Pictured (L to R) are Mitch Rader, Plain Township Fire Territory firefighter; Tony Ciriello, representing the Mishler Family Foundation; Scott Kammerer, firefighter; Jerry Kammerer, former firefighter; Stephanie Overby, Kosciusko County Community Foundation CEO; Scott Anderson, fire chief; Tony Beiler, Kuert Concrete; Max Deatsman, firefighter; Rick Timmons, Butt and Timmons; and Craig Charlton, firefighter, town of Leesburg and Plain Township representative.Photo by Jackie Gorski, Times-Union
Pictured (L to R) are Mitch Rader, Plain Township Fire Territory firefighter; Tony Ciriello, representing the Mishler Family Foundation; Scott Kammerer, firefighter; Jerry Kammerer, former firefighter; Stephanie Overby, Kosciusko County Community Foundation CEO; Scott Anderson, fire chief; Tony Beiler, Kuert Concrete; Max Deatsman, firefighter; Rick Timmons, Butt and Timmons; and Craig Charlton, firefighter, town of Leesburg and Plain Township representative.Photo by Jackie Gorski, Times-Union
LEESBURG – Plain Township Fire Territory dedicated a memorial at its fire station Thursday.

The Leesburg Fire Service Memorial was “an idea born after a donation from the Gary Polk family to the fire department after Gary’s death,” said firefighter Mitch Rader.

Polk died April 15, 2019, according to his obituary.

After some discussion, it was decided to use the money for a monument or memorial to honor Leesburg and Plain Township’s past firemen. Rader said he went to South Haven, Mich., and they had “a big, tall monument there,” which was geared toward respecting the past, present and future firemen of the department.

It was decided to put the monument at the southwest corner of the fire station property due to the three-sided view of the monument at the intersection of Old Ind. 15 and Armstrong Road. Rader said it’s something the volunteers put together to respect those who that served “before us, that put in their time,” honor those that are working at the department now and for someone who might see the challenge and might want to join the department.

Rader said he got hold of Butt and Timmons and Rick and Cody Timmons offered their ideas and expertise in design and construction. Ryan Mishler, from St. Joe Monument, got the granite for the monument. The concrete portion of the monument was done by Kuert Construction.

The Mishler Family Foundation put some money towards the monument. A lot of the money came from the Reuben and Betty Jane Clover Charitable Fund. Ruben and Betty Clover were longtime Leesburg residents. The town of Leesburg donated some of its red bricks left from its historic brick streets for the monument. Lighting was added to showcase the monument at night.

There are three flagpoles to display the American and Indiana state flags, as well as the fire service flag. A Maltese cross was mounted on top of the monument as a tribute to both the Leesburg and Plain Township fire departments, as the department was known as the Leesburg Fire Department before the township took it over.

Rader said the concrete and granite were done in 2021, but they are still waiting on a plaque for the memorial, which will be 16 by 20 inches, and placed on the back side of the monument. The plaque will recognize who donated to the memorial, as well as who helped build the monument.

Service recognition donations were made by families to honor the service of family members to the fire department, including the Gary Polk family, honoring Gary Polk; the Edward Charlton family, honoring Ed, Scott and Craig Charlton; the Max Deatsman family, honoring Max and Brian Deatsman; the Jerry Kammerer family, honoring Jerry, Scott, Todd and Bart Kammerer; and the Frank Rader family, honoring Frank and Mitch Rader.