SPEARFISH - Putting time and talent into honoring an old friend was an easy decision for Larry Reuppel.

With the recent death of Don Burdick, a good friend who was a Vietnam veteran, Reuppel decided he would put his woodworking skills to use.

In many cases, the family of a deceased veteran buys a wooden case to house the complimentary flag that a military honor guard presents to them at the funeral.

Reuppel did some research and decided to design and build the flag case that would carry Burdick's flag.

"We were both woodworkers," he said. "His wife asked me if I would make this for him. I said, 'Sure; I'd be happy to.'"

It was about that time that the Black Hills chapter of the South Dakota Woodworkers Guild was starting to take root. He decided to join and shared his vision with them.

"It was kind of a coincidence," he said.

His project became their project, and the guild has committed to building more of the cases using Reuppel's design. Members plan to build 40 flag cases this year and donate them to honor guards, who will then distribute them to families, guild member John English said. On average, a hardwood flag case costs about $150.

Part of the reason for the project comes from the history of its members.

"We have a lot of veterans in our group," English said.

He said Ketel Thorstenson, an accounting and investment-planning firm, and FoxHammer, a dental-vacuum and compressed-air consulting firm, are donating the materials for the cases, which will be made of walnut.

Reuppel's design includes an area under the flag where pins, medals, pictures or shell casings can be displayed.

"They can put whatever they want in there," he said.

The cases are an appropriate gift for a family that has recently lost a loved one, guild secretary Christie Jensen said.

"It's a good thing," she said. "It's of the heart. There's enough hardship with a death."

Reuppel said the first case he made took "several, several hours" but that the process would be quicker now.

He said it is a good project because it honors a group of people who deserve it.

"It's a group that's rapidly disappearing," he said. "It's really the tail end of them."

There are currently 40 guild members, with 16 of them active. Eric Edwards and Eric Lie serve as co-presidents.

The group meets at the Black Hills School of Woodworking on U.S. Highway 14, near the Veterans of Foreign Wars chapter in Spearfish. English said everyone is invited to attend the meetings or join the guild.

"It's one of the best things about the guild," he said. "You don't have to know anything; you just have to be interested."

Reuppel's flag case is nearly finished now, and he hopes to give it to his Burdick's wife, Pearl, before Christmas.

When Burdick died, his family had an auction, and Reuppel bought his sander. He didn't need to buy the wood, though - Burdick had given him some walnut, which he used to craft the flag case, smoothing it with that sander.

He plans to invite Pearl Burdick and her family over for supper and give them the case.

"I think she will be kind of overwhelmed with it, really," he said.

Contact Kayla Gahagan at 394-8410 or kayla.gahagan@rapidcityjournal.com