HALLSVILLE, Texas (KLTV) – A 100-acre plot of land near Interstate 20 could become the final resting place for thousands of East Texas veterans after a local woman decided to donate her family property to the state.
Debra Christian is in the process of donating the land to the State of Texas for a veterans cemetery. Texas law requires state cemetery land be donated.
Christian started the donation process after discovering her loved one’s final resting place was more than 100 miles away.
“I called the state cemetery in Abilene and found out he was in Abilene. My question was why is my family is buried so far away,” Christian said.
Cemetery would serve underserved region
The nearest veterans cemetery for most East Texans is Dallas or Louisiana. The proposed location would fulfill the VA’s distance requirements for most East Texas veterans.
“We looked at how they’re distributed across the state, we did not have one east of I-45, and that’s a real priority for this office because we believe we have tens of thousands of veterans in East Texans,” said Dawn Buckingham, Texas Land Commissioner.
Buckingham’s office is overseeing the project. She said construction can take anywhere from one to two years once the process begins.
“We are really good because have kind of a standard layout, we have a gathering place for 200 people, we have thousands of burial spots,” Buckingham said.
Project approved, awaiting funding
The VA approved the project in October. It’s number 16 on their list of 50 cemeteries and second in line for new cemeteries. Buckingham said cemeteries that need expansion get funded first.
“Our place in line is held and we are in a good spot, once the land is secured we should be good for the grant,” Buckingham said.
The Land Office passed on this year’s round of grants because Christian is still working through title issues on the land. She has a court date this month that she believes will make the donation final.
For Christian, the land is personal. Her uncle preached across the street. Coming from a military family, she said the decision was easy.
“If you have something, one for all, all for one, share it,” Christian said.
The cemetery would serve approximately 32,000 veterans in the region.
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