About Us

Our Namesake

Our Post was established September 2, 1924, and named after two veterans from the Rochester area who were killed in service to their Country.

Guy Whitlock

Served with CO M 3rd US INF. Killed in battle in San Fernando, Philippines, near Maasin on 23/May/1889. Age 28. He was Buried in High Forest in March 1900.

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carl-sonnenberg

Carl Sonnenberg

Who served with the 307th Infantry, 77th Division, and was killed in France 13 October 1918 during World War 1. He was buried in a mass grave on the battlefield where he died. His name is listed on a wall of the missing in the Meuse-Argonne American cemetery

Carl Sonnenberg

Rochester native, Carl J. Sonnenberg was killed in Meuse-Argonne offensive in France during World War l. He was shot by a German Sniper near Vienne-Le Chateau, Marne on September 28, 1918.

Sonnenberg was a Pvt. in Co. G, 307thInfantry Regiment, 77th Infantry Division. He is memorialized on the "Wall of the Missing” along with 953 other American Servicemen, at the U.S. Meuse-Argonne National Cemetery, Romagne, France. He was buried in an "Isolated” grave near Vienne-Le- Chateau and apparently his remains were never found later when the cemetery was established. There are 14,246 Identified Servicemen buried at the National Cemetery.

Carl was the son of August H. and Emilie O. Sonnenberg. (German immigrants of the 1880’s to Rochester). He was born June 4, 1889, in Rochester, attended District 30, Olmsted Rural School in Cascade Township, Trinity Lutheran Parochial school, and Northrup school in Rochester. He married Elsie Holt of Rochester on March 30, 1918, they had no children.

Carl was working as an Auto Mechanic when he entered the Army draft on June 24th 1918. He was sent to Camp Lewis, Washington, where he trained for 6 weeks before being sent to France in August. His two brothers also served in France. Frederick in the 119th Field Artillery, 32nd Infantry Division and Eckhardt in the 49th Aero Squadron.

After Post 1215 was formed in 1923 and named after Carl Sonnenberg and Guy Whitlock, who was killed at Baliaug, the Philippines, May 23, 1899, Frederick and Eckhardt served as officers. Their wives, Laverne and Anne, respectively, served as officers in the Auxiliary.

A memorial Veteran’s Headstone for Carl Sonnenberg is in Lot 300, section 3, Oakwood Cemetery, Rochester, Minnesota.

Current VFW Officers

Commander

Mark Fetterman

Senior Vice Commander

Zachary Gore

Junior Vice Commander

Chad Stowers

Quartermaster

Michael Nelson

Adjutant

Zachary Gore

Chaplain

David Rowlands

Judge Advocate

Rod Peterson

Gambling Manager

Chad Stowers

Officer of the Day

Gene Wendelken

Honor Guard Commander

Rick Coombes

Voice Of Democracy

Jim Crawley

Patriots Pen

Jim Kelzenberg

VFW Riders President

Tim Peters

Youth Activities

Peter Arroyo

House Committee

Jim Giebel
Rich Daily
Michael Dexter

Trustees

Joel Skauge
David Crawley
Michael Dexter

Service Officer

Jennifer Shumaker

Surgeon

Terry Severson

VFW Auxiliary Officers

President

Wendy Zaborowski

Senior Vice President

Shirley Hultz

Junior Vice President

Linda Deidrich

Secretary

Denise Koster

Treasurer

Linda Henry

Trustees

Ann Schwanke

Shirley Hultz

Cindy Walker

 

 

Guard

Ann Schwanke

Chaplain

Patricia Rossman

Conductress

Bea Gessner

Technical Advisor

Jacob Koster

General Manager

Michael Nelson

Gold Star Event Center Manager

Cindel Farmer