GUERNSEY—Just how long do you think it should take to put a 500-piece puzzle together?
If you’re highly skilled with an eye for detail, it’s apparently about an hour and that’s exactly what it took for the first-place team from Glendo, WY in the VFW Post 4471 Auxiliary’s Puzzle Tournament held Sunday afternoon in Guernsey.
Nineteen teams showed up for the competition, the second of its kind held in Guernsey in the past year and the team of Patsy and Jaclyn Fertig smoked the competition when they claimed first place honors in just one turn of the clock’s hour hand. They were each awarded a gift certificate for Breakfast for Two at the VFW breakfasts held the last Sunday morning of each month.
Fifteen minutes later, the team of Cassie Wells and Maddy Aarested also wowed the field as they put the final piece into their puzzle and claimed second place. They each received a gift certificate for $10 at Ben’s Bar.

Third place went to Jean and Sam Hammond who each were presented a gift certificate for $5 to Collar Creations.
This was the second puzzle tournament held at the VFW in Guernsey. To keep things fair, each team received a brand new, identical 500-piece puzzle in wrapping paper. Nearly every team focused on the borders first, but from there, it was game on and a variety of strategies came into play. Some teams separated pieces by color, some put smaller sections together first, then combined them.
Although the event is considered a fundraiser for the Auxiliary, President Pam Cain said it is also done to provide something to do for the community. “In our first attempt at this, we didn’t clear any profit but we may raise a small amount this time. All of our fundraisers support Veterans, their families and our communities. We support 11 national programs with the focus on Veterans and their needs. We are also big supporters of youth in our community through youth and school programs and scholarship for high school seniors.”
Locally, the puzzle tournaments began in Wheatland with VFW Auxiliary 3558. Cain explained that Geneva Withrow, an Auxiliary member who moved to Platte County a few years ago, presented the idea after participating in many similar events in Nebraska. Cain said she hopes over time, it may catch on across the VFW posts across Wyoming to the degree that they could host district and state competitions but so far, has remained a local event. This year’s field of 19 teams was nearly double of the entries from the first attempt, so perhaps with time, it may be held on a much larger scale.
For now, it’s a great way to spend a March Saturday afternoon and support a group that has been vital to Veterans and the communities where they reside.
The Post and Auxiliary are actively looking to build their membership rolls. If you are interested in joining the Post or Auxiliary, contact Pam Cain or any member to receive additional information regarding eligibility.