Custom Fabrication in Glen Rose, TX: A Memorial Bench for the Somervell County Public Library
A Seat Outside Judy's Happy Place
A new bench sits outside the Somervell County Library in Glen Rose. If you stop to read the plate, it says:
In loving memory of Judy Nawrocki, author of Dry Run. Sit a spell and enjoy a good book by the seat of your pants.
Judy's family designed it, and we custom-fabricated it in our Granbury shop and installed it ourselves. Our Granbury shop handles trailers, gates, equipment repairs, press braking, CNC plasma cutting, and more, but every so often, one comes along that carries a little more weight. This was one of those.
Who Judy Was...
Judy Nawrocki was born in Bevent, Wisconsin, in 1952 and studied at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. Work took her as far as Poznań, Poland, before life brought her to Texas. She and her husband, John Cockburn, built their dream home in Glen Rose.
Judy loved Somervell County, and she didn't sit on the sidelines. She worked at the county courthouse for years, stayed active in county government, and even ran for county commissioner. She was a voracious reader, a puzzler, a Jeopardy fan, and a poet. Her family described her as "a mighty force in a tiny frame."
She passed away in March 2026. When her husband, John Cockburn, commissioned the bench, he wanted it at the library for one reason: it was her "happy place."
About Her Book, Dry Run
In 2023, Judy checked off a lifelong goal and published her first novel, Dry Run. It's historical fiction set in Prohibition-era Texas.
The story follows Will Hewitt, who has wanted to be a Texas Ranger his whole life. When he's asked to gather evidence on moonshining operations in a neighboring small town, that dream finally seems within reach. Along the way, Will learns that enforcing the law takes compassion and kindness, too.
If you're in Glen Rose, it's a fitting book to bring along when you sit a spell. Dry Run is available in paperback and ebook on Amazon.
About The Custom Fabricated Memorial Bench
A memorial piece like this bench has to do two jobs. It has to hold up outdoors for decades, and it has to say the right thing every time someone sits down. Here's how we approached both.
Design. Judy's daughter and son-in-law came up with the design. The colors were chosen to belong to the spot: green to match the library's roof, and grey to match the mortar in its rock walls.
Fabrication. Our welders cut, fitted, and welded the frame in our Granbury shop. We cut the lettering on our CNC plasma table for clean, consistent edges.
Installation. We delivered the bench to the Somervell County Library and anchored it on site so it stays put through Texas weather.
Custom Fabrication For North Texas
Most of what leaves our shop starts the same way this bench did: someone has an idea, a measurement or a sketch on a napkin, and needs it built in steel or aluminum to last.
Dark Horse Metal Works is a custom welding and fabrication shop in Granbury. We work across Hood, Somervell, Parker, Erath and Johnson Counties and the greater Fort Worth area. That includes Glen Rose, Stephenville, Weatherford, Cleburne and the communities in between.
Projects like this one often call for:
Custom fabrication of benches, furniture, railings and one-off pieces
CNC plasma cutting for lettering, logos and detailed shapes
Custom metal signs for businesses, ranches and memorials
Mobile welding when the work needs to happen on site
If you're thinking about a memorial bench, a plaque or a dedication piece for a church, school, park or library, we're glad to talk it through. There's no pressure, just a conversation about what you have in mind and what it would take. Request a quote or call us at 806-620-2675.
You can see more of our work on our project page.
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