West Branch pair spearhead veterans memorial effort

WEST BRANCH - Two women with the support of a community have raised $36,000 toward a veterans memorial in West Branch. They're optimistic they'll get the $29,000 more needed for completion by Veterans Day in November, but not without help.

“I'm confident that we'll have enough money by that time ... but we need to get the word out more,” said Pat Bickford, 63. “It is hard to raise money, especially in these economic times. We are hoping that people will come through.”

So far, people have come out in strong support of the project, called Appreciation Park. Bickford said organizers have received help from Boy Scouts, the American Legion, the Masons, the Lions Club and individual donors, plus a grant from Cedar County. Anyone can donate, she said.

The idea came about in 2007 when Bickford was sharing her traditional morning cup of coffee with Phyllis Sondergard, 88. The two decided West Branch was in need of a veterans' memorial, and they began scouting out ideas in other communities. They decided a 20-foot-long, 6-foot-high granite wall could best display names of veterans with ties to West Branch, whether they served in wars or not.

Then they were tasked with finding a location. Over another cup of coffee, the two - with help from Bickford's husband, Norm - realized they could purchase a vacant property at 109 E. Main Street, tear down a portion and have enough space for the memorial.

They bought the building last May, and after a neighboring business provided the other half of the space between the two lots, they named it Appreciation Park.

“I feel very strongly that we owe so much to the veterans,” said Sondergard, whose father, brother and husband served in wars. “It's a good thing for people to remember, and so we wanted (the memorial) in a very visible spot because of that.”

The total cost of the memorial, including landscaping and benches, will come to about $65,000, Bickford said. Part of that cost will be offset by the cost of engraving veterans' names - $175 each. So far, they've sold 130 names.

Though West Branch officials are not directly involved with the project, Bickford said the city is highly supportive. Iowa City landscapers also have offered to give advice on what low-maintenance plants to use, and they found a computer designer to create the rendering for free.

Two local Boy Scouts have also said they'd like to raise the money to engrave names as part of their Eagle Scout project.

“I'm glad younger people are taking a little ownership in it,” Bickford said. “I think that's important.”

They hope to order the wall by the end of February and hold a dedication ceremony on Veterans Day in November. Bickford said they plan to give the entire memorial to the American Legion.

One “stumbling block” Bickford said they've encountered is that, since the Korean War, there is no list of West Branch residents who served in the military.

The American Legion in West Branch has helped by finding names and contacting relatives to see if they'd like to donate, she said. Bickford's husband also appealed to his graduating class to raise money in honor of three already deceased alumni who served in the military.

Bickford, who retired after 21 years as a lab worker at the Iowa City Veterans Affairs Health Care System, said all the work and fundraising is worth it.

“When our military men come back into civilian life, sometimes it's a hard transition to make and they need to know that their service was appreciated,” she said.