Every veteran deserves to be recognized for their service.
That recognition extends even after death with headstones or bronze plaques marking their final resting place. For some 32 veterans, their markers have been collecting dust waiting to be placed.
vet markersHenryetta Veterans of Foreign Wars post 539 commander Bill Goodner said those markers have been taken from funeral homes to the VFW post in hopes of being reunited with family members.
“We are trying to help the funeral home get these to the rightful places,” Goodner said this week.
He researched each of the veterans and found most are buried in neighboring cemeteries but there are several whose final resting place is not known.
Integrity Funeral Service owner Jimmy Spurlock said the markers are normally taken to the cemetery if they are buried at Westlawn. In other cases, the family is notified they plaques and headstones are ready for placement.
“For whatever reason, these have not been picked up and we have been storing them,” he said.
Seven of those markers are the white granite headstones. They include a Civil War veteran as well as World War II and even Korea.
The list of headstones and plaques as well as their final resting place include:
Granite headstones:
Ronald Eugene Frew, USAF, 11/4/1928, 12/12/2001, Westlawn
Bennie J. Wilson, ARMY, 12/5/1916, 3/20/1979, Hanna
Thomas Goss, Civil War, 1821, 1902, Unknown
Paul Milton Lashmet, ARMY, 6/21/1932, 3/28/2011, Unknown
Dave Hill, ARMY, 10/27/1932, 10/24/2006, Harjo cemetery Pottawatomie county
Cleo Albert, ARMY, 10/23/1910, 10/25/1988, New Sonora
Jack Mitchell, ARMY, 1911, 1986, Unknown
Bronze plaques:
Roline Bruce Peters, ARMY, 11/19/1921, 1/11/2006, Okemah
Alfred C. Currin, ARMY, 2/6/1923, 4/5/1969, Grayson
Fred C. White, ARMY, 7/20/1920, 12/31/2006, Wilson
James Cravatt, ARMY, 1913, 1987, Grayson
A.J. Jenson, USAF, 1932, 1983, Hanna
Oren Albert Sills, USN, 1906, 1985, Westlawn
O.L. Richeson, ARMY, 1893, 1986, Westlawn
Joel Richard Hammer, ARMY, 1934, 1985, Weleetka
James Vern Demmitt, USN, 1922, 1983, Unknown
Eugene Fred Cobbs, USN, 8/7/1914, 8/21/1990, Okmulgee
Ernest Long, USAF, 5/20/1930, 7/20/1992, Little Cussetah
Fred Garth Jones, USN, 1/26/1908, 9/12/1987, New Sonora
Edwin C. Cook, USN, 9/16/1915, 11/26/2001, Hitchita
Billy Joe Brownfield, USMC, 7/16/1940, 6/27/2000, Hoffman
Billy Stanton West, USMC, 11/17/1929, 11/23/2001, Okmulgee
Hiawatha Fixico, USAF, 5/23/1940, 9/7/2001, Unknown
Dalton L. Griffin, USCG, 2/19/1923, 2/7/1995, I.O.F.F. Morris
John W. Rhoades, ARMY, 6/18/1913 , 10/23/1999, Hanna
David Henry Borror, ARMY, 1/4/1922, 5/10/203, Unknown
Garold K. Barnhill, ARMY, 9/26/1920, 5/29/1960, Okmulgee
Stephen L. Matheny, USN, 12/30/1909, 5/19/2001, Hitchita
Harold David Albert, ARMY, 8/4/1943, 6/12/2001, New Sonora
Rashie Leland Grogan, ARMY, 6/23/1930, 4/8/2004, Hoffman
Luther C. Fowler, ARMY, 10/4/1917, 5/5/2000, Salem
Leonard E. Williams, ARMY, 2/18/1920, 9/20/2002, Westlawn
Anyone wishing to pick up their relative’s monument can call Goodner.