By Ophelie Jacobson

    FRANKLIN COUNTY, Iowa (KCCI) -- A Hampton woman said she's grateful this Memorial Day that her grandfather's bronze plaque on his grave has been restored.

Robyn Hill Ko-Foot said her grandpa, Howard Muhlenbruch, was a military policeman in World War II. He was buried at Trinity Lutheran Cemetery in Franklin County in 2009 when he died.

For years, a bronze plaque commemorated his service and sacrifice for the country.

"We wanted to make sure that his memory was honored the way that it should be," Hill-Kofoot said.

In January, she said she was notified by the cemetery association that her grandpa's plaque had been vandalized. She went to the grave to see for herself, and sure enough, the grave marker was gone.

"These are people who gave their lives for our country, who gave up family time, who gave up so many different things," she said. "Their families should not have to go through this. It just makes me sick."

Muhlenbruch's bronze plaque was one of three in the cemetery to have been stolen. The Franklin County Sheriff's Office said 57 total were stolen across the county. Sheriff Aaron Dodd said of those 57, 53 have been identified, and about a quarter have been restored.

Dozens more were stolen in surrounding counties. Law enforcement arrested four people in connection to the act. Muhlenbruch's plaque along with the two others at Trinity Lutheran Cemetery were restored in recent months.

"I'm so grateful for the people who did the work to get it restored," Hill-Kofoot said.

She said she wants justice for the families impacted, and she wants the suspects in jail. She hopes this will never happen again.

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