Fairfield Freedom Rock Veterans Memorial

Honoring Jefferson County Veterans

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Ray “Bubba” Sorensen II

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Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 20, 2025

1. Fairfield Freedom Rock Veterans Memorial (south side)

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Excerpt:  She sacrificed her personal interests and gave her time and best efforts to the work of alleviating the sufferings of Iowa's Civil War soldiers, especially those from

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 20, 2025

2. Fairfield Freedom Rock Veterans Memorial (west side)

Jefferson County. On April 3, 1862, she took a quantity of sanitary supplies to distribute among the sick and wounded in the hospital at Keokuk, Iowa, where she remained during the greater part of the summer to care for the afflicted troops. Having received three passes —one from Gen. Samuel Ryan Curtis, for the department of the Northwest; the second, from Gen. George Henry Thomas, and the third from the War Department, she made nine trips, taking cargoes that varied from 10 to 37 tons. In November 1862, she started with the first supplies to Springfield, Missouri, but finding it impracticable for her to go farther she placed her stores in charge of another at St. Louis and returned. In March 1863, she started with a large cargo for Missouri and ministered to the Third Iowa Cavalry, at Pilot Knob, and the Fourth Iowa Cavalry, at Helena, Arkansas. Soon afterward, she made her first trip down the Mississippi River into the heart of the Confederacy. Her plan was to travel incognito, letting her business be known only to the proper authorities. Though she had no son, she was a mother to many, and the Iowa boys learned to call her by that

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 20, 2025

3. Fairfield Freedom Rock Veterans Memorial (north side)

name.
To show how extensive was the field over which she operated, the dates of transportation to a number of the places visited include the following: Little Rock, Arkansas, March 14, 1864; Chattanooga, Tennessee, May 16, 1864; Memphis, Tennessee, November 23, 1864; and Milliken's Bend, Louisiana, in April, 1865. In the rear of the Vicksburg campaign, she was twice under fire but escaped uninjured. Her last trip was made under the auspices of the United States Sanitary Commission, as a Sanitary Commission agent. With 37 ton of supplies, she proceeded to New Orleans, there to take a boat for Baraucus Island, off the coast of Louisiana.
After the war, Woods led a quiet life, unconscious of the great honors and gratitude she had won. She was an honorary member of several societies including: Order of the Eastern Star, A. F. & A. H.; Rebecca Degree, I. O. O. F.; the Grand Army of the Republic; Agassiz Society, and the Alethean Literary Society, of Parsons College.

Excerpt:  United States Army Special Forces

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 20, 2025

4. Fairfield Freedom Rock Veterans Memorial (east side)

distinctive unit insignia; the World War II V-42 stiletto fighting knife in the middle of the unit insignia and 2 crossed arrows is facing point upwards. The motto is traditionally believed to mean "to free from oppression" or "to liberate the oppressed" in Latin.

Excerpt:  An infantry division of the United States Army, part of the National Guard, that participated in World War I, World War II and multiple current conflicts. It was the first American division deployed to Europe in World War II, where it fought with great distinction in the Italian Campaign. Since 2001, division soldiers have served on homeland security duties in the continental United States, in Afghanistan, and in Iraq. The 34th has also been deployed to support peacekeeping efforts in the former Yugoslavia and elsewhere. The division continues to serve today, with most of the division part of the Minnesota and Iowa National Guard.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 20, 2025

5. Fairfield Freedom Rock Veterans Memorial Artist

Ray “Bubba” Sorensen

Excerpt:  The 34th Army Band proudly holds the distinction of being Iowa’s only official military band, representing the Iowa National Guard through performances at schools, community events, and military ceremonies across the state. The adoption of the Army’s new modular band structure has allowed the organization to expand beyond its traditional role as a concert band and marching band. The modern 34th Army Band also includes a rock band, a brass band, and a woodwind quintet. The 34th Army Band’s typical annual schedule includes a week-long tour of Iowa high schools, as well as a series of summer performances throughout the state.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 20, 2025

6. The Jefferson County Freedom Rock

Was made possible by the generous donations from Libertyville Savings Bank • Iowa State Bank • VFW Men’s Auxiliary • Robert Estle • Garrison Concrete • Oakwood Nursery • Winslow Home Improvement • Whitney Monument Works • Sheri Blough Neff • Fairfield Armory Corp. and the many other donors

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 20, 2025

7. Fairfield Freedom Rock Veterans Memorial

Looking east; the Jefferson County Courthouse in on the left.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 20, 2025

8. Fairfield Freedom Rock Veterans Memorial

Looking north; the Jefferson County Courthouse is in the background.