.jpg)
We’ve got some pretty stubborn folks here in Hartington.
It’s a good thing, too. Despite some huge challenges that would have stopped most folks in their tracks, a group of area residents had a vision and they were determined to see it through. That vision was to build a memorial in the heart of downtown Hartington to honor area veterans.
A lot of people would have put the project on hold when COVID hit. Others would have considered it a sign from above as the supply chain disruptions took place when COVID began to wind down. Still others would have decided to scale back their plans when inflation sent the cost of supplies and building materials skyrocketing through the roof.
Thanks to Project Coordinator Dan Kathol and project co-chairmen Bill Christensen and Dean McGregor, there was no quit in this group, though.
Their determination was tested time and time again, but it didn’t deter them from their mission to build a beautiful memorial, complete with 30 separate monuments, five marble benches and a grand archway, to welcome folks to this beautiful new community gem.
None of these three are braggarts. They won’t talk openly about the sleepless nights when new contractors had to be found at the last minute because others had backed out.
They won’t talk about the harried search to find a place to store the monuments when the original dedication date had to be pushed from Nov. 11, 2022 to May 27, 2023.
They won’t talk about the debates they had to endure when people challenged their designs or choice of location.
Yes, it’s true putting this monument smack dab in the middle of downtown Hartington made for an expensive proposition. A tremendous amount of fill dirt had to be brought in, packed, and leveled and then stabilized to make sure it could endure the weight of all that concrete and the marble monuments.
It was all worth it. Congratulations gentlemen. Your hard work has resulted in a beautiful new veterans memorial that helps to set downtown Hartington apart from other communities our size.
It’s an accomplishment in which we should all take pride.
