Veterans Memorial Park: In Memory of Many, In Honor of All
A small piece of unused property has been turned into cherished community asset. Veterans Memorial Park, located at 305 West Jefferson Street, Owensville, Missouri 65066, is the newest park within the City of Owensville's park system. The 1/4 acre park was made possible by the patriotic community, dedicated volunteers and generous donations.The ground was donated by First State Community Bank for the construction of the park. The park design was dreamed up by Harry Kellmann, a United States Navy Veteran and Owensville native. His company, Kellmann's Landscaping & Design completed most of the work for the project.
A committee of ten individuals was formed to oversee construction, raise funds and accept donations to make the project a reality. The Veterans Memorial Planning Committee included Brad Baker, E. Louise Baker (Chair), Robert Depperman, Dana Hampton (Treasurer), Gerri Kellmann, Harry Kellmann (Construction Manager), Don Lenauer, Nathan Schauf, Michael Stillman and Shelby Uffmann The first donation was accepted in June 2018 and the committee realized quickly that the project would be able to begin nearly immediately with the overwhelming response from the community.
All Veterans were invited to bring a shovel and participate in the Groundbreaking Ceremony held on September 19, 2018. With crews working hard through the wild winter, the park was ready for the dedication held May 18, 2019 on Armed Forces Day (pictured above). Mr. Kellmann ensured the project was successfully completed, but passed away shortly after on July 1, 2019. The park honors all military members that have served for the United States in the past, present and future with dedicated areas to recognize each branch.
The park highlights a nine foot wide black granite carapace with an etched tribute, 22 personalized grey granite benches and five grey granite pillars, each engraved with one branch seal. As of April 17, 2023, the walkways contain 323 - 4x8 inch and 102 - 8x8 inch personalized bricks that will remain for generations to enjoy. With successful completion of the project, the total expenses were $92,252 and donations surpassed $114,500 from over 370 donors. The committee is ecstatic that their efforts will set aside funds for continued maintenance to be covered for many years to come.
The City had the honor of presenting First State Community Bank (FSCB) a very deserving award for their role in making Veterans Memorial Park a reality. FSCB was awarded the 2021 Missouri Park & Recreation Association (MPRA) Organization - Citation Award. The award is presented annually to recognize an organization that has made an outstanding contribution to recreation and/or parks of considerable magnitude in the furtherance of parks and recreation in the state of Missouri. In FSCB’s case, they provided a land grant for the creation of Veterans Memorial Park to further parks and recreation in Owensville. View the award video here: https://youtu.be/45lPvszVylg.
Order forms can be picked up at the park and City Hall or click to view/print.
Original design presented in June 2018
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Under construction September 19, 2018 through May 17, 2019
Brick install process