom and keeping a tradition alive.”
It is a way to make a person smile.
Contact Kathy at kfborlik@yahoo.com.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Civil War veterans honored on Memorial Day in South Bend
