Church Headstone placed for Chris Gray after classmate starts fundraiser

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65 and older. One man of 82, did most of the brushwork on last year.

For the past several years, Great Days have been building wheelchair ramps that have to be built to standard code by the American Disabilities Act They are now constructing aluminum ramps and they can be transported and re-used when the house no longer needs the ramps

Hurst says that the most rewarding project he ever worked on was on Duke Street on a house owned by widowed Dorothy Emmons

After 25 years, a headstone has finally been put in place for Chris Gray after a fundraising effort by fellow classmates Gray was a Howe resident who died in late 1990 from heart complications that he had suffered through since early childhood

This project was initiated by classmate Laynie Williams who was in Howe showing her children where she was from Williams, cited being led by God to the cemetery, noticed that letters were missing from Gray's 25-year-old temporary marker This led her to contact the family and ask if she could do a fundraiser to get a permanent headstone in place for her friend.

"I don't wan't this to be about me at all." said Williams. "I want to give God the glory for this."

Williams visited with Elisha Tomberlin

Bidwell in Austin they decided to contact people from their class and their community to raise funds for the project It started with a Facebook page dedicated to the project which quickly stirred up emotions from not only classmates, but from neighborhood childhood friends of Gray such as Todd White A GoFundMe account saw the $600 quickly raised

"It all just fell in to place." said Williams. "I don't feel like I chose to do that. I feel like I was led to do this. I think we're all led. We just have to listen. I'm just glad I heard Him."

Williams contacted Love Monuments of Sherman to get an estimate of the headstone that was needed so that they would have a goal to raise The goal turned out to be $600 The final bill was $596 and the headstone was put in place on Thursday late morning at Hall Cemetery

"The roof was completely gone Buckets were everywhere and the floor was caved in and the ceiling was about to collapse " said Hurst "She was such a jewel I approached Lone Star Roofing in Van Alstyne and because we were with Great Days of Service, they put a new roof on for her. They did everything and it was at least $8,000 of work. But just to see her happy was worth everything."

Hurst says that the only way the organization will survive is to get some new people involved and in particular, young people They are looking for 30-50 year-olds to help