Show Me the Ozarks August 2022

Featuring Barton County SMTO

Barton County Memorial Park Celebrates Sacrifices of Many By Don Lowe A clear vision to help celebrate all those who’ve given everything they have for this country has come alive at Barton County Memorial Park in Lamar, Missouri, and a lot more is in progress and still being planned to honor everyone deserving of the utmost respect and recognition.

Joe Davis, president/treasurer of the Barton County Memorial Park Board, talked about how this undertaking came together three years ago. “In April 2019, a neighbor and I approached the Barton County commissioners (owners of the old hospital and property) about turning that land into some sort of memorial park after the hospital was razed. “We wanted to keep the three acres as a memorial to the 69 Barton County men that died in World War II. After several meetings and a neighborhood canvas, we were granted permission.”

Davis further explained, “A seven-person board was formed in December 2019. We applied for and received our articles of incorporation as well as our 501c3 status. We are also Missouri sales tax exempt. “Over the past two years, we’ve held fundraisers, received grants and sold bricks and pavers. We depend on these to fund the memorial park. No tax money, federal, state or local, is used. So far, we’ve raised more than $300,000.” As for key features, Davis indicated, “We have several areas dedicated to honoring people. The southwest corner is where we pay tribute to those 69 men that gave the ultimate sacrifice. “Those men are the reason the hospital was built in 1948-49. We wanted to keep their memories alive. We owe it to them not to forget what they sacrificed. Each of them has a

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