(Red Oak) Artist Ray “Bubba” Sorensen II plans to paint a Freedom Rock in Montgomery County this fall.
The “Freedom Rock” will be located at Fountain Park in Red Oak. The painting’s them is still under consideration.
“I am focused on specific stories relative to that county,” said Sorensen. “People who take this freedom rock tour don’t want to see the same rock at each stop. They want to see what is specific about a particular county and what veteran’s stories are here.”
In 1999, Ray “Bubba” Sorensen II set out to paint “The Freedom Rock,” a 60 ton-plus boulder in Adair County. In 2008, Ray and his wife started a mural painting business and began thinking about painting “Freedom Rocks” in all 99-counties. His tour began in 2013. Today eight counties are all that remain on his journey.
Sorensen says Montgomery is the only county left west of Des Moines. The other seven counties remaing are located on the eastern seaboard of Iowa.
“I thought I could paint ten rocks per year and come to a finish in 2023, and instead, I moved a little quicker than that,” explained Sorensen. “I was planning on being done at the end of this year, but I believe the tour will go into next year and finish then.”
Ray Sorensen II recently announced the painting of an additional rock in Iowa. He calls it the 100th rock as a celebration to the end of his 99-county tour. He plans to have an auction for the towns that missed out on getting the freedom rock in their community. The 100th rock would go to the highest bidder with the proceeds going to a veteran’s charity.
