Greene County High School students exceeded expectations on an assignment given by history teacher Dena Boyd back in the spring of 2025.
Students in Boyd’s Iowa history class had heard from guest speaker and longtime Iowa journalist Chuck Offenburger about the 34 students from the Rippey school who, along with two teachers, left their homes to fight with Union troops in the Civil War. Eleven of them died.
Boyd’s students embraced the story. They wanted more people to know about the group, now referred to as the Schoolboy Soldiers of Rippey. According to former student Oliver Harris, Boyd gave them an assignment “to connect with the community and create something that will last.”
The product of that assignment – a pair of 9-ft tall, 5,600-lb granite monuments – was dedicated Friday, Oct. 23. One of the monuments is on the courthouse grounds. The other is in the “old” Rippey cemetery where some of the schoolboy soldiers of buried.
The Schoolboy Soldiers of Rippey were in attendance at the ceremonies, portrayed by high school students outfitted in replica Civil War uniforms and carrying wood cutout rifles. They marched in step from the historical museum to the courthouse, and they stood at parade rest throughout the program.
Sheriff Jack Williams, himself a military veteran, spoke at the ceremony. He said it’s important to remember the sacrifices made by military personnel. “Today we gather to remember and honor the Soldier Boys of Rippey, young men who answered the call of their country and whose stories deserve to be remembered for generations,” he said.
“What makes today especially meaningful is seeing our high school students come together for this purpose. You are here to show that remembrance is not just the responsibility of those who have lived through history. It’s the responsibility of all of us.”
Retired judge Jed Magee read an original poem, “Ode to the Soldier Schoolboys of Rippey.”
Graduate Lila Osterson, now a student at Hawkeye Community College, created the art on the memorial. She spoke at the dedications, saying she worked to capture “youth, fear and vitality,” in her drawing of a soldier.
Students also wrote the inscription for the monument. The concise history closes with “Because of their bravery we have a better understanding of patriotism, faith, self-discipline, and compassion. These soldiers sacrificed their lives to protect American ideals which still remain strong.”
Offenburger is chair of the Schoolboy Soldiers of Rippey committee. In his comments at the dedication ceremony he pointed out that the monument is placed on “hallowed ground” at the courthouse, with the Medal of Honor flag (designed by Greene County resident Bill Kendall), the Capt. Darrell Lindsey memorial, the Abraham Lincoln statue, and the commemorative plaque to Judge Robert Rippey. Judge Rippey platted Greene County in 1854 and went on to serve in the 39th Iowa Infantry, the same unit in which several of the Schoolboy Soldiers served. Judge Rippey was killed in the war.
“The best thing about the Schoolboy Soldiers of Rippey project is that was student initiated and student led. It’s amazing. A lot of adults were involved, too, but in support roles, by intention,” Offenburger said.
He said over the course of the project he got to know the first generation of teenagers in Greene County. “The reason I got to know them, I realized, was because I’ve been working with, and got to know and understand, or generally understand, the latest generation of teenagers in the county, represented by our students in uniform here today,” he said.
“I thought, ‘How I can compare that first generation of teenagers to the teenagers of today in Greene County?’ Both groups are patriotic, courageous, loyal and energetic. They’re curious. They’re smart, and they’re fun. As we celebrate America 250 now, I love knowing this about our teenagers 165 years ago and our teenagers today. It makes me feel good about our county, our state, and our nation.”
After Offenburger’s comments student Darian Sweatt solemnly read the roll of the 34 soldiers, noting those who died in war and those who died of disease while serving. That was followed by a 21-gun salute by members of the local American Legion post. Dick Bardole of Rippey played Taps, and the ‘modern day’ schoolboy soldiers marched, in step, from the courthouse back to the museum.
The program included music by The Weary Ramblers, an award-winning country/folk music duo comprised of Chad Elliott of Jefferson and Kathryn Severing Fox of Creston.
The commemoration of the Schoolboy Soldiers of Rippey continues in the high school’s fall play, Nov. 13-15. “The Schoolboy Soldiers of Rippey,” written by John Busbee on a commission paid through a Humanities Iowa grant, will highlight the stories of the soldiers and their families. Original music will be provided by the Weary Ramblers. Tickets will be available at the door.
Funding for the Schoolboy Soldiers of Rippey project is comprised of a $45,000 grant from Grow Greene County Gaming Corporation; grants from the Iowa Arts Council and the Iowa Economic Development Authority totaling $10,800; $10,000 from the State Historical Society Inc of Iowa City; $5,000 on Greene County funds; $3,000 from Humanities Iowa; $1,700 from the Rotary Club of Jefferson; $1,200 from local Questers groups; and other notable grants from the Greene County Historical Society and the Rippey Lions Club. More than $20,000 has come from individuals and families in Greene County, Iowa, and across the nation.
