Local officials are expecting an outpouring of support from the public at the funeral for Brownwood firefighter Lt. Shannon Stone.
Brownwood Police Chief Mike Corley stated that the police department will be in full support of the Stone family and Brownwood Fire Department to ensure they can give Lt. Shannon Stone “a nice goodbye”.
Chief Corley stated that the First United Methodist Church will not be able to accommodate all who would want to attend the funeral. It is possible that family, friends and firefighters who knew Stone best will fill the church to capacity.
“I don’t want to discourage people from going to the funeral, but it is going to be very crowded and very busy. I would encourage people to show their support by lining the roadways along the route,” said Corley. “We don’t want anyone along the street along Good Shepherd at all; a good place would be to start lining the route after the bridge along Fourth Street.”
Suggested parking for the public standing along the route is the Fourth and Stewart Church of Christ and the Brownwood Middle School.
The Brown County Sheriff’s Department, Texas Department of Public Safety and Early Police Department will support the Brownwood Police with traffic control. Abilene Police Department will be leading the processional with two motor officers. Other police departments sending motor officers to help with the processional will be San Angelo, Coleman, Clyde, and San Saba County Sheriff’s Office.
The processional is expected to be quite lengthy and may take up to 45 minutes to travel the route through town to the Jordan Springs Cemetery. Chief Corley stated that it may inconvenience the public; however he hopes that all citizens will be patient and respectful.
“There is no doubt tomorrow people are going to be inconvenienced, we just ask them to remember that we are honoring a fallen firefighter,” said Corley.
The Brownwood Fire Department’s Quint fire truck will carry Stone’s body to the burial services, which is a tradition in funerals of firefighters. Brownwood Firefighters will walk behind the Quint from the First United Methodist Church until they reach the Church of the Good Shepherd. They will then travel in BFD trucks. Wives of the firemen will follow then area fire department trucks which may number as many as 100.
Chief Corley sent out an email to fire departments in the Central Texas area in hopes that a few departments would come and pay respect to Stone; however, the response was more than what he expected.
“The response was awesome. I had wanted four or five departments but over a dozen responded that they would be honored to attend.”
“The main thing I hope is that everyone respects the family, that is my ultimate concern,” stated Brownwood Police Lieutenant Tracy Delgado.
Funeral Services for Lt. Shannon Stone, age 39, of Brownwood, will be held at 11:00 am Monday July 11, 2011 at the First United Methodist Church in Brownwood with David Barnum officiating, interment will follow in Jordan Springs Cemetery under the direction of Davis Morris Funeral Home. Visitation was held from 5:30-7:30 pm Sunday evening at the funeral home. Mr. Stone passed away Thursday, July 7, 2011 in Arlington, TX.
The funeral route will be as follows (see map below): leaving the church, on the 10th Street side, turn left on Good Shepherd, right on 4th Street, right on Indian Creek past Brownwood Fire Department Station 2, then left on Indian Creek Road, right on FM 45, and left on Country Club Road to Jordan Springs Cemetery.
Brownwood Police officials stated that Monday morning, parts of 10th and 11th Streets from Good Shepherd to Slayden will be blocked as well as Good Shepherd from 10th Street to 4th Street to allow for the expected traffic of people attending the funeral. Citizens of Brownwood are asked not to travel the route during the morning hours to allow for the expected traffic and out of respect for those involved in the processional.
Brownwood Mayor Stephen Haynes is asking Brownwood residents to drive with their headlights on, on Monday, July 11, in remembrance of Fire Lt. Shannon Stone.
