The River

Gliding down the Kansas River a flock of Mallards prepare to land as a Bald Eagle and a pair of Canada Geese watch in the distance.
Jerry created “The Riverâ€ as a tribute to his young friend Zach Hudec.  Zach was only 14 when he passed away on March 25, 1998, of a brain hemorrhage at Silver Creek, Colorado.  Zach was a tremendous young man who came from a wonderful family.  He loved the outdoors and spent as much time as possible with this father, Greg fishing and hunting. 
Jerry and his son Jarrett, had enjoyed many hunting trips with Zach and his Dad over the years and had witnessed Zach’s involvement and love for wildlife and their natural habitats.  Jerry approached Kansas Governor’s Mike Hayden and Bill Graves, and Bill Hawes and Kathy Brown George of Kansas Wildscape with the idea of creating a painting of Zach’s favorite hunting area on the Kansas River and utilizing the limited edition prints of “The Riverâ€, to create a special  project in remembrance of Zach. 
Through efforts coordinated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers a project was initiated to develop a special wetlands sanctuary on the North end of Milford Lake, near Junction City, Kansas.
The project was funded by the sale of limited edition prints of “The Riverâ€, which sold out almost immediately.  Matching funds and donations along with construction of the wetlands area by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers created a wonderful and lasting tribute to an incredible young man.
On June 29, 2001, a dedication ceremony was held.  Today, a beautiful limestone Monument marks the entrance to the “Zach Hudec Memorial Wetlandsâ€.
