Western Ill. woman irons flags at cemetery

QUINCY, Ill. -- A western Illinois woman has found a unique way of paying tribute to veterans each Memorial Day: ironing.

For more than ten years, Chris Black has made sure that more than 7,000 freshly pressed flags are placed on graves at the Sunset Cemetery in Quincy. The cemetery is on the grounds of the Illinois Veterans Home.

Black's father was a World War II veteran and her husband is also a veteran.

She says she initially volunteered to iron the flags so they'd look more presentable.

It takes her an hour to iron 100 of the flags, which means a total of 70 hours. And when the flags need it, she washes them by hand.

One flag is placed in front of every grave marker at the cemetery.