North Bend Soldiers Monument Dedicated

By Lou Bernard

NORTH BEND – Rain didn’t stop the citizens of North Bend from holding the rededication of Keller and Darby Memorial Park on Sunday. Named after Ira Keller and Beale Darby, the first two Clinton County soldiers to die during World War I, the park was dedicated once again in a ceremony to honor the fallen soldiers from Chapman Township. Planned by many volunteers, the event had several guest speakers, including U.S. Rep. Tom Marino, state Economic Development Deputy Secretary Rick Vilello, and Clinton County Commissioner Paul Conklin.

Heavy rains caused a break in the ceremony as the participants took shelter and waited for it to pass. The Renovo Community Chorus, providing the music, broke into a spontaneous rendition of “You Are My Sunshine” as the Pennsylvania Patriot Guard Riders stood vigil with the flags. Once the storm passed over, the ceremony resumed. Olivia Moore and Tom Berkey of Windber, who had supplied the committee with the only known photo of Beale Darby (which they’d found in a book with some WWI sheet music) made an appearance.

State Rep. Mike Hanna gave closing remarks, stating,”Darby and Keller would be proud of how you’ve soldiered through the rain today.” The two men had been killed in action in service to their country in France 100 years ago.

Special guests were direct decedents of both Ira Keller and Beale Darby. They included Virginia Hoffman of Austin, Texas. She is a great-niece of PFC Ira C. Keller, who spent months researching and following her great-uncle’s military career. She was presented Keller’s Purple Heart. Richard White of Woolrich, a great-nephew of CPL Beale Darby, accepted a Purple Heart on his behalf.