Groundbreaking on the American Legion Veterans Memorial is starting at the Pine River Cemetery. On Thursday, Sid Miller, background, dug the sod as Darcy Brungard and Lucille Martinez loaded it into a tractor driven by Jim Black.

Photo by Melanie Brubaker Mazur

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Groundbreaking on the American Legion Veterans Memorial is starting at the Pine River Cemetery. On Thursday, Sid Miller, background, dug the sod as Darcy Brungard and Lucille Martinez loaded it into a tractor driven by Jim Black.

Photo by Melanie Brubaker Mazur

Tony Schrier, foreground, joins in rolling up sod on Thursday.

Photo by Melanie Brubaker Mazur

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Tony Schrier, foreground, joins in rolling up sod on Thursday.

Photo by Melanie Brubaker Mazur

Volunteers are planning to excavate about six inches of dirt this week, followed by a concrete pour next week to form the base of the veterans' memorial.

Photo by Melanie Brubaker Mazur

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Volunteers are planning to excavate about six inches of dirt this week, followed by a concrete pour next week to form the base of the veterans' memorial.

Photo by Melanie Brubaker Mazur

With volunteer labor and equipment donated by Southwest Ag, members of American Legion Post 143 broke ground yesterday on a veterans' memorial at Pine River Cemetery in Bayfield.

After cutting sod in a 20x20 square, the Legion members and helpers were planning to excavate about six inches of dirt. Next week, they'll pour concrete donated by Four Corners Materials.

The four plots for the memorial were donated by the Pine River Cemetery District and Bill Faust.

The fund for the memorial recently received a welcome boost from the Pine River Seniors. They donated $2,000, doubling the amount of donations received to about $4,000.

Donations for the memorial may be sent to Veterans Memorial, PO Box 1215 Bayfield, CO 81122. More information about the post is at www.albayfieldpost143.com.