9/11 is a sad day in American history.  Especially to those who lost a family member in the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, as well as Flight 93 that crashed in Pennsylvania.  Frank Kminek of Oskaloosa knows that pain.

“My sister, Mari-Rae Sopper, was on Flight 77 that crashed into the Pentagon.  She was living in Washington, DC at the time.  She was actually moving to California.  She had just accepted the job at UC-Santa Barbara as head coach of women’s gymnastics.  She was on the flight that day.”

Sopper was a member of the Iowa State gymnastics team from 1985-88.  Kminek is one of the organizers of the Mahaska County 9/11 Anniversary Observation that will take place in the Oskaloosa town square.  Starting at 5pm Thursday (9/9), there will be a vigil at the square until 5pm Sunday (9/12) to honor the 20^th anniversary of 9/11.  A flag has been placed in the town square for each one of those who died on September 11, 2001.