Central City in Linn County, Iowa — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Central City Freedom Rock Veterans Memorial

Honoring Linn County Veterans

— Ray “Bubba” Sorensen II —

Linn County Freedom Rock Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 18, 2025

1. Linn County Freedom Rock Marker

Inscription. Linn County Freedom Rock
Central City, IA
The Linn County Fairgrounds in Central City is honored to be the site of the 99th County Freedom Rock®.

The journey to the finished piece you see began in July of 2018 when the announcement was made that Central City was the recipient of a Freedom Rock®. Then, nearly a year later, after much planning and fundraising an enormous rock was generously donated by Tom Watson, a Vietnam combat veteran, of rural Palo. Mr. Watson also assisted with shipment and placement of the 7' x 14' glacier rock to the fairgrounds.

Unfortunately, as the rock was being prepped and primed, it was revealed to be sandstone: an unstable canvas for the painting process that a Freedom Rock® commands. Armed with fresh knowledge and experience about sedimentary (sandstone) and igneous glacier boulders, the search was on for another local rock.

The sandstone was honorably repurposed to the central part of the Fairgrounds, and a second rock was identified and excavated from the generous and charitable Vern and Nancy Zahradnik family farm. This final and current rock stands 10' high, and weighs in at just over

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

44K pounds. In September of 2021, Freedom Rock® artist Ray “Bubba” Sorenson laid out his design to honor Linn County veterans and painted the mural scene. This painting took 12 days to complete, and is the 99th Freedom Rock® (final county) in Iowa that is part of Sorenson's Iowa Freedom Rock® County Tour.

We hope this Freedom Rock® serves not only as a tribute to our military, but a place for visitors to enjoy, reflect, and give thanks to those that have served our country. May God bless the families of our service men and women and may this tribute bring you peace and comfort.

[photo captions]
• The original Freedom Rock®
• The current Freedom Rock® before being excavated and painted.
• Artist Ray “Bubba” Sorenson & Family

Erected 2021.

Topics and series. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Patriots & Patriotism • War, US Civil • War, Vietnam • War, World II. In addition, it is included in the Freedom Rock Memorials series list.

Location. 42° 11.737′ N, 91° 31.673′ W. Memorial is in Central City, Iowa, in Linn County. It is on Central City Road 0.3 miles

Linn County Freedom Rock & Marker (<i>north side</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 18, 2025

2. Linn County Freedom Rock & Marker (north side)

Looking south from Central City Road. The marker is located at the northwest corner of the Freedom Rock shelter.

east of Marion Road (Iowa Route 13), on the right when traveling east. The marker and Freedom Rock are located in a covered shelter on the south side of the Central City Road and River Street intersection, near the Linn County Fairgrounds. Touch for map. Memorial is at or near this postal address: 201 Central City Road, Central City IA 52214, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this memorial is in Eastern Iowa. It is also in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: PFC Nicholas Aberle (here, next to this marker); Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr. (here, next to this marker); Mancil V. Root (here, next to this marker); LTC Charles A. Clark (here, next to this marker); Robert Naughton (a few steps from this marker); Salvatore Guinta, SSG (a few steps from this marker); J. C. Clegg Building

Central City Freedom Rock (<i>north side</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 18, 2025

3. Central City Freedom Rock (north side)

Brig. Gen. Tibbets, the Enola Gay and “Nich Bear”

(approx. 0.7 miles away); Amvets Auxiliary Coggon Honors its War Dead (approx. 5.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Central City.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Central City Freedom Rock Veterans Memorial

Also see . . . The Freedom Rock. Thanking our Veterans, one painting at a time. (Submitted on October 12, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Central City Freedom Rock (<i>west side</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 18, 2025

4. Central City Freedom Rock (west side)

Mancil V. Root & LTC Charles A. Clark

Central City Freedom Rock (<i>south side</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 18, 2025

5. Central City Freedom Rock (south side)

SSG Salvatore Giunta

Central City Freedom Rock (<i>east side</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 18, 2025

6. Central City Freedom Rock (east side)

CAPT Robert Naughton

Central City Freedom Rock Artist image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 18, 2025

7. Central City Freedom Rock Artist

The Freedom Rock Shelter image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 18, 2025

8. The Freedom Rock Shelter

(mounted at the base of the Freedom Rock)Donated by the children of Louis R. Zumbach 1923-1983, T SGT US ARMY World War II
Louis R. Zumbach served in the US Army. After returning home to Coggon, he was a dairy farmer and served as the National Ayrshire Association President. In 2022, in honor of his 99th birthday, his family donated this shelter to cover the 99th Freedom Rock.
Donors: Latha Reiling, Garry Zumbach, Deb Keating, Darla Kimmerle & Louis J. Zumbach

Central City Freedom Rock & Shelter (<i>west side</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 18, 2025

9. Central City Freedom Rock & Shelter (west side)

Central City Freedom Rock & Shelter (<i>south side</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 18, 2025

10. Central City Freedom Rock & Shelter (south side)

Central City Freedom Rock & Shelter (<i>east side</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 18, 2025

11. Central City Freedom Rock & Shelter (east side)

Credits. This page was last revised on October 20, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 10, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 81 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. submitted on October 12, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.