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Wichita County backs naming US‑82 overpass for Ray Gonzales Jr.
Summary
Wichita County Commissioners Court voted to support naming the US Highway 82 south overpass the Ray Gonzales Junior Memorial Overpass, honoring the late commissioner and Vietnam veteran.
Wichita County Commissioners Court on May 6 voted to support designating the US Highway 82 south overpass as the Ray Gonzales Junior Memorial Overpass.
The proclamation — read at the start of the meeting by Judge Johnson — cites Gonzales’s military service in Vietnam, his Purple Heart, decades of small‑business ownership and his service as Wichita County commissioner from 2009 to 2016. Renee Murphy, representing the Gonzales family, addressed the court after the proclamation reading.
“On behalf of the Gonzales family … thank you for this extraordinary honor supporting the naming of The US Highway 82 South Overpass flyover after my dad,” Renee Murphy said. She described the designation as “more than a name on a sign” and said it is meaningful because the overpass sits near the Volkswagen shop the family ran for decades.
Commissioners who served with Gonzales praised his community service and recounted personal memories. Judge Johnson said the naming is being coordinated with the City of Wichita Falls, which is preparing a concurrent resolution and signage.
The action at the meeting was ceremonial support from the county; no ordinance or permanent naming authority was recorded at the meeting itself. The court’s statement said the county aims to work with the city on sign placement and the joint recognition.
The court continued with other agenda business after the proclamation.
