Every year, some people die in Lubbock County with no family or friends to claim them. Too often, there’s no service, no flowers and no one to say their names out loud.
On Sunday afternoon, Lubbock will say them out loud.
A public memorial for more than two dozen people who died in Lubbock County in 2026 without anyone claiming their remains is set for 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, at St. John Baptist Church, 1712 E. 29th St., the Lubbock Chronicle reported. Everyone is welcome.
A reading of names
Community members, faith leaders and advocates will gather for prayers and reflections, and the name of each person will be read aloud, according to the county’s announcement. The service is organized each year by Steve Doles, executive director of Pray Lubbock, to recognize the dignity of people whose lives might otherwise go unremembered in public.
County Judge Curtis Parrish said the service is a chance to remember each person’s life and to reaffirm the community’s commitment to compassion and dignity, according to the Chronicle’s report on the county’s Oct. 28 media advisory.
Hub City UnCovered reached out Saturday to the Lubbock County Judge’s office and to Pray Lubbock with questions about the service, including how many people will be remembered and how the memorial began. Neither had responded by publication time. We’ll update this story if they do.
Who organizes it
Pray Lubbock is a ministry that brings churches and community leaders together to pray for the city. According to its website, Lubbock pastors started praying together in 1995 and made it public under the Pray Lubbock name in 1998. Doles, who holds a Doctor of Ministry degree, has served as its executive director since 1999. He and his wife, Joy, moved to Lubbock from Indiana in 1991.
St. John Baptist Church, the host, is in East Lubbock. Its pastor, Solomon Fields, is listed as a former member of Pray Lubbock’s board.
Why it matters
People end up unclaimed for many reasons. Some outlive their families. Some have lost touch with relatives, or their relatives can’t be found. Some families simply can’t afford a funeral. Whatever the reason, these were our neighbors. They lived, worked, shopped and walked the same streets we do.
If your family is facing the cost of a loved one’s death, help may be available. Lubbock County’s General Assistance office can help with cremation costs for people who died in Lubbock County, if the family qualifies. You don’t have to live in the county to apply. The office is at 916 Main St., Suite 104, and the number is 806-775-1605. It’s open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., by appointment.
If you go
- When: Sunday, Nov. 1, 2 p.m. (Clocks fall back an hour early Sunday morning, so double-check your watch.)
- Where: St. John Baptist Church, 1712 E. 29th St., Lubbock
- Who: Open to the public
- Questions: Pray Lubbock, 806-787-7551
You don’t have to have known anyone on the list to come. Being there is what matters.
Sources
- Lubbock Chronicle, Lubbock County to honor unclaimed lives at Sunday memorial (Oct. 29, 2026): https://www.lubbockchronicle.com/p/lubbock-county-to-honor-unclaimed-lives-at-sunday-memorial
- Pray Lubbock, About: https://www.praylubbock.com/about
- Lubbock County, General Assistance: https://www.lubbockcounty.gov/department/?fDD=12-0
- Featured photo: Candles memorial by Fabebk, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
