The Strength to Carry Forward

Ashley's Story: A Gold Star Spouse Perspective

This Memorial Day, we wanted to take a moment to honor not only the service and sacrifice of those we remember, but also the families who continue carrying their legacy forward every day. 

Ashley has been part of the R.Riveter story through multiple chapters of life, first as a military spouse working alongside our mission, and now returning to the team as a Gold Star spouse. Her strength, grace, and continued commitment to community remind us that Memorial Day is not only about remembrance, but about the people who continue living with love, resilience, and purpose. 

We are honored to share a part of her story.  

Can you share a little about your connection to R.Riveter and how your journey with the company first began? 

My connection to R.Riveter began long before I officially joined the company. In 2013, our family PCSed to Fort Benning. During that time, a friend whose husband served with Ian was stationed in Dahlonega, and when they came to visit, she brought several R.Riveter bags to sell and encouraged me to apply because of my love for sewing. At the time, with four children under the age of seven, it wasn’t the right season for me professionally, but that moment planted a seed. A few years later, another friend became an R.Riveter Affiliate and gifted me my very first R.Riveter bag , a Grant that I proudly used for years as a diaper bag. By then, the brand already felt personal to me because it represented creativity, resilience, and community in a military lifestyle that often requires constant change. In 2017, our family moved to Fort Bragg, and after navigating another deployment and getting settled, I discovered that R.Riveter’s warehouse was only fifteen minutes from my home. I immediately drove over and applied, and I was thrilled to officially join the company in 2018. I started as a Riveter, balancing work and motherhood by dropping my children off at school, sewing throughout the day, and picking them up in the afternoon. I was making seven Corbins a day and loved being part of creating something meaningful by hand. After about six months, I was given opportunities to grow beyond sewing and became involved in production support, design, and Heirloom prep work. Through those experiences, I gained a much deeper understanding of the heart and mission behind R.Riveter, especially while helping onboard remote Riveters across the country. Later, when our family moved to Fort Carson, I continued with the company as a remote Riveter. After Ian passed away, my children and I made the decision to return to the area, and I was incredibly grateful to once again have the opportunity to work with R.Riveter. Today, it is truly an honor to continue this journey in the store, connecting with customers every day and sharing a mission and story that has become such a meaningful part of my own life.

What did it mean to you to return to the R.Riveter team after such a life-changing season? 

Returning to the R.Riveter team after such a life-changing season meant more to me than simply returning to work , it felt like returning to a place of familiarity, purpose, and community during a time when so much of life felt different. Moving back to the area seemed like the right decision on paper. We already knew the schools, the doctors, the roads, and the routines. But being surrounded by so many familiar places without Ian there to share them with was incredibly difficult and emotionally overwhelming at times.

"Coming back to R.Riveter gave me a sense of home when I deeply needed one."

It provided stability, routine, and continuity in a season where so much had changed. It also reminded me that I was still part of something bigger than myself, a mission-centered community built around resilience, connection, and supporting one another through every stage of military life. The team welcomed me back not just as an employee, but as a person navigating grief and rebuilding life alongside my children. Through that, R.Riveter became a place where I could reconnect with creativity, form meaningful friendships, and regain confidence in myself again. I’m incredibly grateful for the sense of purpose and belonging it has given me during this chapter of my life.

How has being part of a military spouse community impacted you through different chapters of your life? 

Being part of the military spouse community has shaped nearly every chapter of my adult life and has become a deeply meaningful part of who I am. Ian joined the Army when we were both 24 years old. We had been married just over a year, and our oldest child was only three months old at the time. He felt strongly called to serve our country and told me early on that if he joined, it would be for a full career. I believed in him completely and supported that decision wholeheartedly. Military life was incredibly rewarding, but it was not always easy. Over the years, we navigated multiple year-long deployments, lengthy trainings, countless field exercises, schools, and frequent moves. Our family memories became tied to military milestones, life before or after Ranger School, before deployment one, two, or three, or by whichever duty station we happened to call home at the time. What carried us through every season was the community surrounding us. The friendships we built within the military community became lifelong relationships grounded in shared understanding, resilience, and support. I met women who, like me, experienced both extraordinary joys and profound hardships, and together we learned how to carry one another through all of it, through laughter, tears, uncertainty, and celebration. Over time, those friendships became much more than friendships; they became family. We babysat each other’s children, shared holidays and family dinners, showed up for late-night hospital visits, traveled together, and stepped in for one another whenever needed. Our children often ask how we are related to certain people, and we laugh and explain that whichever installation we were stationed at is what made them “aunt” or “uncle." One of the most beautiful things about the military community is that even when years pass or life takes us to different places, those connections remain. The love, loyalty, and support continue no matter where we live. Through every chapter of my life,  as a young Army wife, a mother raising children through deployments and moves, and now as a widow rebuilding life with my children.

