MOORHEAD — A stone marker weighing several hundred pounds was stolen from the Concordia College campus over the weekend, prompting the creation of a memorial in its place.

The marker, known as the mission stone, sat between the Knutson Campus Center and Lorentzsen Hall, just north of the Dovre Campanile bell tower. It was stolen at about 2:15 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 24, according to Bill MacDonald, Concordia's public safety director.

An email detailing the theft was sent Monday to students, faculty and staff in hopes of generating leads.

“A witness reported four to five males wearing hooded sweatshirts were tampering with the mission stone shortly before it was stolen,” MacDonald said in the email. “A vehicle was used to transport the mission stone away from the college.”

By Monday afternoon, a makeshift memorial had been created where the stone once stood. At the center was a photo of the stone, with the words “Gone but never forgotten” and “RIP” written on the image.

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It’s unclear who made the memorial, but other items included a bouquet of flowers, a book titled “Concordia’s Mission State: A Commentary,” a can of sweet corn, a can of Campbell’s chicken noodle soup and a plush doll of the college’s mascot, Kernel Cobb.

Some students walked by the memorial without paying it much attention, while others stopped to take photos.

The stone was placed next to the campus center in 1991 as part of the school's centennial celebration, said Joshua Lysne, Concordia's associate vice president for communications and chief marketing officer.

Concordia's mission statement is etched in the stolen stone. It reads: "The purpose of Concordia College is to influence the affairs of the world by sending into society thoughtful and informed men and women dedicated to the Christian life."

This is the first time the stone has gone missing, Lysne said. The Moorhead Police Department is investigating the theft.

"I cannot comment any further on your question about why someone would steal it because the incident is currently under investigation," Lysne said.

He also said he could not comment on whether cameras may have captured the theft.

Anyone with information regarding the theft is asked to call Concordia Public Safety at 218-299-3123 or the Moorhead Police Department at 218-299-5120.