Hampton’s veterans memorial project moving forward
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Memorial park to be located next to City Hall on 3rd St.
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A growing effort to honor Hampton veterans is gaining momentum, with the committee hosting a fundraising event.
Plans for the Hampton Veterans Memorial started with Rodger Bamesberger, the late owner of Bamesberger Welding, who passed away in 2022. When Bamesberger died, his family dedicated all the memorial money to help fund the veterans memorial.
Roger also sponsored an annual car show, continued by his family, that held a free-will offering for the memorial.
A committee for the Veterans Park was formed in 2024, taking Bamesberger’s vision further.
A fundraising event will take place on May 31 starting at 5 p.m., and it will include a silent auction and multiple gun raffles. The event will also include a short program with keynote speaker Dan Kuester.
Kuester has an extensive resume, including 23 years of military experience between the U.S. Navy and Army, and retired from the Army as a first sergeant.
Meal tickets for the event are $75 per person and include one $25 pistol raffle ticket. A table of six is $1,000 and includes six pistol raffle tickets and an exclusive chance for a Henry Rifle.
In a recent committee meeting, the members explained how Hampton veterans will be included in the memorial.
“In the back of the memorial, there will be three granite walls. Those granite walls will have all the deceased local veterans’ names on them,” said Dane Schafer, the head of the committee.
There will also be a fourth wall in the memorial, which allows families to purchase a tile for their veterans. The tile will include their photo, name, years served and the branch of service.
The tiles can be purchased for $300 with order forms mailed to the Hampton Veterans Memorial, P.O. Box 8, Hampton, NE. For further information on the purchase of a tile, email hamptonvetsmemorial@gmail.com or call Danielle Bamesberger at 402-604-1240.
The current budget for the memorial park is $350,000, which includes concrete, electrical work, landscaping, metal fencing, paint, granite memorial stones, statues, granite bench tops and flagpoles.
The committee is applying for several grants between May and June, with hopes of opening the park by this time next year.
Honoring the community’s veterans remains at the heart of the committee’s mission, and they hope to see a strong turnout from the community during the fundraiser.
