As U.S. Constitution Week is held to celebrate the anniversary of the signing of the Constitution in 1787, a group has reached its funding goal for a memorial to honor the Guthrie County residents who sought to protect the framework of our government.

Following the installation of the Guthrie County Veterans Memorial in 2017, the fundraising committee got together again with plans to install three black granite walls on the memorial site near the courthouse. The committee accepted name submissions initially for $30 each for veterans honorably discharged with an affiliation to the county. Committee Chair Trudi Tam said she anticipated receiving 400 names, but instead they now have between 800-1,000 names submitted. This meant they needed to add a fourth wall to the project, and for almost a year the committee has sought donations, held sock hops, dinners and more. It was a generous private donation to afford the final wall and cover shipping and installation expenses that got the committee to their goal.

Tam explains why she has had a passion for the committee’s projects, “Well, my dad is a veteran and I believe veterans deserve anything that they can get if they have served honorably. So I just felt like we needed to honor them, other counties had monuments for their veterans and Guthrie County didn’t have anything since the Civil War and so we just decided to start the project and get Guthrie County up to date with everyone else.”

Tam says they hope to have the four walls installed by Memorial Day next year. They are still accepting donations for those who wish to submit a name to be engraved, or to help cover maintenance costs for the memorial. Donations can be given to the Guthrie County State Bank or Johnson Family Funeral Home in Stuart. You can also contact Tam at 641-757-0709.