Re: WWI Soldier Statue in Hospers
SHELTON
Posted By: Gerald Wissink (email) In Response To: WWI Soldier Statue in Hospers (John Shelton)
Date: 11/18/2007 at 18:33:55
The World War I Memorial Statue was dedicated on September 5, 1921. This unique memorial was created by Fred Reinders, a local artist, to honor those who had served in the military during World War I. Mr. Reinders spent some three months in designing and fashioning the statues and the monument. The soldier was modeled after Bernie Webster, who was then manager of the Standard Oil Company in Sheldon, Iowa. The young woman placed at the base of the monument, was modeled after Miss Jennie Klien, a local girl, the daughter of Albert and Mrs Klien.
The dedication was part of an all day celebration which included a band concert at 9:30 AM followed by an address by Rev. George H. Douwstra. The unveiling began at 1:30 PM with another band concert followed by an address by Frank F. Miles and then the dramatic moment came for the unveiling of the statue to the public. Many saw for the first time the soilder standing amid the ruins of the battlefield, perhaps thinking of his fallen comrades. Below stands the young maiden Columbia, holding an olive branch ready to place it on a plaque which holds the names of those who served in the recent conflict and over the plaque is the speading eagle representing the United States. The monument stands twenty feet high and twelve feet wide. At 6:45 PM, a sham battle marked the dramatic finale of the pageant and was staged with three hundred men dressed in battle array armed with rifles and blank cartridges.
The statue created by Fred Reinders in memory of World War I veterans now stands in a prominent corner of Main Street in Hosper. In 1976, this statue was renovated by the artist David West of Sioux City, with funds provided by the Iowa State Bicentennial Commission.
The above information is from the Hospers Centennial book "A History of Hospers, Iowa 1891 - 1991".
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