Mary Anne Yuncker, of Nelson Township, was elected state president of the Department of Michigan American Legion Auxiliary during their 93rd annual convention June 27-July 1, 2012. She will be president for the 2012-2013 year.

Mary Anne lives on Stout Avenue, with her husband Bill. She is a former teacher and nurse, now retired. Her four children are grown and all live out of state. She loves living in the Cedar Springs area, having retired here in 2004. She is a member of the Women’s Club and is active in her church, The United Methodist Church, singing in the choir and filling in where needed.

She is a member of the Glen Hill American Legion Unit #287, and has been an Auxiliary member for 23 years.

The mission of the Auxiliary is the spirit of service, not self, to support the American Legion and to honor the sacrifice of those who serve, by enhancing the lives of our veterans, military and their families, both at home and abroad. For God and country, the Auxiliary advocates for veterans, educating citizens, mentoring our youth, promoting patriotism, good citizenship, peace and security.

Mary Anne’s theme this year is “the sky’s the limit for our veterans” and her logo is the hot air balloon. As part of the Auxiliary’s goal to soar to new heights in serving our veterans, her special project is the woman veteran. She observes that too many of our veterans facilities do not accommodate the needs of the servicewomen. With over 200,000 returning female veterans, the needs are greater than ever before. Our servicewomen returning from the Middle East are younger and in greater numbers than from any other conflict. “It is my goal to help make VA benefits more easily accessible and more specific for our sisters in service in the State of Michigan this year,” noted Mary Anne.

If you happen to see Mary Anne around town, be sure to stop and ask about the American Legion Auxiliary. She’ll be happy to promote this program, helping our veterans get the respect and benefits they so rightly deserve.