Memorial to be held for Wyche

By ANNTOINETTE MOORE
Staff writer

A memorial benefit for Brenda Delyce Wyche will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4002, 402 Ambassador Row in Longview.

Ron Vick, who performs impersonations of Elvis and other celebrities, and Tim Price, who sings at Canton's Restaurant on the weekends, will provide entertainment. Refreshments also will be on hand.

Tickets for the benefit are $10 each or six for $50. In addition, a 2000 Honda Recon 250 Four Wheeler will be given away. The four-wheeler and everything for the benefit has been donated.

Proceeds from the benefit will go to restore the Elderville Cemetery, where Wyche is buried. The 35-year-old Longview resident died Dec. 27.

Brenda Wyche's mother, Darnell Wyche of Longview, said the family considered several other options as a memorial before deciding to restore the historic cemetery.

"I thought, let's give it a new look. She's buried in the cemetery and that's where her grandparents are buried," Wyche said. All of her daughter's possessions were sold and the money used to fund construction of a stone and wrought-iron fence around the cemetery, she said.

"The cemetery had a run-down cyclone fence around it. The cemetery is funded strictly from contributions," Wyche said.

"The people at the Elderville Community on Lake Cherokee ... are so excited over this. It's really pretty," she said.

"We're contracting out the work. We had a rock mason come out. We have 32 columns and every rock is laid by hand. It's East Texas native rock," Wyche said. The fence between the columns and the gate are wrought iron.

"It's actually a $41,000 project and we're only about $4,000 short," she said.

In addition, a bronze memorial plaque honoring Brenda Wyche has been placed at the entrance to the cemetery, her mother said.

"I think she would love it. I think she wouldn't believe it. This has kept us going," Wyche said. The cemetery will be formally dedicated this fall.

Tickets to Saturday's benefit are available at the door or by calling 757-2168 or 643-2454 during the day and 753-5562 or (214) 577-5807 after 5 p.m.