A highway in Illinois has been named after an Army soldier and son of former Minot-area residents.
The Ronald W. Gebur Memorial Highway honors Ron Gebur, 23, who was killed during duty in Iraq three years ago. The stretch of road, Illinois Route 122, shares the same numbers as Gebur's former unit, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, or 1-22. It leads to Gebur's hometown of Delavan, Ill.
Gebur's father, Larry, is a graduate of Surrey High School, and his mother, Debra, graduated from Bishop Ryan High School. His grandparents are Harold and Darlene Hendershot of Minot and Wayne and Darlene Gebur of Surrey.
Gebur died May 13, 2006, when a roadside bomb blew up near his Humvee. He left a wife and son.
More than 150 people gathered for the highway dedication May 13. Gebur was remembered at the ceremony as a gifted athlete, natural leader, dedicated soldier, a caring individual and the type of man that other people gravitated toward, according to a report on the dedication in the Journal Star of Peoria, Ill. He chose to become a sniper in the Army despite the risk of being in harm's way.
Jill Schramm