Centennial of Kane County war memorial marked in Geneva

One hundred years ago Wednesday, the residents of Kane County showed their appreciation for the sacrifices made by U.S. veterans.

They gathered June 17, 1915, to unveil the bronze "Soldiers and Sailors" monument at the Kane County Courthouse in Geneva.

Dignitaries and religious leaders spoke, bands played, and choruses sang. According to an invite published, it was hoped patriotism would be rekindled, the bravery of soldiers recalled and a "kindly word" spoken to remaining veterans of the Mexican, Civil and Spanish-American wars.

Monday, about a dozen people gathered at the memorial again, to honor that spirit.

"The word 'courage' is really the quintessential, almost oxymoron. It means to live bravely by taking the form of being ready to die. These men on this monument lived bravely, knowing full well they were also ready to die," Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns said.

He and Geneva Alderman Ronald Singer laid a wreath at its base.

Singer is a member of Geneva American Legion Post 75 and a Korean War veteran. He recalled being angry at the lost lives of that war. "It is very difficult, thinking about my family and my friends, and so many of them I saw perish during that time," he said. He is grateful for monuments such as this, to remember such sacrifices, he said.

The short ceremony was organized by Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley. According to "The Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society," it was dedicated on Thursday, June 17, 1915.

The sculptor was Carl Heber, a former Kane County resident who then lived in New York. The monument cost $25,000, and a referendum was conducted to get the money.

Plaques around the base list the names of the men who served. To the rear is a ball and chain from the Andersonville Civil War prison camp.