Roses Planted In First Rosie The Riveter Garden In Mitchell

(MITCHELL) – Monday afternoon a third Lawrence County Rose Garden was dedicated to “Rosie the Riveter” honoring the women who played a significant role in the World War II effort.


The garden will mark the seventh in Indiana according to Angie Timan, the America Rosie the Riveter Representative for Indiana.
The three locations in Lawrence County include the Pope Pavilion near the John Lowry Pool, Bedford Community Garden, and Virgil L. Grissom Memorial in Mitchell.
A site was selected in February at the monument located at the Virgil L. Grissom Memorial at 6th Street and Grissom Avenue in Mitchell. To prepare the location, more than 56 bags of red mulch, twelve roses, and almost a week’s time to get the site ready.
According to Jeff Routh, who was Monday’s Master of Ceremonies and who helped coordinate the mitchell project, this will mark the first rose garden to be at an actual monument.
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Tonya Chastain Lawrence County Tourism Director helps plant a Rosie
“Due to Grissom being an actual World War II Veteran we thought it to be a proper place for the garden,” said Timan.
Twelve roses were planted to start off the rose garden and dedicated to the women who participated in the war effort locally.
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Jeff Routh dedicated two roses, one for his mother, and the other to his sister.
“My mother Georgia Fields worked for Reliance in Mitchell as a machine mechanic, and my sister Sue Fields Patton moved to Utah Reliance Plant in Utah to help make parachutes. Reliance was one of many factories across the country helping in the war efforts. Since the men went off to war, the women stepped up and provided the labor and expertise to build machinery, equipment, and supplies to aid in winning World War II.”
The Reliance Plant made a variety of clothing like jeans, uniforms, and other clothing.
Rosie the Riveter is a cultural icon of the World II representing the women who worked in the factories such as Reliance, and Carpenters during World War II. Many of these plants produced munitions and war supplies. These women often times took entirely new jobs replacing the male worker who joined the military.
A resident from Springville and Norman purchased a rose to help support the efforts as well.
Those in attendance Monday afternoon for the dedication, included representatives from Todd Young’s office, Mayor J.D. England and Lawrence County Tourism Director Tonya Chastain.
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Mitchell Mayor J.D. England was given a Proclamation from the State of Indiana by Angie Timan. She was given the Proclamation by Indiana State District 65 Representative Chris May and Indiana State Senator District 44 Eric Koch to be presented at Monday’s ceremony.
Roses are available to be adopted by members of the community in honor of their own Rosie. The garden can be expanded as interest increases. Those wanting to sponsor a Rosie can send a check for $25 to Virgil L. Grissom Inc. Post Office Box 431 Mitchell, Indiana 47446. In order to have your Rosie included you will need to Include the name of the Rosie, and a short story about their life.

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