Third State Veterans Cemetery UnderwayVA Awards $8.2 Million to Abilene Site

The placement and funding of a Texas State Veteran’s Cemetery in Jones County means different things to different people.
To Jimmy DeFoor, Taylor County veterans service officer, it means the culmination of three-plus years of dedication and diligence. DeFoor spearheaded the effort to bring the cemetery to Abilene, which is situated in both Taylor and Jones counties.
To Jones County Judge Dale Spurgin, it’s a privilege and honor to host the third Texas State Veterans Cemetery, to be built near Lake Fort Phantom Hill located 4 miles north of Interstate 20 in Abilene.
To Taylor County Judge George Newman, it’s a blessing for the Big Country Region. Both Newman and Spurgin penned letters to state legislators in support of the cemetery and fulfilled any requests made by DeFoor during the acquisition and funding process.
And finally, to at least one regional family who has been holding the ashes of a deceased veteran, it means a final resting place.
“They’ve been waiting for this cemetery to open,” DeFoor said of the family. “It’s been a long time coming.”
Officials broke ground on the 63-acre site in late October and expect the cemetery to be complete in the spring of 2009.
The effort to bring the cemetery to the Big Country was launched back in 2004 when DeFoor received word that the Texas Veterans Land Board planned to build up to seven Texas State Veterans Cemeteries in the Lone Star State. The first was built in Killeen, and the second is currently under construction in Mission.
“When I learned they were going out for requests for proposals for the third cemetery, I went to work with all of the area dignitaries,” DeFoor said, including commissioners courts in both Taylor and Jones counties.
The city of Abilene agreed to donate the land and later invested some $300,000 for a water line to be used for irrigation.
DeFoor ensured that the geodata studies and surveys met the requirements of the Texas Veterans Land Board “and put together the best package we could,” well aware that the proposal would be compared to applications from competing cities including Corpus Christi and Tyler/Longview.
When Abilene was selected as a cemetery site, officials soon learned the proposal had to clear another significant hurdle, this time in the national arena. The package was presented to the National Cemetery Administration, competing against other states including Tennessee, Kentucky and Rhode Island for federal grant money.
“We had hoped very strongly to get the 2006 funding,” DeFoor said. “We also lost out on the 2007 funding.”
Thankfully, in mid-September of this year, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs awarded an $8 million grant to fund the Abilene site.
“It is now a reality,” DeFoor said. “We now have the money in the bank and can start building this beautiful place.”
The grant money will completely cover the cost of the cemetery, which will accommodate up to 20,000 burials. The first interments are expected in spring 2009.
“I’m very excited about it,” Newman said. “It will be a wonderful thing to have the cemetery in this region.”
DeFoor said some 32,000-38,000 veterans reside in a 75-mile radius of Abilene.
“I think it will be much appreciated by the folks in our area, to honor those men and women who have served,” Spurgin said.
Some of the features planned for the cemetery include a columbarium and a pavilion for funeral services, DeFoor said, along with a computer system for locating specific graves or interments, a memorial walkway, an assembly area for special occasions, such as Memorial Day observances, and an avenue of flags, according to the Texas General Land Office.
People may not preregister for burial in the cemetery. Rather, once the cemetery is complete, a request may be made for burial when an eligible person dies.
Qualified people include those who die while serving in the military or who served in the military and received an honorable discharge. Spouses and dependents who meet criteria also may qualify for burial in the cemetery.
Julie Anderson