The Monroe Questers held a ceremony Wednesday, November 20, 2019, at Fire Station #2 in Monroe to return a rare silk flag from around 1896 that once flew over the original Monroe Fire Station.

The Quester group took on the project after being contacted by firefighter Tom Burkhalter. Then they contacted Len Lassandro, master conservator, who has done other projects for them in the past to see if it could be done. He felt the flag was valuable and worth the time and money to save it from further deterioration.

This is one of the last projects for the Questers, who officially disbanded this year.

The Questers were proud to be able to present this historic flag back to our fire department for future generations to enjoy. May it continue to be a symbol of the long and honored history of the Monroe Fire Department.

Photo courtesy of Mary Soddy

Members of the Monroe Fire Department: Seated (L-R): Jesi Klarer, Jared VanDellen and son, Aiden, Chuck Montgomery, Nick Bartels and daughter, Maren. Standing (L-R): Joel Faith, Jeff Kundert, Monroe Mayor Louis Armstrong, Tom Burkhalter and Scott Blumer. Photo courtesy of Mary Soddy