World War II veteran joins weekly Veterans Coffee

The weekly Merrill Area Coffee & Conversation veterans meetings held each Thursday morning beginning at 10:30 a.m. at the Eagles Club in Merrill have now grown to include more than 200 members, Paul Russell, one of the group’s co-founders, said. Of course, not all members come to the gatherings every week, although some are regulars. “Six new members [joined] today alone,” Russell said.
Approximately 55 members were in attendance at last Thursday’s meeting, Dec. 18, 2025, including the group’s oldest living member, 101-year-old Evelyn Bjorklund.
Evelyn is a World War II U.S. Navy veteran who served in Washington, D.C. Naval Intelligence. Her unit was reviewed by Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt on a regular basis. Evelyn’s late husband, Richard, was a World War I veteran, and Evelyn and Richard were the first married veterans to fly on central Wisconsin’s Never Forgotten Honor Flight as a couple in 2013.
Accompanied by her two sons, Rick (U.S. Air Force Academy veteran) and Jim, along with Jim’s wife, Pamela, Evelyn shared stories from her military experiences at the Dec. 18 meeting.
Co-founder of the Merrill Area Coffee & Conversation veterans group, Steve Sabatke, presented Evelyn with a lifetime membership card, number 101, to match her age.
Evelyn resides at Bell Tower Residence in Merrill.
Merrill Area Coffee & Conversation veterans gatherings will not take place on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day. The next Coffee & Conversation gathering will be on Thursday morning, Jan. 8, 2026.