Peggy Whitson Rock restored, protected for years to come
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By Jeff Snyder
MOUNT AYR, Iowa — The now famous Peggy Whitson rock on the southwest corner of the Ringgold County Courthouse lawn has been given a welcomed refresh by none other than the original artist, Roy “Bubba” Sorensen. Sorensen has worked throughout the week in very hot conditions bringing life back to his original creation dedicated in 2019.
After a thorough cleaning and preparation, Sorensen has repainted the icon depiction of Peggy Whitson, hometown hero of the NASA space program. Whitson, a Mount Ayr High School graduate, has been immortalized via Sorensen’s painting on the 60,000 pound rock and represents a focal point on the town square. In addition to the repaint, the famous rock was also provided with a newprotective covering via a permanent pavilion erected above the rock that is nearing completion. The entire project has been funded by generous donations from the community which was spearheaded by Ken Robertson.
The addition of the attractive cover will help protect the exhibit from the harsh elements.
Sorensen has painted many such rocks, and in fact is off to
Wrangell, Alaska upon completion of the Whitson refresh to begin a similar work of art. Wrangell, population 2,000, is at the extreme southeast section of the state and represents a popular cruise ship stop. “My goal is to get a Freedom Rock in all 50 states,” Sorensen said.
Alaska will be the 13th state he has worked in. Sorensen was pleased at how the project was coming along and predicted completion by the end of the week. Originally, Sorensen was planning to paint a “Freedom Rock” in all 99 Iowa counties, but later decided to revise his goal to include a painted rock in every state. The refreshed Whitson Rock will provide a focal point to the county seat location and should endure many years of Iowa weather thanks to the addition of the beautiful cover structure. Stop by and see this wonderful update.
