Julie Dueker
Julie (Schmidt) Dueker is a Christian educator who loves sharing her passion for God, music, and patriotism with children of all ages.
In 2017 and 2019, Julie was honored as Iowa’s VFW Elementary Teacher of the Year.
Julie is the founder and director of Young Patriots Club, a Christian ministry of freedom–loving youth whose mission is to honor God and uplift American heroes. She and her young patriots perform at various events honoring heroes by reciting historical documents, singing patriotic songs, and sharing poetry, including the poems in this book.
Julie and her husband, Craig, live in West Des Moines, Iowa, where they have been blessed with the honor of raising three amazing young men, Ryan, Josh, and Zach. Julie is grateful for the support of her family, friends, school family, and Young Patriots Club who share gratitude for God’s blessings upon our country, and those whose sacrifices secure our freedoms.
Julie was excited to partner with the talented and nationally known Freedom Rock painter Ray "Bubba" Sorensen on Because of You Old Glory Flies. Be sure to check out his work!
Christian Author
Poetry is something I've always had fun writing. From thanking our veterans, to sharing my feelings on the value of every life and more, my thoughts come out as poems.
After being encouraged to publish a poem written to thank our veterans, Not Too Young, I published my first book, Because of You Old Glory Flies. This book is a great gift book for our American heroes, and contains new patriotic poems to be taught and performed by children. Share it with teachers looking for new pieces to share at veteran programs, or new books to inspire patriotism and gratitude in students.
I've also written a number of poems thanking our first responders, and although they're not published yet, you can see and learn them from my video collection.
Educator & Proud Mom
Julie Dueker Ministries is where you can find godly wisdom, resources, and new materials I've written or created out of my experiences with my family and elementary students. My blog, Grace to Go Around, shares the love and grace of God as I've known it.
I've written poems for special occasions like graduations, weddings, school birthdays, etc. You can find these in my blogs and in my video collection. I hope to have them ready in the near future.
Because I see how engaging and interactive teaching becomes when sign language is used, I've been using American Sign Language for years now. You can use the sign language videos to teach a number of these treasured Bible passages, songs, and speeches.
Young Patriots Club Director
My highest goal as a mother and teacher is to instill gratitude in my children for the sacrifices made for us by our greatest hero, Jesus, and then for our American heroes who sacrifice for us daily. I have sought and still seek opportunities to thank our heroes by sharing patriotic songs, Scripture passages, and my poems at programs honoring our heroes throughout the greater Des Moines area. Our community has responded so positively the pieces my children perform, that we had too many invitations for school field trips.
I founded Young Patriots Club, a local Christian ministry of about 50 K-12th grade youth on a mission to honor God and uplift American heroes. We sing, fundraise, create care packages for veterans and service men and women, and do just about whatever God leads us to do to give back to our heroes. We have also been supported by many individuals in the community including State of Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds (pictured), and several organizations such as VFW posts and others who recognize the powerful impact that children have on others when learning and sharing these core values.
Ray "Bubba" Sorensen II, Illustrator
Ray “Bubba” Sorensen II is nationally and internationally known for his painting of The Freedom Rock®. The Freedom Rock® is a boulder in rural Adair county in Iowa, painted as a heartfelt tribute thanking our nation’s veterans, and honoring their service to our country. Bubba has painted The Freedom Rock® with different tributes to our nation’s veterans for Memorial Day each year since 1999.
Bubba is painting a smaller Freedom Rock® in all 99 Iowa counties, telling a story unique to that geographical location. Bubba is working on the 50–State Freedom Rock Tour, painting a unique–to–their–state Freedom Rock for all 50 states in America.
Bubba has tremendous support of family and friends, most importantly from his wife Maria (Galanakis) and their daughter, Independence, and son, Michael. Bubba and Maria’s mural painting business, Sorensen Studios, is located in Greenfield, Iowa. Maria and Bubba work collaboratively to thank veterans one painting at a time. For more information about Bubba and his artwork, visit www.thefreedomrock.com.