ROCHELLE — Fundraising for the statue honoring veterans at the Lawnridge Cemetery has been proceeding at a steady pace with pledges now at 80 percent of the final goal.
A heartfelt thanks to all those who have donated or pledged to this project. This statue will be the first piece of bronze art in the City of Rochelle and will be situated at Lawnridge Cemetery in the location shown in the photo. The City of Rochelle will install a new slab just south of the cannon. The cannon will be moved to this location, opening up an area for the statue as shown in the photo.

The statue will be a soldier in modern uniform in a reverent position, holding the helmet. The plan is to put in the slab this summer, have the statue molded, sculptured by local artist, Fran Volz, and finished by the spring of 2020, installation of the pedestal by May of 2020 and final installation in time for a ceremony on Memorial Day 2020.  
For those wishing to pledge or donate, forms are available at Rochelle VFW Post 3878 or online at the City of Rochelle website, www.cityofrochelle.net.  
This is an opportunity to participate in the development of a truly fine piece of bronze art that honors  veterans in the City of Rochelle.