Veterans Memorial dedication draws a large crowd to town
May 24, 2023
HARTINGTON — Despite several delays and setbacks in the early stages of construction, the Hartington Veterans Memorial is now complete.
A grand opening ceremony will take place Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Broadway Avenue memorial in downtown Hartington.
Streets around the memorial will be blocked off to accomodate the crowds for the dedication event.
Planning and construction of the monument has not always been smooth, but organizers never backed away from their mission during the three-and-a-half year process.
The first challenge was the lot itself, a lot that sloped down 11 feet from west to east.
Improving the lot to make it a buildable piece of property that could withstand the weight of all the granite monuments and the concrete floor was quite a process, Kathol said. But, it was well worth it, he said.
“We could not shun our veterans by passing up this opportunity,” Kathol said. “Having a memorial built was without question a must, and we absolutely had to move it forward to completion for our veterans who so deserved a place to call home that a memorial may provide.”
The group was then challenged by the pandemic and the supply chain issues that resulted from the pandemic. As the pandemic began to recede, inflation took over, adding a tremendous cost to the project.
The idea for a monument at 111 N. Broadway Avenue, right in the heart of downtown Hartington, was conceived by Drs. Ben and Erin Schroeder, who wanted to find a use for the lot they purchased when they bought the Historic Hartington Hotel.
The couple decided to donate the land to the community’s three veterans groups, VFW, American Legion and AMVETS, with the idea that a memorial be built on the site. Ironically, Hartington’s American Legion Hall occuppied space in the three story building that once stood on that corner.
May 24, 2023
HARTINGTON – Dan Kathol has always had a lot of pride in his hometown.
He has worked hard to make a better community ever since he moved back to Hartington in 2005.
Work on the latest project the 73-year-old has spearheaded – the Hartington Area Veterans Memorial – has just about wrapped up in time for its 2023 dedication Saturday, May 27.
“After three-and-a-half years on the project – working almost every day on it, getting veterans sponsored, raising the money, working on the design with the monument company and getting all the components pulled together – I am excited to see it completed,” said Kathol, the chairman of the veterans memorial project.
He also noted he is “relieved that we were able to construct the memorial on a very difficult piece of property in the heart of downtown Hartington in a prime location and to have it completely paid for and debtfree with approximately $25,000 left in reserve for maintenance and flag purchases.”
“I am excited for all the veterans who deserve the best memorial possible we can construct to honor them for their unselfish service to our country and finally give them a place they can call home,” Kathol said.
The origin of the veterans memorial project can be traced back to when Drs. Ben and Erin Schroeder of Cedar County Veterinary Services. They approached Kathol during the late summer of 2019 and asked him about taking the idea to the three Hartington area veteran organizations.
The Schroeders told Kathol about how they wanted to donate a piece of property they owned in downtown Hartington for the construction of a veterans memorial.
“A meeting was called with about 35 veterans present and I presented to the group the land proposal and I also laid out a plan as to how the memorial could be built on such a challenging piece of ground with an 11-foot slope,” Kathol said.
A vote was taken by the veterans present at the meeting to accept the land. A project chairman also had to be chosen.
“I was not planning to volunteer to be the chairman, but when no one else stepped forward and the project might well die, I agreed to become the chairman,” Kathol said.
However, he had committed to himself and his family at the time that the last Hartington area projects he would be in charge of were a five-year flood control project and the Westfield Acres Housing Development Project.
The veterans memorial project became another task Kathol – who served in both the Air and Army National Guards 1972-78 as an administrative specialist, but was never deployed to Vietnam or entered an active-duty assignment – wanted to see through to completion, though.
May 31, 2023
HARTINGTON — Patriotism was on full display here for Memorial Day. The red, white and blue could be seen almost everywhere in downtown Hartington.
American flags encircled the campus and much of the courthouse complex. Local businesses hung red, white and blue bunting all around their establishments. Miniature flags were planted into flower pots and patriotic music could be heard throughout the downtown district as area residents celebrated this special weekend of rememberance.
About 400 people gathered in downtown Hartington for the dedication of Hartington’s newest attraction — the Hartington Veterans Memorial.
Streets around the memorial were blocked off to accomodate the overflow crowd gathered here for Saturday’s ceremony.
Veterans Memorial project chairman Dan Kathol acted as the emcee for the event, which drew people in from as far away as Texas and California.
Kathol said this project had been a labor of love for him, one for which he had been hoping and praying for over the last three years.
Saturday’s 75-minute celebration featured guest speakers Sen. Barry DeKay; John Hilgert, the Nebraska Director of Veteran Affairs; and Mike Navrkal, a retired Major General from Omaha.
Drs. Ben and Erin Schoeder were given a special thanks for donating the ground to kick start the project.
Another special moment featured the oldest veteran in Nebraska, 103-year-old John Grindvold of Hartington, who was escorted by veterans Lou Anne Creekmore and Dr. Connie Micek to christen the memorial site with a wreath which was laid at the foot of the entrance.
The local Color Guard provided a 21-gun salute and Taps were then played by Trinity Zach and Christian Fiscus to wrap up the celebration.
Carly Christensen then capped the event with a dramatic flyover with his red white and blue single-engine crop-duster.
May 31, 2023
KEARNEY – Blase Rokusek is the 2023 Graduate Student of the Year at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. The Hartington native earned a bachelor’s degree in psychobiology from UNK in May 2021 and graduated last week with a master’s degree in biology. He’ll attend medical school at the University of Nebraska Medical Center this fall. Presented by the UNK Office of Graduate Studies and Academic Outreach, the Graduate Student of the Year Award recognizes an individual for their academic success and contributions to teaching, research and/ or community and campus service. Recipients are nominated by UNK faculty. “I can’t say enough good things about Blase,” UNK biology professor and department co-chair Kim Carlson wrote in her nomination. “It is obvious that all the Biology Department faculty like Blase. He is truly what this award entails. I can’t think of a graduate student who is more deserving or one who will be more missed than Blase.”