KRAUSE LEGACY PARK DEDICATION (REICHENBERGER)

The dedication ceremony of the Chester L. Krause Legacy Park took place on October 13 in Iola. It was intended to be held on the park grounds but Mother Nature had other ideas, as an all-day cold rain slanted down unmitigated. Fortunately, a plan B was in place and the ceremony was moved indoors to one of the Iola Historical Society's out buildings. Though the facility was spacious, every square foot seemed occupied by those touched by Chet's generosity. Members of the Numismatic community, Old Car Show enthusiasts, Chet's chosen charity organizations, and of course the Village of Iola, which were all so greatly impacted by his philanthropy.

 
Mural at the Chester L. Krause Legacy Park

Clifford Mishler was the master of ceremonies and began with fifteen minutes of his observations about his former boss, who quickly became a trusted colleague and friend. Noting that the date of the ceremony (which happened to be Friday the 13th on this day), was the anniversary of the cover date of the first issue of Numismatic News, October 13, 1952, the foundation block of Chet's publishing empire.

 
Master of Ceremonies Cliff Mishler

After the National Anthem, performed by the Iola-Scandinavia High School Band, came the Proclamation of Chester L. Krause Day in the Village of Iola. David Harper, long time employee and editor of Numismatic News, and now the Trustee of the Village of Iola read the proclamation which summarized Chet's life and philanthropic ideals, declaring from this day forward, October 13th will be known as Chester L. Krause day in Iola – followed by a great round of applause from the grateful audience.

Then Cliff introduced speakers from organizations affected by Chet. President of the American Numismatic Association, Tom Uram, talked about Chet's numismatic legacy, which is so extensive that it is impossible to measure. He noted that in 1977, Chet received the ANA Farren Zerbe service award – the ANA's highest honor - and that in 2022, that award has been re-named the Chester L. Krause service award, which serves as a testament to Chet's far-reaching impact on the numismatic community.

Ken Nimocks, representing the Society of Automotive Historians, next talked about the Iola Old Car Show, which Chet started in 1972 and from humble beginnings, is now one of the largest car shows in the country. Last year over 130,000 people attended, enjoying some 2500 show cars and 4000 swap spaces. USA Today ranked the 10 best car shows in the country in 2023, and Iola was #4! Which is astounding, when you consider the small population of Iola and surrounding area, compared to other shows on the list; Los Angeles, Louisville, St. Paul, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Charities that were recipients of Chet's generosity had representatives in attendance. Rawhide Youth Services founder John Gillespie first spoke about his association with Chet, and then the current CEO Alan Loux spoke about the growth of the organization and how many young people they serve and how it could not have been possible without Chet's financial support. The Marshfield Clinic was also heavily supported by Chet. Resource Development Officer, Terri Wilcheck spoke about a capitol campaign they launched known as Chet's Challenge to build off Chet's donations and support the Center for Medical Research at Marshfield Clinic. She paraphrased something Chet once told her, he said, I've been lucky enough to accumulate some wealth, and I want to see something good done with it.

Village of Iola President, Jennifer Schustek, spoke to the fact that it's hard to put into words how one man can impact a community through kindness and generosity, but Chet did just that. She noted Chet's outreach in so many ways, and concluded by saying, Thank you Mr. Iola!

Chet's niece, Patti (Krause) Dickhut, represented Chet's family and thanked the Iola community and all those who put together the Legacy Park project. She spoke with heartfelt emotion and emphasized that the Iola community reciprocated back to Chet and his family all the love and support they could ask for and they were very grateful.

The unveiling of the bronze statue followed the speakers to a rousing round of applause. The statue was created by nationally known sculptor Eugene Daub, whose works can be seen in over 40 parks and monuments across the United States, including a sculpture of Rosa Parks in the U.S. Capitol building. Daub captured a fine likeness of a youthful Chet Krause examining a large coin or medal in his hand.

 

John and Nancy Wilson collected signatures for an archival program and there was a table set up with free literature. Various Short Snorters were offered for all those in attendance to sign. This reporter happily signed the Numismatics Snorter.

The ceremony concluded with the Iola-Scandinavia High School band playing the song For Those Who Served as a recessional tribute, and Clifford punctuated the day reminding everyone of Chet's personal motto, Some say, give until it hurts; I say, give until it feels good.

To read a Numismatic News article by Bob Van Ryzin, see:
New Legacy Park Dedicated to Chester L. Krause (https://www.numismaticnews.net/us-coins/new-legacy-park-dedicated-to-chester-l-krause)

 

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