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The epitaph on Valeria’s stone reads, “Faithful to her trust even unto death.” -
The La Grange Journal newspaper helped spearhead a fundraising effort in 1925 to build a monument to a slain local teen. -
The Story of “A Monument Erected by Little Children” -
A local newspaper account told of the tragedy. -
La Grange Journal Editor Ben Harigel asked local school children to contribute to a fund to purchase a monument honoring the young murder victim. -
Mr. Siebel of the Harms School dropped into The Journal’s office with the sum of $1.90 from the schoolchildren in that district. -
Some still believe that justice was not served in the murder of Valeria Zapalac. Retired police officer Gene L. Freudenberg’s 2012 book, The Bridge, tells the complete story. -
The Zapalac sisters, Valeria and Minnie, rest side-by-side in the La Grange City Cemetery.
When researching another topic in some 1925-28 issues of Fayette County newspapers, I got sidetracked. Multiple references to “a monument erected by little children’ grabbed my attention. What kind of a monument was this and why were children involved?
Curiosity aroused
I found my answer in a series of news stories written by longtime La Grange Journal editor Benno F. (Ben) Harigel. He…
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