Honor Chairs Remember Franklin County’s Fallen Officers

The Franklin County Sheriff’s office is the recipient of three Honor Chairs.

The chairs come from the non-profit group, Saving a Hero’s Place.

Franklin County Sheriff Steve Thomas said the chairs remember a Sheriff and two deputies in the Franklin County Sheriff’s department who died in the line of duty.

They include former Franklin County Sheriff Dan Ayers who died November 7, 1964, Deputy Cruz Thomas who died May 21, 2014, and Deputy William “Bill” Garner, who died July 19, 2020. All three died in the line of duty.

Each chair was built specifically for each law enforcement officer and is engraved with their name, the end of watch date, and a Scripture verse or famous quote.

“It gives the community and families something to show that people are thinking about them,” Sheriff Steve Thomas said. “It’s a chair that nobody can sit in. There’s a rope across it. They’re displayed at the Courthouse in the lobby downstairs. If they ever build a new jail and we get a bigger lobby we will move them back to that location. Right now, the courthouse is the only place we could put them.”

A special ceremony was held recently at the Sheriff’s office in Carnesville when the chairs were delivered. Thomas said he heard about the chairs through several other law enforcement agencies.

“I got information from other agencies that had been in touch with this group in Texas, and I have family in Texas. So I was talking back and forth and I made contact with these folks. They were awesome. We got three of them and they normally charge a certain amount but we got them at a very good discount. The County took care of that and that was very much appreciated,” Thomas said.

Saving A Hero’s Place was founded in 2013 in Texas to remember fallen law enforcement officers who died in the performance of their duties in San Antonio.

Since then, chairs have been sent to law enforcement agencies across the country.

Executive Director Tommy Cappell said the group understands the loss of fellow officers and the chairs are a way for those officers to always be remembered – no matter the agency, no matter the distance.

To learn more about Saving a Hero’s Place you can go online to their website at savingaherosplace.org.