Owatonna Granite unveils 17th veterans memorial

John and Barb Heerema are making a big splash once again with yet another veterans memorial.

This time the small community of Adams in southern Mower County will be the recipient of work done by Owatonna Granite, the company owned by the Heeremas. They are putting the finishing touches on Freedom Veterans Memorial, which was unveiled on Veterans Day. The dedication included a special flyover.

“It’s a beautiful memorial,” said John Heerema, noting the work on it began a year ago. “It will have bronze plaques similar to Owatonna’s (Veterans Memorial).”

One of the most stunning pieces centers around a big rock with eagles attached to it, Heerema said. One of the committee members donated the rock, which weighed several thousand pounds, according to Heerema. The rock was transported to Sunburst Memorials in St. Cloud, where work is done on projects for Owatonna Granite.

“It’s a unique part of this memorial,” Heerema said of the rock.

A committee of seven community members reached out to Heerema to help them come up with the design.

Adams is the 17^th memorial created by Heerema since 2008. The first one was done in Hayfield. He has also been involved with memorials in Blooming Prairie, Owatonna, Lonsdale, Medford, Dodge Center, New Prague and many others. To date, the largest memorial he has done is New Prague’s.

Heerema is especially appreciative of those whose have served in the military. One of them was his wife’s father, Adolph Huinker, who served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. “Our freedoms come from the military not letting people come in and take over this country,” he said.

When he thinks about the various conflicts over the years, Heerema points back to World War II when his parents lived in Holland. He recalls his father sharing stories about how people would simply disappear. The family moved to Minnesota at a time when the Nazis had taken everything from the people of Holland.

For Heerema, working on veterans memorials and what they stand for is especially touching. “It’s a subject that hits me close to my heart,” he said. “We have freedoms, but those freedoms are not free. I thank God every day for the job I have and the freedoms I have,” he added.

Heerema challenges people to think about how different the United States would be if it had lost World War II.

The committee members for the Adams Memorial are Sharon Fasbender, David Fasbender, Bill Boe, Lisa Boe, Carol Kiefer, Lynn Sathre and Brynn Sathre.