STILLWATER OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE / 46
Over a decade of dedication turns Wm Conrad Veterans Memorial Gardens into premiere memorial site
The Wm Conrad Veterans Memorial Gardens began as a way for one man to recognize and remember fellow veterans while honoring his late father. In the more than 10 years since Stewart Williams broke ground on the Langston site, it has grown into a premiere spot for special events to recognize military sacrifice.
The Garden began hosting its first observances in 2018. From the May 2019 News Press: Stewart Williams was concerned. The U. S. Army veteran was worried that an aging generation’ s service to its country might be forgotten. The sacrifice would go untold, or not enough people would know about the heroes that used to walk the backroads of their own home town.
“ I retired in’ 07 and I was kind of looking for something to do. What I was seeing was we were losing a lot of veterans my age or older, nobody ever knew who these people were, they were just in and out of life, you know? What I thought I might do is try to take this community and recognize, especially our local veterans, but we want to recognize all veterans,” he told the News Press.“ We
STILLWATER OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE / 46