By J.O. PARKER joparker@dmreg.com

Ray Bubba Sorensen II and his Freedom Rock Tour will be leaving its mark on Montezuma.

Sorensen, who since 1999 has honored servicemen and servicewomen by painting a 60-plus ton roadside rock on Memorial Day in Adair County, is tentatively scheduled to paint a similar Freedom Rock in Montezuma.

The painting is part of the statewide tour Sorensen originated to paint a Freedom Rock in all of Iowas 99 counties.

Ron Hensel

Placing a Freedom Rock in Montezuma came about after a news report on the tour aired early last week on a Des Moines television station.

Ron Hensel, a Montezuma barber, said various community-minded individuals began circulating an e-mail promoting the idea of having a Freedom Rock in Montezuma.

Hensel took the idea a step further, approaching the city council at its June 17 meeting.

I thought it would be a good community effort, Hensel said. Montezuma should have a Freedom Rock, since we are known as the community of monuments. This would be a good acquisition.

The city agreed to fund the $1,000 deposit, overnighting a check and application to Sorensen on Tuesday, June 18.

Originally posted here:

Freedom Rock to find a home in Monte