Liberty Hill charity steps in to honor unclaimed remains

LIBERTY HILL, Texas (KXAN) — A group in Liberty Hill is set to honor the memory of a beloved friend despite his remains going unclaimed.

Williamson County commissioners granted disposal rights to the unclaimed remains of Kebede Bekele to Executive Director of Operation Liberty Hill Susan Baker last week.

Baker said Bekele, also called KB, came to Operation Liberty Hill seeking help with his documentation in 2021.

According to Baker, KB came to the United States from Ethiopia in the 1990s and needed help renewing his drivers license. This small event kicked off a years-long health journey.

“We took him to get his driver's license renewed and his eyesight had gotten so bad he could not read the eye chart. So this started a series of exams," Baker said.

Eventually, KB was diagnosed with cancer. Baker and Operation Liberty Hill volunteers would drive him to radiation and doctor's appointments.

"Then one of our volunteers found him passed away on his front porch where he loved to be, every morning watching the sunrise and watching his cat," Baker said.

Baker said KB had a brother in the area that died a few years ago but he had no other relatives to claim his remains.

Because of this, she asked a local Justice of the Peace to ask County Judge Bill Gravell's office if she and Operation Liberty Hill could handle arrangements for KB's body.

“It was just a day or two after we were made aware of that. They stepped up and said, hey, this may be an unusual request but we'd really like the responsibility of honoring this individual," Gravell said.

Baker said plans are still in the works for KB's memorial.