97-year-old Minnesota WWII vet fulfills latest mission: New homes for veterans

MONTEVIDEO — When Bill Homan started advocating for a veterans' nursing facility in his hometown of Montevideo more than a decade ago, he wasn't sure he'd be around to see it open.

But Monday, the 97-year-old World War II veteran not only saw the building open its doors, he entered the facility as its first resident to the cheers of eager staff waiting in the lobby.

The 90,000-square-foot building sits at the edge of this west-central Minnesota town, with views of cornfields and grain towers. Inside, the state-of-the-art facility features 24-hour on-site nursing care with amenities such as a barber shop, spaces for dental and physical therapy services, and courtyards and gathering spaces to encourage visits by families and community members.

Getting a facility built in rural Minnesota was a labor of love. It took the efforts of folks like Homan, who organized busloads of veterans to travel from the local American Legion to the State Capitol and speak about the importance of a veterans home in west-central Minnesota.

After years of advocacy, the Legislature in 2018 allocated about $32 million for new facilities in Montevideo, Bemidji and Preston. The new homes are the first to open in more than two decades.

"It's been more than a decade in the making," said Ashley Bormann, Montevideo site administrator, who noted that the project also took federal funding and donations from community members that range from a $3 million gift to fund a large community room to the donation of a grand piano for that room.

"This region has been so supportive of veterans," said Cindy Wilkens, public affairs coordinator. "Not only have they been advocating for years, people have been sharing their time, their talents, their gifts. We have people donating quilts and books. Everyone is reaching out asking, 'How can I help support veterans in the area?'"

Two other residents moved into the facility Monday. When it's at full capacity, 72 veterans or spouses will live there.

Construction on the $60 million facility started about two years ago. The three new facilities are operated by the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, which also runs veterans homes in Fergus Falls, Hastings, Luverne, Minneapolis and Silver Bay. A department spokesperson said all the facilities have waitlists because of their reputations for high quality care and because living there is often more economical for veterans than private nursing homes.

There aren't plans to build more facilities at the moment, but the addition of the new homes should help provide access to long-term care in more regions of the state.

Homan said he struggled with the decision to move into the veterans home without his wife of 74 years, who will remain in their longtime home a few blocks away for the time being.

"He was leery. He didn't want to leave me," Barbara said.

But on Sunday night, among a small group of friends at church, Homan received what he called a "clear leading from God."

"I was to move to this place. This was going to be a new harvest field for me," he said, referring to his call to continue serving others. "Now I know why I'm supposed to be here."

Homan has dedicated his life to service. At 17, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps with his eye on becoming a pilot. But the Army stropped training pilots as the World War II was winding down, and he was instead assigned as a B-17 mechanic.

He then worked at, and later owned, a farm implement business in his native Montevideo but spent much of his free time volunteering. At 97, Homan still serves breakfast to about 100 youth at a local church every Friday.

While sitting in the veterans home dining room on Monday, Homan reflected on his life and years of service. He can recall many things vividly, including a historic glimpse from an airplane window of the eerie void left after the United States detonated the first atomic bomb in Japan.

"It came over the PA system that we were approaching Hiroshima and the pilot was going to circle it three times at ground level so we could all get a real good look," he said. "This was February 1946. The bomb had been dropped in August 1945. But it was still total complete destruction."

But Homan's favorite things to talk about are the three things he holds most dear: family, faith, friends.

Before leaving the dining room Monday to get settled in his room and maybe take a nap, Homan — with a twinkle in his eye and wry grin — shared his answer to a question he often gets asked: What's the secret to a successful almost-75-year marriage?

"You have your ups and downs — but always get the last word. You know what that last word is? 'Yes, dear.'"