Commissioners approve Gold Star Memorial; family-led foundation to build monument on courthouse grounds

Box Elder County commissioners on a unanimous vote approved Agreement 26-09 to allow the Major Brent Taylor Foundation to construct a Gold Star Families Memorial on county property.

Jenny Taylor, widow of Major Brent Taylor and leader of the local effort, described the monument as a nameless memorial honoring families of service members who died in service: “What’s beautiful about this monument to me is that there’s not a single name on it. It’s not to [one person]; it’s a memorial honoring the loved ones’ service by paying tribute to the family members left behind.” She said the foundation will work with Whitaker Construction and the Woody Williams Foundation and aims to dedicate the monument in October 2026. Commissioner Perry introduced the agreement and the commission approved it without discussion.

The presentation noted the monument is part of a nationwide movement of similar memorials and that local volunteers and donors will fund much of the work. County staff said the monument will sit opposite the county’s existing GI Joe statue and that construction steps (dig/pour/finish) would likely occur over the next month or two if the project proceeds on schedule.

The approval allows the foundation to use the identified county space and to coordinate construction with county buildings and grounds staff. The commission’s action was recorded as Agreement 26-09 (Gold Star Memorial).