Veteran volunteer honored with plaque at Memorial Garden

A long-time volunteer at Branson’s Veterans Memorial Garden was honored on Tuesday, November 4, with a plaque on the Garden’s Honor Wall for his years of dedicated service. 

The plaque presentation for volunteer Bruce Sisk, himself a veteran, was arranged as a surprise by Garden director Jana Evans and other volunteers with the help of Sisk’s wife, Sharon. Sisk and other family members had arranged for a plaque for an uncle Ralph King, while unbeknownst to Bruce, those family and Garden volunteers decided he deserved one also! 

“Bruce has been a backbone to our Garden, especially since our founder, Ben Kinel, passed away,” said Jana Evans. “He worked alongside Ben almost from the beginning in 2010 when it was just a steep, rocky, weedy hillside.” Evans said one of Bruce’s most important contributions, without which there would probably be no garden, has been the development of an efficient irrigation system. Also, as a Master Gardener, he has become what other volunteers call “The Rose King,” a key planner and curator of the beautiful sea of red roses located between the Flag Plaza and the World War II statue, visible to Hwy. 76 traffic driving by. 

Bruce R. Sisk was born in Garden City, MO, where he was raised on a farm. After graduating from Central Missouri State majoring in business administration with emphasis in accounting, he served in the U.S. Air Force from 1967-1973, during the Vietnam conflict, stationed at Kirtland AFB and Kotzebue, Alaska. After his military service, he spent 34 years as a financial analyst for KCPL, and upon retirement, served as financial administrator for Holmeswood Baptist Church. 

After moving to Branson in 2010, he became involved with Ben Klnel at the Veterans Memorial Garden, where he continues to indulge his love of "digging in the dirt.” He also served for three years as part of the Security Team at Silver Dollar City; has been a finance committee member at Pointe Royale Golf Village for 13 years; and volunteers at Options Pregnancy Clinic where he checks, repairs, assembles and delivers donated baby equipment. He is also an usher/greeter at his local church. 

The Garden leadership are excited about other veterans joining the volunteer team as “Veterans Helping Veterans.” Recently, several individual veterans have volunteered, as well as groups including the Veterans Task Force, BVA 913, American Legion, VFW and Veterans Military Coalition of the Ozarks. 

“We are so happy to be honoring Bruce Sisk with a plaque on our new Honor Wall,” said Evans, “not only for his service as a U.S. Air Force veteran, but also his volunteer heart for the Garden and other entities in our community.” 

Honor Walls at the Garden have plaques honoring veterans who have passed away, some who are retired and even some still serving. For information about honoring a family member, visit the website, www.VeteransMemorialGarden.org, or email BransonVeteransMemorialGarden@gmail.com. You’ll also find information about how to donate financially or volunteer, on a regular basis or for a special group event helping with a large project. Working together as a community, we can help maintain the Garden as a special place to remember, pray, meditate and honor those who have served.