Tributes were given at this week’s (August 5) Brazos County commission meeting to two longtime employees who recently died.
Commissioners adopted a resolution naming the training room at the juvenile detention center for Joel Hein, a 32 year employee who retired as deputy director of community services. Hein, a 1984 graduate of Consolidated High School, died March 29th at the age of 58. Juvenile services director Linda Ricketson thanked commissioners for the resolution, which said in part Hein “forged many relationships with this community and loved working with those community partners such as the Reality Education for Driver’s Program (RED), the Art for Life Program, the Federal Prison Let’s Talk Program, and many volunteers, mentors and interns”.
That was followed by county clerk Karen McQueen paying tribute to Ruth McLeod, whose 54 year career was mostly spent as an elections employee in the county clerk’s office. Before retiring, commissioners in 2017 named the elections office building for Mrs. McLeod, who died last week at the age of 92. McQueen said McLeod worked for six county judges and 25 county commissioners between June 1, 1966 and September 30, 2020. McQueen described McLeod as “a pillar” and “a treasure” in Brazos County “who loved elections” and wanted to be the first to proofread election returns “because she liked to get the printout to see who was winning and who losing before anybody else”.
Click below to hear the tributes that were given at the August 5, 2025 Brazos County commission meeting.
Listen to “Tribute to a 54 year Brazos County employee who recently died” on Spreaker.