CENTRAL CITY, Neb. (AP) — A former Nebraska native has built a memorial to honor the contributions of three Polk residents.

Dan Tyler, who now lives in Australia, grew up in the Polk area and attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln before joining the Army to fly helicopters. He crossed paths with Norris Alfred and Jim and Alice Wilson before they died in the 1990s.

Alfred was the longtime editor of the local weekly newspaper Polk Progress. The Wilsons were known for their work preserving native grass seeds for pasture and erosion control.

Tyler, who visited Nebraska regularly after marrying and moving to Australia, said he got the idea in 2010 to build the memorial to honor their memories. The memorial features a hickory tree, bench and plaque.