In early April, 2013, Ray (Bubba) Sorensen of Greenfield, Iowa, painted The Freedom Rock in Rolfe, Iowa. His original and much larger Freedom Rock is located outside of Greenfield, Iowa.
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In the three video clips below, Ray explains many facets related to his Freedom Rock Tour. Eventually there will be one of Ray’s Freedom Rocks in each of Iowa’s ninety-nine counties.
The photos at the end of this post show before, during and after the painting of Rolfe’s rock.
While Rolfe’s rock is located on private property at the residence of Dan and Mary Allen, people are encouraged to stop and take a close-up view of the rock as they travel through Rolfe on Highway 15. There’s also an 11.5-foot-tall statue of Cy (Iowa State’s mascot) across the driveway from the rock. (The statue was made by my dad and stood at the north end of ISU’s football field from 1975 until the mid-’90s.) Both the rock and statue provide memorable photo-ops. And, of course, the rock conjures sobering reminders of the freedoms we enjoy due to our veterans’ noble service to our country.
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How to Enlarge Photos in this Post
To magnify the thumbnail images (below), click on one of them. The images may then be viewed as a slide show by clicking on the arrow to the right or left of each image.
To magnify the images even further, at the bottom of the slide show view, click on “View full size.” If your cursor is a “+” sign when over an enlarged image, you can magnify even more by clicking again on the image.
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- South side of Rolfe’s Freedom Rock before it was painted (photo courtesy of Maria Sorensen)
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- 4/09/13 Sketch of south side of Rolfe’s Freedom Rock before it was painted
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- South (and east) side of Rolfe’s Freedom Rock before it was painted (photo courtesy of Maria Sorensen)
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- 4/09/13 Sketch of north side of Rolfe’s Freedom Rock before it was painted
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- 4/09/13 Ray (Bubba) Sorensen worked inside this tent as he painted Rolfe’s Freedom Rock
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- 4/09/13 Ray (Bubba) Sorensen
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- 4/09/13 Ray (Bubba) Sorensen
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- 4/09/13 North side of Rolfe’s Freedom rock, painting in progress
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- 4/09/13 North side of Rolfe’s Freedom Rock, painting in progress
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- 4/09/13 Ray Sorensen inside tent while painting north side of Rolfe’s Freedom Rock
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- 4/09/13 Valspar donates the paint for the Freedom Rocks painted by Ray Sorensen
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- 4/09/13 Freedom Rock paint donated by Valspar
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- 4/09/13 500 Freedom Rock license plate applications are necessary for the plates to become a reality
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- 4/09/13 Freedom Rock license plates application, available at http://www.thefreedomrock.com . Ray hopes to obtain the 500-minimum required applications by the end of the summer.
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- 4/09/13 Southwest edge of Rolfe’s Freedom Rock
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- 4/09/13
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- 4/09/13 West side of Freedom Rock at southwest corner
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- 4/09/13
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- 4/21/13 South side of Rolfe’s Freedom Rock
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- 4/21/13
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- 4/21/13 North side
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- 4/21/13 This flag pole and eagle are at the same location as Rolfe’s Freedom Rock. As the wind blows, so does the eagle move in a circle.
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- 4/21/13 South side
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- 4/21/13 Southeast side
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- 4/21/13 Looking east toward flag on grain elevator
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- 4/21/13 North side
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- 4/21/13 Looking south/southeast
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- 4/21/13 Bubba’s signature
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- 4/21/13 The eagle motif is repeated in this Bud Barn sign on the same property as The Freedom Rock.
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- 5/25/13
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In December, 2012, I posted about the first Freedom Rock painted by Ray Sorensen. That post is here.
The initial Freedom Rock is just outside of Greenfield, Iowa. It is quite large. Every year Ray repaints this initial Freedom Rock with different designs. More information about it and the locations of the smaller Freedom Rocks in various Iowa counties is here. Will Rolfe’s rock be in Bubba’s 2014 calendar? Time will tell!
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(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)
Tags: The Freedom Rock
Marion Gunderson Art (and the Farmer's Daughter) 
May 27, 2013 at 12:26 pm |
Good for you, Louse! You always know more about what’s “rockin’ ” in Rolfe than some of us who live here! How did we miss this?? Thanks for your coverage of this great project. And thanks to Dan and Rog Allen for helping to honor those who fought for our freedoms…and for their own loyalty to their Midwest hometown and it’s people. It’s great to put Rolfe on the map again, with another one of their well designed projects.
Nancy and Gus
May 27, 2013 at 1:19 pm |
Oops…only I didn’t know about it. Gus says it’s really neat! Maybe the fact that we had one graduate and a daughter planning a summer wedding has kept me out of the loop…and out of town!
Nancy
May 27, 2013 at 4:01 pm |
Thanks for a photographic “newspaper” for all of us. Audrey S.
May 30, 2013 at 12:01 pm |
Louise: Thanks for interviewing Ray, taking the photos and videos, and posting all this information. I’ve enjoyed knowing more about the project and process and seeing the up-close photos. Hopefully, lots of people will stop to see the Freedom Rock this summer and in the future. Clara
June 23, 2013 at 6:48 pm |
Thanks for the beautiful freedom rock in Rolfe. We visited it on
6-22-13 and now Fort Dodge, IA is going to have a Freedom Rock.
It is a very worthwhile project and a real tribute to all those who
have served in the military. Thanks again to all Veterans.
July 3, 2013 at 9:56 am |
We’re in the process of trying to locate a freedom rock in our county. Some neighbors of the proposed site are concerned. Can you comment on your experience with visitors to the site? Traffic problems, noise, etc.? Thanks for your help!
July 3, 2013 at 10:55 am |
Debbie, I will private message you with a contact number you may call. I know that the owners of the property are pleased as punch with the experiences with visitors. I believe it all has gone very well and very pleasantly.
July 3, 2013 at 10:58 am |
Thanks again!!