Tuesday, September 17, 2024
By Emily Conroy
The Chet Krause statue made it home to the Chet Krause Legacy Park May 11.
The statue was sculpted by Eugene Daub who, according to Greg Loescher, president of the Iola-Scandinavia Chamber of Commerce, is a world-renowned sculptor out of California.
Daub’s career spans 30 years with 40 monuments throughout the United States. His most notable most notable sculpture is of Rosa Parks, which is on display at the U.S. Capitol building, Loescher said.
Daub has been presented with two of the nation’s highest awards for excellence in metallic art from the National Numismatic Society. Loescher said Krause was a member of the society.
The statue took about a year to sculpt and was delivered to Iola in October 2023.
The dedication of the Chet Krause Legacy Park was planned for Oct. 13. Due to weather, however, the statue was taken to the Iola Historical Society’s Machine Shed for dedication instead.
The statue remained in the shipping crate until May 11, when the pad the statue is standing on was delivered to Iola.
There are also two benches accompanying the statue, which was cast in bronze.
