During a Friday reception by the Silver Leaf Benefit Club, local “Rosie the Riveter,” Hilda Howell, right, shared stories of working after school in a Firestone facility in southern California, where she helped manufacture fuel cells for bombers during World War II. Howell was one of 27 women (aged 96-107) who traveled to Washington, D.C. in April, to accept a Congressional Gold Medal on behalf of “Rosie the Riveter.” The collective name “Rosie the Riveter” was given to the millions of women who filled industrial manufacturing positions during WWII to keep aviation, munition and other supply chains running. Ms. Howell traveled to Washington, D.C. with her daughter, Gwen Kelly, left. She was the only Rosie from Missouri who was able to attend. Kyle Troutman/ktroutman@cassville-democrat.com
During a recognition event at the Cassville FEMA Event Center on Friday, Commander Larry Neukirch presented “Rosie the Riveter,” Hilda Howell, with an engraved oak plaque, with her name etched in gold, on behalf of Cassville’s American Legion Post 118. Kyle Troutman/ktroutman@cassville-democrat.comFrom left, Barry County Northern Commissioner Gary Schad, Presiding Commissioner Steve Blankenship and Southern Commissioner Gene Robbins presented Barry County “Rosie the Riveter” Hilda Howell with a Resolution that designates July 29 as “Hilda Howell Day.” The presentation was made Friday during a reception hosted by the Silver Leaf Benefit Club to honor Howell as a representative of “Rosie the Riveter,” the collective name given to the millions of women who served on the homefront during WWII. Kyle Troutman/ktroutman@cassville-democrat. comMissouri State Sen. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, presented “Rosie the Riveter” Hilda Howell, center, with a Resolution from the Missouri Senate in honor of her service on the home front during World War II. Howell’s daughter, Gwen Kelly, left, accompanied her mother to Washington, D.C., for the congressional ceremony. Kyle Troutman/ktroutman@cassville-democrat.com“I am in awe of you,” State Sen. Jill Carter, R-Granby, right, told Hilda Howell, center, during a reception in Howell’s honor Friday at Cassville’s FEMA Event Center. “It’s women like you who paved the way for me and other women today,” said Carter, who presented Ms. Howell with a State Resolution on behalf of Gov. Mike Parson. Howell was recognized for her role as a “Rosie the Riveter,” the collective name given to the women who served on the homefront during World War II. She was one of 27 “Rosies” who accepted a Congressional Gold Medal in Washington, D.C., in April. The award was presented some 80 years after the women’s collective service. “I cannot be around the older generation without feeling such gratitude for them,” Carter said. “I love them. I love them for standing where they were and for doing the hard things they did.” During the Cassville reception, Howell was joined in the spotlight by her daughter, Gwen Kelly, left, who accompanied her to Washington, D.C., in April. Kyle Troutman/ktroutman@cassville-democrat.comMissouri State Rep. Dirk Deaton, R-Noel, presented “Rosie the Riveter” Hilda Howell, center, with a Resolution from the Missouri House. A member of the National Rosie the Riveter Association (NRRA), Howell was one of 27 Rosies from across the nation who traveled to Washington, D.C. in April to accept the Congressional Gold Medal — the nation’s highest civilian honor — on behalf of “Rosie the Riveter.” Deaton presented the Resolution on behalf of State Rep. Scott Cupps, R-Shell Knob, who was unable to attend. Kyle Troutman/ktroutman@cassville-democrat.com
