EPHRATA — The Appreciation Dinner at Art Semro American Legion Post in Ephrata is usually for thanking people who have helped the Legion with its work, but it was turned around on two of the Legion's own Saturday night.

“Those dirty rats,” Jane Montaney said with a chuckle. “They kept it a secret from me.”

Jane and her husband Mike Montaney had no advance warning that they were to be honored as the post’s Auxiliary Member of the Year and Legionnaire of the Year, respectively, she said. The Montaneys have been involved with the Legion and Auxiliary for decades, said Auxiliary President Myra Wentworth, who presented the awards.

"They came and helped get the American Legion going," Wentworth said. "They helped with all the activities; they made sure there was no serviceman was ever forgotten … and they’ve never been really appreciated through the American Legion. Jane and Mike never wanted to be recognized. That’s not what they were doing it for."

But recognized they were. Longtime friends and two of the Montaneys’ daughters took the podium to talk about the couple’s devotion to their country and to veterans.

“Some of my earliest memories include standing beside my sisters in matching red, white, and blue shirts at military ceremonies,” said their daughter Barb Illman. “I remember … shooting with my sister on the American Legion rifle and pistol team that Dad and my uncle coached, competing in tournaments, training at the range, and proudly carrying a bruised shoulder after learning to shoot big bore rifles. I remember helping Dad pour cement into coffee cans to make target weights for the outdoor range, and spending countless hours picking up brass to bring home for reloading to earn my ammo. I remember Mom telling us stories about the young families that she helped through her volunteer work with the American Red Cross. Looking back, it seemed less like volunteering and more like a full-time calling to be present and caring to every person who needed help.”

The Montaneys have been involved in the American Legion for 48 years since Mike was on active duty in the Marine Corps, Mike said. He was sent to Yuma, Arizona, and stayed with his brother, also a Marine, while he made arrangements for the family to follow.

“A week or so after I got there, he took me to the American Legion,” Mike said. “We sat at the bar, he bought me a beer, and he says, ‘Here, fill this out,’ and handed me an application for the American Legion.”

One application form and $20 later, Mike was a Legionnaire, he said. Jane took a little longer, she said; she joined the Auxiliary 17 years later, to help the post make a membership quota.

“They want you to have so many members before the end of the term, and we were minus one,” she said. "So I wrote a note to (the auxiliary president) that said ‘Consider you got yourself one.’”

The two have never been content to sit on the sidelines, their daughter Beth Wyke said.

“From serving as president to secretary and every role in between, they have always been willing to step up, lend a hand, and do whatever needed to be done,” Wyke said. “Whether it was organizing speech contests, running gift shops or helping with the countless events and activities, they have given so much of themselves; there are simply too many contributions to list and too many lives they have touched to count.”

Auxiliary Member Candy Erickson had an additional award to bestow, dating back to a time about 40 years ago when the Auxiliary was responsible for cleaning up after an event at the Grant County Courthouse.

“Jane led the cleanup crew and made sure that every piece of garbage was picked up and put in the can,” Erickson said. “This includes every cigarette butt that an unthoughtful visitor would throw down on the ground and walk away from. So tonight I am awarding Jane and Mike with the Butt Award for her consistency in making sure that our part of Ephrata was always clean and tidy, even if it was just for a day or two.”

“Mike and Jane are people who have spent their entire lives putting everyone else first,” Wentworth said. “When you look at fabric of family and the circle of friends, our communities, our veterans, you will find their footprint everywhere … They are the ones who show up before you even know that you need help. That is Mike and Jane.”

    Jane and Mike Montaney pose with their daughters at the Appreciation Dinner Saturday at the American Legion post in Ephrata. From left: Beth Wyke, Jane Montaney, Mike Montaney, Barb Illman and Chellie Buchanan.
  

    Candy Erickson tells stories of Jane and Mike Montaney’s dedication to their community at the American Legion Appreciation Dinner Saturday.