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North Dakota ‘Rosie The Riveter’ Awarded Congressional Gold Medal

By Bill Dubensky Apr 12, 2026 | 8:50 AM

(Photo by Mary Steurer/North Dakota Monitor)

 

(North Dakota Monitor) – A 100-year-old Steele resident received a Rosie the Riveter Congressional Gold Medal for being one of millions of American women who joined the defense industry during World War II.

Irene Sprague grew up working for her family farm near Tappen. She was just 16 when she left her home for Bremerton, Washington, to manufacture ship parts for the U.S. Navy.

Women who entered the manufacturing and defense industries in the 1940s like Sprague are called “Rosie the Riveters,” a name popularized in government media and pop culture.

After about a year in Washington, Sprague returned to North Dakota to help her family on the farm.

Family members at a ceremony in Dawson described Sprague as a life-long hard worker who loves her country.

 

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