Wreaths Across America
Photos by Robyn Stoner
Minot, ND – October 12, 2025 — MinotWreaths.org is preparing for a historic expansion of its Wreaths Across
America mission at Rosehill Cemetery. Through partnership with the City of Minot and generous community
donors, families will have the opportunity to honor every veteran laid to rest at Rosehill Cemetery, nearly 3,000 in
total. With the remainder of support in place, MinotWreaths.org is now seeking community donations of rebar for crosses, or cross funding, to complete the project. Any amount is appreciated and will directly support wreath
placement for future veteran ceremonies.
MinotWreaths.org is partnering with Minot Area Community Foundation, who has secured a shed donor for
increased cross storage. Souris Valley Readi Mix is donating concrete for the shed pad for which Knife River Corp
will be providing the concrete crew and forms. Students of Minot North High School’s welding department and the Quentin N. Burdick Job Corps Center welding program will fabricate the crosses as part of the MinotWreaths.org youth education mission. Robert Lewis, Welding Instructor at Minot North High School, already has crosses in production thanks to a generous rebar donation his department is passing forward to our veterans.
In previous years, Wreaths Across America in Rosehill was limited to the two closed veterans’ sections, covering
approximately 950 graves. The newly approved expansion includes roughly 2,000 additional veterans scattered
throughout the cemetery. Wreaths Across America coordinator Robyn Stoner oered a hopeful outlook as the
expansion project advances, “We hope to be able to be fulfilling our wreath goals for all of Rosehill by the 2028
ceremony. For 2026, Rosehill Cemetery’s annual Cross Planting Day is this weekend. The crosses we have now will
be planted before the ground freezes and will hold wreaths for veterans with flat grave markers during this year’s
Wreaths Across America ceremony. If Mother Nature grants us a bit of grace, a second cross planting session will
be scheduled in November to accommodate the newly created crosses as they come in.”
Veterans with standing head stones throughout Rosehill will receive a wreath laid against their headstone. But
many of these heroes rest under flat grave markers, which require welded rebar crosses to secure wreaths during
North Dakota’s winter weather. Due to year-round activity in the cemetery, the crosses of those veterans with flat
grave markers will receive wreaths standing together in memoriam within two other sections at Rosehill.
“This expansion is a milestone for our community,” added Stoner, whose work with the Civil Air Patrol cadet
program continues to fuel the spirit behind the Wreaths Across America mission. “Honoring every veteran at
Rosehill, and guiding our cadets to uphold that commitment, is both a privilege and a responsibility.
MinotWreaths.org and Civil Air Patrol are profoundly grateful for the partners and donors who make this work
possible.”
MinotWreaths.org is calling on the Minot community to help plant crosses on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at
11:00 am at Rosehill Cemetery. A further call for Cross Planting will be announced in November and announced on FB.com/MinotWreaths.
Businesses or individuals interested in donating rebar or supporting the project may email MinotWreaths@gmail.com for details. Donations can be sent to CAP/MW, 2400 N Broadway, Suite 3, Minot, ND
58703; make checks payable to The Service Collective.
