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Last updated on Tuesday, April 12, 2016
(TURKEY RUN) - The public is invited to help re-dedicate a restored memorial to Richard Lieber, a founder of the Indiana State Parks system, during a ceremony on April 15 at Turkey Run State Park.
The ceremony is at 11 a.m. Those who plan to attend should RSVP by April 11 by emailing tlthompson@dnr.IN.gov.
The memorial is a bronze bust nestled in a curved stone wall on a quiet hillside in the park. The memorial was dedicated in 1932. Recently, workers disassembled the monument, cleaned it, rebuilt the stone wall and improved drainage around the memorial.
The restoration is one way Indiana State Parks is celebrating its centennial and the state's bicentennial in 2016.
The stonework was completed by Michael Kilbride and sons of Spencer. The cost was approximately $90,000.
The rededication will be hosted by State Parks director Dan Bortner, with comments from DNR director Cam Clark and Fritz Lieber, Lieber's great grandson.
"In the centennial year of our state parks system it was extremely important to us to restore this memorial to Richard Lieber, whose vision framed our state parks system in such a way that it stands strong today," Clark said. "We are very grateful for the funding provided by donors and through the State Budget Agency and the legislative process that enabled us to make this happen."
After the rededication, Hoosier storyteller Bob Sander will perform "Origins," a presentation about Lieber and the beginnings of Indiana State Parks. Sanders developed "Origins" through a grant from Arts in the Parks, a program to reintroduce the arts to Indiana State Parks during Indiana's bicentennial year. Arts in the Parks is administered by the Indiana Arts Commission in partnership with DNR.
Lieber died quietly in the Canyon Inn at McCormick's Creek State Park in 1944, 12 years after the memorial was originally dedicated.
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