Jean Lundholm Awarded American Legion Auxiliary Unit Woman of the Year

When the American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary met in Fillmore, June 15-17, for their yearly convention, Jean Lundholm of Payson was awarded Unit Woman of the Year for the State of Utah. Jean was unable to attend the convention. Her daughter, Rosemary, graciously accepted the award on her behalf.

Jean Lundholm has been a member of the American Legion Auxiliary for over sixty years. Her first experience with the organization was when she was young. Her mother would attend the conventions and take young Jean and her siblings along. Jean would stay in the hotel room and babysit the young kids, taking the baby to her mother to nurse and then back to the room to resume watching the others.

She has held about every position available in the Auxiliary, but she has not yet served as president of the unit. For the last several years, she has served as membership chairperson, a role that ended this past year, after she lost her sight and became unable to fulfill the position.

Lundholm remembers everyone who has been involved in the Legion throughout her last sixty years, along with the positions they have held.

Along with her Auxiliary involvement, she worked as an LPN at a local hospital to support her family. She gave meaning to the term “home health nurse” long before society converted it into a money-making enterprise.

She volunteered as a grandma at Taylor Elementary for at least twenty years, if not longer, and is lovingly remembered for her role there. She has been involved with the DUP, where she has held various positions, stayed involved with the museum, and maintained other tasks.

Jean has four children, of which one survives today, and has been involved in her grand-kids' and great-grand-kids' lives by babysitting them on a regular basis. Her family is now returning her love by caring for her.

Jean has always been involved in her church organization, responding with hard work to all callings she was given. She has been known to open her home to homeless people she has met in stores or on the street.

Jean is now ninety-years old and continues to live in her home, with help from her family and a home health agency (she is now on hospice). She exemplifies the embodiment of the Auxiliary, through continuing her service after exposure to the organization from a young age. Not many can say they started babysitting for their mom while she attended meetings until staying active in an organizations until the age of ninety-two.