Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly was in Winfield Tuesday to commemorate the expansion of the columbarium wall at the Kansas Veterans Cemetery in Winfield. She also toured Ladybird Brewing in Winfield and met with business owners Laura and Kaydee Riggs-Johnson.
At the Kansas Veterans Cemetery, Kelly said the dedication and ribbon-cutting for the expansion of the columbarium wall will help continue to honor veterans in the future.
“My hope is that through this columbarium wall expansion, the light of all our veterans currently interred here will continue to shine for future generations,” Kelly said. “It is a sanctuary befitting of their service and sacrifice.”
This project added 1,280 niches to serve as a final resting place for our veterans, according to a press release from the governor’s office. The original columbarium walls contain 800 niches.
State Veterans Cemeteries provide a final resting place for our veterans, spouses, and dependents. They are administered through the Kansas Commission on Veterans Affairs Office. Cemetery locations include Fort Dodge, WaKeeney, Winfield, and Fort Riley.
“We can only imagine the stories that will be told and love that will be shared for many years to come at these beautifully built walls,” said Bill Turner, Acting Director of the Kansas Commission on Veterans Affairs Office. “This dignified columbarium wall expansion will continue to represent the honorable service of the men and women interred here.”
While in Winfield Tuesday, Kelly toured Ladybird Brewing, a craft brewery that opened recently in Winfield on north Main Street.
“We talked with her about Winfield, our full-time gigs, running a small business, and the brewing process,” Ladybird’s Facebook page posted after the governor’s visit. “We appreciate her taking the time to learn about what matters to us.”
