Perham Memorial Day service honors veterans, raises funds for Fergus Falls home
Perham’s Memorial Day service honored the fallen and sent proceeds to the Fergus Falls veterans home, where 106 skilled nursing beds and dementia care units serve eligible veterans and spouses.
Perham’s Memorial Day service tied remembrance to direct support for veterans living in Fergus Falls, with proceeds from the observance going to the Minnesota Veterans Home at 1821 North Park Street.
Heidi Kalina opened the service with a rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner, and Perham American Legion Post 4020 Commander Mike Dombeck followed with a brief reflection on the day’s weight. “There are times when mere words seem inadequate. This is one of those times,” Dombeck said.
The funds supported the Minnesota Veterans Home - Fergus Falls, a state-run skilled nursing home operated by the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs. The home opened to the community in 1998 and serves veterans and their families through individualized care, including residents who need long-term skilled nursing support.
The Fergus Falls campus has 106 skilled nursing beds. It also includes Veterans Village, which opened in 2011 with two household-style units of 10 and 11 residents for dementia care. State admission rules generally cover Minnesota veterans discharged under honorable conditions who served 181 consecutive days on active duty, along with qualifying spouses.
The Perham observance fit a longer local pattern of Memorial Day service being paired with practical help for veterans homes. In 2023, In Their Own Words Veterans Museum in downtown Perham held a Memorial Day breakfast fundraiser that also supported the veterans homes in Fergus Falls and Fargo. An Otter Tail County Memorial Day listing for 2024 placed the museum ceremony at 10:15 a.m., underscoring how the downtown site has become a familiar gathering place for veteran remembrance on West Main Street.
This year’s service again linked the loss honored on Memorial Day with the people still receiving care in Otter Tail County’s regional veterans network. For Perham, the day was not only about the names of those who died in service, but also about the veterans and spouses who rely on the Fergus Falls home for daily care now.
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