Veterans Cemetery in Lubbock is Taking Shape

LUBBOCK, TX — Dr. and Lt. Col. John Kelly (ret.), Director of the Texas State Veterans Cemeteries at the Texas General Land Office, inspected the construction progress at the new West Texas State Veterans Cemetery on Tuesday, July 9. The cemetery, located at 4614 E. 50th St. on the east side of Lubbock, is on schedule and on budget, Kelly reported to the Lubbock City Council.

The contract to proceed was signed on Nov. 20, 2023. Following a groundbreaking ceremony, the old farmland is already taking shape according to the engineering drawings. Kelly displayed an overhead photo from a drone, showing the clearly visible star of Texas. The cemetery is set to open on Nov. 19, 2025, Kelly confirmed.

The cemetery’s design reflects Lubbock’s culture, particularly emphasizing Texas Tech. “Texas Tech is a significant part of Lubbock and West Texas culture,” Kelly said, highlighting this as a key element of the design.

In line with this theme, the cemetery will incorporate the brick pattern of the Texas Tech campus. The administration building and the committal shelter will feature red roofs, and the flat work colors will match those of the Texas Tech campus. Flat work refers to elements like sidewalks that are flat on the cemetery grounds.

The City of Lubbock will staff the cemetery, but the Texas General Land Office will reimburse the city for upkeep and payroll costs. Kelly mentioned that he is working with City Manager Jarrett Atkinson to formalize a budget by Oct. 1, 2024. He emphasized that, although the city will manage and maintain the cemetery, there will be no cost to Lubbock taxpayers.

Kelly assured that all materials and contractors are U.S.-owned, with most contractors based in Lubbock. He presented a list of companies working on the cemetery:

• Emerson Construction Company
• Baeza Engineering
• V-Tech Environmental Services
• D&L Masonry
• Schrader Roofing Company of Lubbock
• Lubbock Glass and Mirror
• Turfmasters Irrigation and Landscape
• White Service Company, Inc.
• Southwest Contracting Company
• Signs on the Go
• WTSVC Support Fund
• Norm Bearden - OSR

Demand for plots in the new cemetery is high, Kelly said. Already, 17 months before the cemetery’s grand opening, his office has attracted 641 pre-registrations.

The West Texas State Veterans Cemetery will join four existing state-run veterans cemeteries in Killeen, Corpus Christi, and Mission. Until this new cemetery is completed, the closest one to Lubbock is in Abilene.