Newest Sterling mural will honor America's veterans

BY ANDREW WALTERS SVN REPORTER awalters@svnmail.com STERLING - It won't be the first monument to area veterans, but it may be the most colorful. The Sterling Mural Commission Tuesday announced that the 18th mural to adorn an exterior wall in Sterling's downtown will grace the western wall of the American Legion Post #296 at 601 N. First Ave. Tentative plans for the 10-by-18-foot mural, to be painted in early September, call for a depiction of legionnaires performing a variety of duties. "The hardest part about the mural process can be finding the right wall," said Patty Cox, Sterling Mural Society member. "Last year, the American Legion came to us offering their wall with the stipulation that it be a veteran theme." Lincoln's Jennifer Boeke was chosen by the society, but her design, which helped her beat two other Illinois finalists vying for the job, still must be approved by the city's mural commission. "We decided this had the best concept of what we were trying to do," society member Jerry Glawe said, adding that approval from the commission will likely come by the end of July. The American Legion mural will feature a portrait of Edward Wahl, the first commander of the Sterling American Legion, which organized in 1919, in a medallion in the center of the mural. At the center in the foreground will be four legionnaires in a color guard flying American and Illinois state flags. They will be flanked in the background by legionnaires carrying a memorial wreath, folding an American flag, and firing a ceremonial rifle volley. A banner at the bottom will present the legion motto, "For God and Country." The images were inspired by actual Legion photographs. Boeke was selected after she and her husband, Henry, visited with mural society members while scouting murals around the state, Glawe said. Boeke, a muralist???,had been looking for her next project, and was impressed by Sterling's crop. "I think they are excellent, they are more than fine art, they are works of art," Boeke said. "I like how it specifically reflects the history of Sterling." Work will begin the first week of September; the dedication is scheduled for Sept. 15. Between now and then, the mural society will be raising the $15,000 needed to pay for labor and supplies, probably through private donations, Glawe said. Reach Andrew Walters at (815) 625-3600 or (800) 798-4085, ext. 522.