Indian Head had three different memorials dedicated to those who gave their lives in service to their country during the First and Second World Wars. In the early 1920s, community members wishing to honour those who lost their lives in service during the First World War raised $4,000 to construct an obelisk with three steps leading to the base. It was constructed by John Hunter, a Scottish stone mason of Indian Head. Located in Station Park, this obelisk stood 16 feet tall with a stone core plastered with cement and painted white. The first tier included two bronze plaques listing the names of the fifty community servicemen who gave their lives in the First World War. The Park was referred to as Cenotaph Park.
When Memorial Hall was built at 423 Grand Avenue in the early 1950s, there was a plan to move this memorial nearer to that location for convenience in laying the wreaths. The cenotaph, however, was too sturdily built to move successfully, especially with its height and weight.
In the late 1980s, spearheaded by Veteran Doug Robertson, it was suggested to build a smaller memorial in front of the Memorial Hall. This monument was built during 1985-1988 by Engelbert Westermann a German born journeyman brick mason from Pilot Butte. It was thought to be very ironic that a German would build a tribute to fallen Canadian service men, but the monument was beautifully done with local field stone. The two epitaph bronze plaques were added from the original cenotaph. Veterans Walter Ayers and Terry Fuller took them to a metal works in Regina to be cleaned and polished. When learning that these plaques were for a war service memorial there was no charge. Two additional bronze plaques were arranged for the third and fourth sides of the new cenotaph.
It is not known when the original cenotaph was demolished, but the location is marked with a simple white cross organized by Veteran Terry Fuller. This park is now known as Veteran’s Memorial Park indicated by a sign arranged by Doug Robertson’s wife, Inez.
In 2010, the Lions Club brick frontage was complete, but it was noted that the memorial had issues with crumbling mortar. Stonemason Kurt MacPherson was approached by the Legion on June 8, 2012, to rebuild the memorial. Kurt salvaged many of the original stones, being careful to avoid damage to the bricks of the Lions Club project. The base area for this replacement would continue to be the same size as the original. Kurt scouted the rural area for replacement stones of various sizes and colours – some from Skinner’s stone barn in Qu’Appelle Valley as well as some from the historical Pelletier’s brick plant. He felt that the servicemen had come from many of these rural areas and such a variety would recognize these men.
Jerry Haid of Indian Head worked with Kurt, while Walter Ayers, a local Veteran, was often on the scene. It was arduous work and the stones had to be carried from the truck box to avoid damaging the brick work. The resulting monument followed the original design which has a base of five foot square on a 5 x 6 feet square cement plinth. The stone work gradually tapers upward to 50 inches square. The five inch deep dome measure 56 inches square with the final height at six feet. Kurt searched for a single large rock to cap the monument, but was unsuccessful, so relented to the cement dome. The work was completed in late August of 2012 at a cost of $6,825.