 "That community has been a constant source of strength, belonging, and grace."

Memorial Day can carry different meanings for different people. What does this time of year mean to you personally? 

Memorial Day carries a deeply personal meaning for me. It is a time of remembrance, reflection, and gratitude, not only for the sacrifices made by those who served, but for the families and loved ones whose lives were forever changed alongside them. As a military spouse, Memorial Day always held significance, remembering the sacrifice of so many friends we have lost throughout Ian’s service but especially after losing Ian. It became much more personal and layered with emotion. It is a reminder of the cost of service and the reality that..

"Behind every flag, ceremony, or moment of remembrance is a family carrying both immense pride and profound grief." 

At the same time, Memorial Day is also a time when I reflect on the incredible community that surrounds military families. I think about the friendships, sacrifices, resilience, and unwavering support that exist within this life. I feel grateful for the people who continue to honor and remember those who served, and I hope the day encourages others to pause and recognize the heroic service members, and the loved ones they have left behind who miss them immensely on this holiday. 

 

What has helped you find strength and purpose in everyday life? 

My children have been my greatest source of strength and purpose through every season of life. No matter what challenges we have faced, deployments, constant moves, loss, or rebuilding, they have continued to give me a reason to keep showing up each day with love, resilience, and hope. They remind me constantly that even in difficult seasons, there is still joy, growth, and beauty to be found in everyday moments. I’ve also found strength through community and meaningful work. Being part of the military spouse community and returning to R.Riveter gave me connection, purpose, and a sense of belonging during a time when life felt very uncertain. Having the opportunity to create, serve customers, and contribute to something mission-driven has helped me regain confidence and feel grounded again. Over time

 "I’ve learned that purpose is often found in the small, everyday things"

caring for my children, showing up for friends, creating with my hands, sharing stories, and finding ways to support others who may be walking through difficult seasons themselves. Those moments may seem ordinary, but together they have been incredibly healing and have helped me continue moving forward with gratitude and intention.

How do you continue to honor your spouse’s memory and legacy? 

What do you wish more people understood about Gold Star families and the realities of military sacrifice? 

I wish more people understood that military sacrifice does not end when the service member’s career or life ends, it continues within the families who carry that loss forward every single day. For Gold Star families, grief is not confined to one moment or one season. It becomes something you learn to live alongside while continuing to raise children, build a life, and move forward in a world that keeps going. I also wish people understood that behind every uniform is an entire family serving in quieter ways. Military spouses and children experience the deployments, missed milestones, uncertainty, and sacrifices too. We willingly support the mission because we love and believe in the person serving, but that service often comes with tremendous personal cost. At the same time, I would want people to know that Gold Star families are not defined only by loss. We carry deep pride alongside grief. We are incredibly proud of the lives, service, and character of the people we loved. Their legacy continues through the families, friendships, and communities they shaped. 

"One of the most meaningful things people can do is simply remember."

Speak their names, share their stories, and recognize that remembrance matters long after the ceremonies and holidays have passed. For many families, knowing that their loved one is still remembered and honored means more than people realize."

For customers carrying an R.Riveter bag, what do you hope they remember about the people and stories behind the brand? 

I hope customers remember that every R.Riveter bag represents far more than a product, it carries the stories, resilience, and craftsmanship of the military spouse community behind it.Each piece is created by women who have learned how to build careers and community through constant change, deployments, relocations, and the unique challenges that come with military life. What makes R.Riveter so special is that it gives military spouses the opportunity to contribute creatively and professionally no matter where military life takes them. Behind every bag is a person balancing family, service, sacrifice, and ambition while creating something meaningful with her own hands. I also hope customers remember that the brand was built on connection and purpose. For many of us, R.Riveter has been more than a workplace, it has been a source of friendship, confidence, stability, and belonging during some of life’s most difficult and transformative seasons.

"When someone carries an R.Riveter bag, I hope they feel connected to that mission and reminded that the item they are carrying was made with care by people whose stories are rooted in resilience, service, and community."