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News updated: 5/26/2015 11:05 AM In memory of Naperville's Wehrli, Lincoln sculpture envisioned in town

May 26, 2015 — Source: Daily Herald — Author: Marie Wilson

A Naperville art nonprofit is in the early stages of raising money to install a sculpture of Honest Abe in the city's Central Park.

The idea for an Abraham Lincoln sculpture came from Don Wehrli, a lifelong Naperville resident who died earlier this month.

Brand Bobosky, chairman of the Century Walk public art group, said Wehrli's family approached him with the Lincoln sculpture idea because of Wehrli's love of Central Park.

"He had also known that Abraham Lincoln, when he was in the state legislature, did a lot of work to have the park made a public park in the early days," Bobosky said. "One of his wishes was to create a sculpture of Abraham Lincoln over there at Central Park because of Lincoln's involvement with it."

When Wehrli died May 17, his family members asked for memorial donations to be made to Century Walk to start a fund for the Lincoln sculpture. Donations can be mailed to Century Walk at 34 W. Chicago Ave., Naperville, 60540.

The project is in the "very formative stages," and the scope of the planned art depends on how much money can be raised, Bobosky said. Century Walk also might consider seeking crowdfunding for the idea.

This is a developing story. For details, check back at dailyherald.com or read Wednesday's Daily Herald.