GRANVILLE, ND (KXNET) -- A garden of stone. That's where you can find Granville's newest Veterans Memorial Monument. Dedicated during the recent Memorial Day Ceremony, the monument sits on top of a hill in the town's cemetery paying tribute to veterans across all branches. The monument has four crosses, honoring two World War One veterans and two World War Two Veterans. The fundraising for it began in the fall of 2022. Granville American Legion Outpost Adjutant Jeff Smette says the project was started as a way of creating something lasting for veterans who are no longer with us. "So in 2022, our commander at the time, Carl Woodstruck, he had this vision of creating this monument that would last for many many years at our cemetery and we knew it would cost a lot of money. We were pretty skeptical on raising that amount of funds in Granville, North Dakota," said Smette. Funding for the project took close to a year and a half, but through fundraisers and support from other organizations, the legion was able to raise $14,000 for the project. One organization, SRT Communications, in partnership with Rural Development Finance Cooperation, was a big help in making this monument a reality. Target to cut prices for over 2,000 items for the holidays "We were able to donate $750 that was matched by the Rural Development Finance Cooperation with an additional $750 that our program here, specific to this, anyway so they got $1,500 from us and the RDFC, and that contributed to the $14,000 overall that they had to raise for the monument," said Becky Towery the community relations coordinator with SRT. However, Smette says the support from locals in Granville, as well as surrounding towns like Towner and Rugby, brought tremendous support for the project. "We had cans set up and people could donate that way, we sent out letters and posters and they could donate that way, and donate at local Merchants Bank, which is in Granville, Towner, Upam, Rugby and other communities, and some of the donations were deposited right into our account," said Smette. Smette hopes that the monument will serve as a reminder to those in the Granville community who have gone above the call of duty. "It's visited every Memorial Day with our programs. Many people over the years will see it and it's a lasting dedication to all those that have served in our community and globally too," said Smette. A reminder of those we will not forget. While the Legion does not have any projects currently in the works, the Granville American Legion Post 155 continues to help with any restoration to the Granville cemetery that is needed throughout the year. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Today's Top Stories SIGN UP NOW