Organizers break ground on Jefferson County Veteran's Memorial

FAIRBURY, NE — After months of fundraising, organizers of a new veterans memorial in southeast Nebraska have progress to show off.

Organizers broke ground last week on what will become the display in Fairbury's City Park. The memorial will honor all veterans from Jefferson County.

Fairbury City Museum President Mick Suey is leading the effort.

He says the project is on track despite the recent weather.

"It's a great feeling because we're on schedule," Suey said. "The completion date will be about a year from now. Memorial [Day] weekend 2023 is the scheduled date. Breaking ground, to me, was very important to get that done."

The display will include pedestals for each military branch and a list of all veterans from the county.

The main feature will be a statue of David Topman, one of the first known soldiers from the area. He served in the Civil War.

The project is being designed by Thom Hunt of Fairbury who has worked on multiple memorials across the country.

"Growing up and being raised in Fairbury, it's nice to see someone, you know, use me to do this," Hunt said. "It's kind of a legacy to leave behind."

Suey said he is grateful for all the help with the project to this point. He says people have raised $100,000 for the project.