A little rain Saturday morning didn’t stop a large crowd of people from gathering in Minburn to take part in the dedication ceremony for Dallas County’s “Freedom Rock.”

The event was organized by the Minburn American Legion, Post #99, which also commissioned the artwork by Greenfield artist Ray “Bubba” Sorensen. Post Commander Mark Golightly emceed the dedication, which also included presentations about the Puppy Jake Foundation, Dallas County Veteran’s Affairs, and the Wilson brothers of Perry, who are featured on the southern face of the rock. There were also musical performances by a local children’s choir. Unfortunately, Sorensen couldn’t be there himself as he was attending his grandfather’s funeral, though he sent his best wishes and thanked the Legion for approaching him about putting a “Freedom Rock” in Minburn. However, there were several local dignitaries in attendance, including State Senator Jake Chapman, Supervisor Mark Hanson, Sheriff Chad Leonard, and the mayors of Adel and Minburn.

The Minburn Legion’s Vice Commander Don Richardson felt the entire ceremony went great, and he thanked everyone who had a part in making the monument itself and the dedication a reality. “(We’re) very impressed (and) so thankful for everyone that did come out. The weather wasn’t the greatest of course to start with, but (it) just made for a perfect day. Everyone who did show up saw a great ceremony. So (we’re) very appreciative of everyone who’s come, and we’re awfully proud of the Freedom Rock and it situated here in Minburn.”

Richardson also points out that there’s still some work to be done before the site is considered finished, including some additional landscaping that should be done still this fall. He invites anyone taking the “Freedom Rock Tour” to the 82 current locations to include Minburn and the Dallas County rock in their travels.