Nile Kinnick and Bob Feller, who are remembered on the north side of the Dallas County Freedom Rock®, were well-known to the Wilson brothers, who are remembered on the south side. They were from Dallas County towns whose schools played each other in sports.
And all seven of these men served in WWII. Nile Kinnick won the Heisman Trophy in 1939 at the University of Iowa, where the stadium is named in his honor. The Kinnick family also lost another son, Lt. Benjamin Kinnick, a B-25 pilot in the Pacific.
From Leora Wilson’s memoir: “So many young folks do not remember Nile Kinnick of Adel, Iowa–a great football player. He was lost in the Caribbean (Navy Air Corps) in W. W. II. And Bob Feller of Van Meter, Iowa, a baseball pitcher. Delbert and Donald of Dexter played against their teams during their high school years in the 1930’s. They both admired those two boys–what great players they were.”
Her middle son Dale, Wilson also played against Bob Feller in 1936. “Van Meter has the best ball team in the county,” Dale reported to Delbert and Donald, who had joined the US Navy two years earlier, “and maybe in the state. Bob Feller is their pitcher and he has already been wanted by some teams. We played them and they beat us 13-0 and didn’t even try.” Bob Feller became a major league baseball pitcher, known as “the Heater from Van Meter,” who took four years from his career to served in WWII. He was later named to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Leora Wilson would be surprised and blessed that her sons are honored on the same memorial stone as these two great athletes who also served in WWII. And that this Freedom Rock is in Minburn, not far from where, starting in 1939, Clabe Wilson and his sons were tenant farmers.
The Wilson brothers story. My journey of researching what happened to the three Wilson brothers who never came home.
The most recent issue (September 2024) of The American Legion Magazine has an article called “Crossed Paths in Adel,” about Nile Kinnick and Bob Feller, by historian Mike Chapman.
There are Freedom Rocks® in all of Iowa’s 99 counties, some in very small towns, as is the one in Minburn. The founder and artist is Ray “Bubba” Sorensen. One of his original goals was to create tourism. He certainly has, as individuals and families have decided to travel to see all of them. Most of them also include storyboards where you can learn even more history.
My dad, Warren Neal, was two years behind Delbert and Donald Wilson at Dexter. He also played baseball against pitcher Bob Feller and once scored a hit off him!
It is so great that these men are remembered as well. May it always be so.
You bet, GP!
The Freedom Rock is a great tribute to those men.
Don, this is only one of dozens of Freedom Rocks, in addition to the original, one in all 99 Iowa counties and several other states. So many of the Iowa ones are in small communities, usually sponsored by a veterans’ group, which had promoted tourism! https://www.thefreedomrock.com/
That is impressive, Joy.
Even though I’m a sports nut, I have to admit I had never heard of Nile Kinnick until now. The Heisman Trophy is considered the most prestigious individual award in college football. I was quite familiar with Bob Feller and his legendary fastball. As sports science has improved and humans have evolved, professional athletes now throw the ball in excess of 100 mph. Yikes! I can’t imagine, having difficulty hitting a 70 mph pitching machine.
It is quite admirable that Feller took four years from his career to enter the military. It would even be a tougher choice today, given what salaries are now.
Kinnick was also the grandson of an Iowa governor, and I think everyone thought Nile would eventually follow in his grandfather’s footsteps.
The baseballs during Feller’s era were likely less peppy than today’s baseballs.
I love this, Joy. Remembering is everything! 🥰
A terrific post, Joy. Thank you
Thanks, John!
😊
I became a Cleveland Indians fan sometime after Bob Feller retired from baseball. I used to collect baseball cards as a child and may have had one of his “archive” cards of retired players slip through my hands. I’d win them playing marbles or mumbley peg. If I had cards of players who were cuter, I’d throw the “not as cute” ones in the pile to win or lose. That’s quite a Freedom Rock! 🙂
If only he’d been one of the cute ones! There is an original Freedom Rock, but also one in all 99 Iowa counties, which has been great for tourism since some families plan to visit them all! The founder and artist has also done them in other states!
God blessed that artist and now he’s sharing the blessing!
The Freedom Rock is a great tribute to veterans, and it’s wonderful that those men are remembered and honored.
In addition to the original Freedom Rock, there is one in all of Iowa’s 99 counties! Many of them are in very small towns, who now are enjoying tourists, especially those who’ve determined to see all 99!
It’s nice that some people are determined to see them all.
I hope the Freedom Rock project spreads across the entire country some day.
It has begun! https://www.thefreedomrock.com/50statefreedomrocktour/
Hurray!
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