Are Christmas light drives through town part of your holiday tradition?  You might think about adding a daytime drive through Greenleaf Cemetery to your Yuletide schedule to boost your Christmas spirit.

Doesn’t sound likely to enhance your holiday mood?  Consider this:  Two-thousand Christmas wreaths currently adorn veteran graves at the historic Greenleaf cemetery, lending a poignant, yet joyful ambiance to this landmark.  “It’s a beautiful sight, and inspirational,” said Mary Lee Bailey Shelton, the Welcome W. Chandler Chapter of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas (DRT) wreath liaison.  “Each wreath represents a Brown County life and their service given to our country to protect our freedom.”

DRT sponsored the project through Wreaths Across America (WAA).

“We are grateful to the Brown County community for answering our call to honor our local heroes with wreaths this Christmas,” said Shelton.  “And now is the prime time to sponsor wreaths for 2026,” she said.

Until December 31, 2025, WAA offers a 2 x 1 wreath sponsorship special.

“It’s our best chance to reach our 2,000 wreath goal to honor every veteran buried at Greenleaf in 2026,” said Dr. Julie Welker, local DRT chapter president.  “Sponsorships being doubled is the perfect way to boost our wreath count to honor all veterans.  It’s painful to think of any veteran at Greenleaf being left out.”

Wreaths are $17 each.  A box of wreaths is $204.

To sponsor wreaths now, make checks to WWCDRT and send to Nancy Lowry, P.O. Box 272, Bangs, TX., 76823.  Checks must be received by December 31, 2025.  To donate online visit: WreathsAcrossAmerica.org/TX1050P.

The Brownwood DRT endeavors to identify all veterans buried at Greenleaf Cemetery.  Most veteran headstones or footstones identify the interred as such.  If your veteran family, friend, or ancestor is not identified as a veteran on their grave marker, please contact Mary Lee Shelton at 575-644-5121.

For more information about DRT, Brownwood, visit the Welcome W. Chandler Chapter DRT Facebook page.