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HOW THE DREAM BEGAN
 

In early 2006, The  Rotary Club of Lake Conroe held its regular weekly breakfast meeting at the then new Charles B Stewart/West Branch Library in Montgomery. The occasion was a special one. The plan for a long awaited project was unveiled – a park on the property at the northern end of the library. In 2004, RCLC had planned to assist the library with landscaping as part of their Rotary Centennial Project. When the construction of the library was delayed, the club did landscaping work at Cedar Brake Park instead. That proved to be a wonderful project, but the dream lived on in the hearts of club members, and in the fall of 2005 angels appeared. Club member Don Carter made a generous donation to the RCLC Foundation in memory of his late wife Shane, providing the seed money to begin the project; Philip and Holly LeFevre donated the land for the project. After clearing the project with County Commissioner Mike Meador and bringing Parks Director Corliss O’Shaughnessy on board, the planning began in earnest. The result was The Memory Park Project.

     Landscape Architect Peter Wakefield, well known for his innovative designs, presented the club with a detailed plan of the park, which has been created in stages beginning in the summer of 2006. The initial plan was to "fill the area with native and naturalized Texas plantings, a walking trail around the pond, rest and exercise areas, and much more. “Shane’s Garden”, a fragrant rose garden, will be located at the entrance to the park. " Memory Park is that, and so much more now. 

     While this park is a Rotary INITIATIVE, the objective has always been to create a community PROJECT with other service clubs, church groups, and civic and school groups sharing in the excitement of building this park for our community. There are still many ways for groups to participate, from helping with community work days to sponsoring an area of the park.