Monticello Legion Commander Announces 2019 Poppy Princess

Emil Mike Rufener, Monticello Legion Post #256 Commander, is happy to announce the 2019 Poppy Princess, Keaton Marlys Karlen.
Keaton comes from a long line of military service veterans, and her grandma Carolyn Ott Babler also served as a Poppy Princess. She is the 9-year-old daughter of Shaun Karlen and Angie Hartman and the step-daughter of Branden Reuter, who is an Iraq vet. Keaton attends New Glarus Elementary School. She is the granddaughter of Jeff and Carolyn Ott Babler and Kendal Karlen, and the great-granddaughter of Korean veterans Delbert and Gilma Ott and David and Sylvia Klitzke. She is also the great-niece of the late Terry Babler, who served as an Army Medic in Vietnam, and Roland Holland, who served in the Army for 30 years and retired as a Command Sergeant in 2004, and the great-great niece of Korean veterans Richard (Dick) and Gladys Blum. Roland Holland's son, Jason Holland, is active duty in the Army and has served for 18 years. Jason is currently a Lieutenant Colonel and will take command at Chicago MEPS in June for two years and has served in Iraqi Freedom and Afghanistan.
Emil Mike Rufener states poppies will be available at the Monticello Casey's General Store, at Gempeler's Supermarket, at M&M Café and at Hair Tek-Nique by Cindee/Shear Designs by Deb on Friday, May 17, 2019, and Saturday, May 18, 2019 during the Monticello Spring Fling. Please honor our veterans by donating and wearing a poppy – all proceeds go towards helping disabled vets and their families.
If you'd like to help distribute poppies, please contact Emil Mike Rufener at (608) 381-9872 or his daughter, Nancy, at (608) 843-0826.