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(Archive photo) A veteran points at a name on the Stephens County veterans memorial on the courthouse lawn following last year’s Memorial Day service. New names are inscribed to the monument each year and honored during the annual service.
Names of Stephens County veterans are being requested to be added to the veterans memorial at the Stephens County Courthouse.
The deadline for the submission of names for the memorial wall is Friday, April 24. To submit a name, contact the Stephens County Veterans Service Officer at 254-559-7021, or the office of the Stephens County Judge at 254-559-2190.
Each year, new names are etched into the stone and the community gathers on Memorial Day for a ceremony honoring those veterans.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7767 and members of the community will be present for that ceremony at 10 a.m. Monday, May 25 at the memorial at 200 West Walker St. to pay their respects to county veterans who have passed.
In 2019, a new granite stone was installed by Brady Monument Company at a cost of just under $19,000, through local fundraising efforts. As space on the original stones filled up, the addition allowed the tradition to continue.
The cost of engraving new names is calculated per character, with seven names added in 2025 totaling approximately $1,000. The process of gathering names and organizing the ceremony was previously handled by VFW Post 7767.
The Stephens County Commissioners voted in May 2025 to take over that process, including funding the engraving, planning the Memorial Day ceremony and verifying the names of veterans added.
The county receives monthly reports and verified names are added to a working list which will be unveiled in May.
