ROSE HILL, Kan. – In kitchens across the metro, families will smile at the smells of their favorite Fourth of July foods. But in one small Kansas community, the familiar aroma of cookies baking takes on even added meaning.
“If it only makes five or six dozen, there is no point in doing it,” explains Merry Debbrecht known fondly as ‘The Cookie Lady’.
Merry is busy baking in her kitchen just like she does every week to bake a thousand plus mouth watering confections. For Merry, she is serving her country from her kitchen.
“Five cups of flour in this, I actually have one that takes nine," proudly smiles Merry.
She had to upgrade to a bigger mixer to better handle her mounds of dough. Merry doesn’t bake for herself or even a business. Her wonderful homemade cookies are headed overseas to serve a soldier.
“It’s really kind of a small thing I do, but they sure seem to like it so I'll keep doing it," confides Merry.
She started her cookie campaign in January 2005, when her grandson deployed to Iraq and she hasn’t stopped since. On an average day, Merry will bake about 20 dozen cookies. Add it and that’s 1200 cookies a week and since she started this project five years ago. In all, she figures she's sent over more than 200-thousand cookies.
Her latest batch is headed to the 287th Sustainment Brigade from Salina.
"They are one of the last that have a 15 month tour,” says Merry seriously. “They've been over there a long time already."
The guard unit should get all 183 dozen cookies in time for the holiday, as well as a few other goodies.
"They wanted some noise makers, so I got them some noise makers," smiles Merry.
Merry says she does get some help from a few other bakers and their care packages rarely go un-noticed. In fact, Merry saves every letter and gift she gets from the troops.
"I wanted to say thank you for your kindness in sending the cookies to us," reads Merry. “It is people like yourself who let us know that we are not forgotten and that there are people back home who support us in our duty. Isn't that sweet?"
It’s cards and letters like that which keep Merry returning to her kitchen every morning to bake some more even when the summer heat reaches 100 degrees.
"They are enduring 115 degrees right now, and it will get much worse,” says Merry without hesitation. “So, I certainly can't complain if my kitchen is a little warm from baking."
Merry says she won’t stop until every soldier is back home.
