OZARK, Mo. – Maria Dominque of Ozark has spent the last 14 years writing thousands and thousands of letters.

The recipients of the letters are loved ones of service men and women that have died since the ‘War on Terrorism’ began.  She writes over 6,500 letters each year. 

Maria is the proud mom of four sons, three military and one police officer.  Her third son was injured in Afghanistan.  Since his injury, Maria has made it her life’s mission to make sure no service member dies without being remembered by her.

“This book here is every soldier that has died since the war has started,” explains Marie, holding a giant, white notebook.

All 2,400 names are neatly kept in Maria’s binder. She can tell you their names, the loved ones they’ve left behind and when they died.

“They’re all so young.”

Every afternoon, you can find Maria at her kitchen table. She takes no days off.  Writing a letter, after letter. 

“These are the letters I have gotten back,” she beams, showing a box full of thank you letters.  “It’s beyond thoughtful you continue to remember me and my brother.  I can’t even begin to tell you what that means to me,” reads Maria. 

“Every letter that I send is always different,” explains Maria “Nobody gets the same letter.”

For every letter she writes, she imagines her sons and how close she was to being on the receiving end of one of these letters. 

Maria owns her own bakery called Flower Power Custom Desserts.  You will find her at farmer’s markets in Springfield and Ozark.  She uses all of her bakery funds to fund her passion project of sending mail.