(As the war progressed, however, it became obvious that regiments comprising men from individual states would no longer be formed.)

Gebhardt's flag design was chosen from among several submissions by Governor William L. Harding and the Iowa Council on National Defense.

According to her obituary, her mother called her "Dixie" for the south-land and her Green Valley home in Kentucky but friends and relatives also referred to her as "Dickie."

With the exception of a year spent at the Visitation School for Girls in Ottumwa, Iowa in 1883, she lived all her life in Knoxville.

She taught briefly after graduating from Knoxville Public Schools in 1885 but returned home to care for her aging parents.

She worked for several years for the Red Cross at the U.S. Veterans Hospital in Knoxville and was also active in the Democratic Party.

It was originally used as a regimental flag for Iowa guardsmen serving along the Mexican border during World War I.

Roorda and Bruere expand further on Gephardt's inspiration and meaning:In the center a soaring eagle carries blue streamers in his beak which read, "Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain."

That year, the Library of Knoxville partnered with the area Chamber of Commerce to sponsor a community celebration in Gebhardt's honor.