Making Cemeteries Relevant, Lees + Associates

The Woodlands Memorial Garden

 There is perhaps no more important place for the arts to have an impact than at cemeteries.  Creative designs based on a deep understanding of the needs of the grieving and the stories of the departed make an enormous difference in the lasting impact and relevance of a cemetery.  In order to be relevant to their families and communities,  cemeteries need to create spaces and memorials designed to appeal to families, not to groundskeepers. In this series, "Making Cemeteries Relevant" I highlight the work of cemetery innovators.  I am very pleased to present in this installment, the moving work of landscape architects, Lees + Associates, and to share a conversation with Erik Lees.

Pat McNally: When most people think of cemetery projects, they often envision something cold and formal.  Something you may need, but wouldn’t necessarily get excited about.  Your work is different.  In the nature of the projects your firm has been involved in, and the responsiveness of your designs to the stories behind the grounds, and the people who will visit there, I find something very compelling.

What is it about your approach to a project that results in the very personal and human quality of the end result?

Erik Lees: Our approach is collaborative. I think that is one of the reasons the cemeteries we design have a unique character and feel. Working closely with cemetery managers, sales and field workers means that we are able to capture the “site intelligence” that our firm alone could never acquire. We also strive for meaningfulness in our work, in fact it is a common refrain around our office. This means not only a direct relationship with the unique physical qualities of the cemetery, but a thorough understanding of the community, demographics and their interment and memorialization preferences and patterns.

The Royal Oak Green Burial Area

PM: Your firm has been involved in many very interesting and prestigious projects.  In our time here, I’d like to specifically discuss four:  The Royal Oak Green Burial Area, The Woodlands Memorial Garden, the Doukhobor Commemorative Site, and the Mountain View Cemetery Masonic Area Redevelopment.  Each of these projects presented unique challenges, to which creative, humane responses were made.

Let’s start with the green burial area at Royal Oak.  Often the idea of a green cemetery is one where a parcel of land is left to natural forces to determine what changes are made to the landscape.  Often the reality, at least in the UK where the green burial movement has had its biggest impact, is an unattractive and chaotic row upon row of memorial plantings.  While the deceased may have wished to have no permanent marker, survivors often feel differently.  The approach at Royal Oak is different, combining a planned layout with green values.  Please tell us about your approach and design parameters for this project. 

The Royal Oak Green Burial Area

EL: We had three primary objectives when Stephen Olson (Royal Oak Burial Park Manager) asked us to work with him on the Green Burial Area: optimize space utilization, maximize habitat value and create a rich, meaningful experience for those that choose green burial. Our approach is that green burial should not consume more land than traditional burial, so we platted the site at a density roughly equivalent to the rest of the cemetery. In this way the yield in terms of the # of graves per acre was optimized and the financial returns for the cemetery were approximately the same as for traditional burial. Each grave is planted with native shrubs and ground covers and certain graves also accommodate a native tree. This approach will see the habitat value of the green burial area meet or exceed that of the adjacent natural west coast forest. It will also create a feeling that is unique to this part of the world – further enhancing the meaning to this space. One of the challenges with green burial is the manner and method of memorialization. At Royal Oak we created a series of 9 communal memorial stones in basalt where the names of those interred will be inscribed. Basalt is native to British Columbia, takes a beautiful inscription and fits very well with the native plantings. This combination of materials creates a sense of place that few other cemeteries enjoy.

The Royal Oak Green Burial Area

PM: I was deeply moved by your work at Woodlands Memorial Garden.  People who are developmentally disabled have historically been so marginalized, that there is a great satisfaction in seeing this kind of memoriaization, albeit long after the deaths of many of the commemorated residents of this facility.  The integration of the old markers is particularly telling and moving.  What challenges and inspirations did you find in this project?

The Woodlands Memorial Garden

EL: There were so many challenges with this project, but great projects are rarely simple!

The headstones from this 2 acre cemetery had been removed over 40 years ago, some of which were just dumped in a ravine, some were used for patio stones and a retaining wall – as sacrilegious as this may seem.  Our task was to repatriate those stones to the cemetery site, but in the absence of accurate records, we were not able to definitively say where each headstone belonged, hence our decision to incorporate them in to a series of walls. The other challenge was that we only found 900 of the 3200 headstones, so we had to devise a system to acknowledge and remember all those that were buried there, not just those whose names were on the headstones we found. As with all our projects we undertook thorough research and during that process found inspiration in the history of the institution and even more so: the stories of those who lived there. 

The Woodlands Memorial Garden

One of the most compelling stories was how many of the children were housed in dormitories with windows too high to see out of. We decided to create a “window too high” and although it is far more literal than we might otherwise choose, it proved to be a very powerful icon in the garden and one around which visitors had their picture taken. 

The Woodlands Memorial Garden

PM: The Doukhobor Commemorative Site is a site that marks a tragic period of separation, rather than the physical resting place of the families it memorializes.  In this site you were able to communicate the story of a community torn apart to those intimately familiar with it, and to those who have never heard of it in a compelling and sensitive manner.  It seems to me that you were also very responsive to the cultural touchstones of the Doukhobor community in this process.  Please give a bit of background on the story, and tell us how this project was envisioned and completed.

EL: I was drawn to this project after spending much of my early adult years in the West Kootenay area of British Columbia. This is where the Doukhobour community settled after a long period of exile and immigration from Russia and forced movement across Canada. A breakaway sect of the Doukhobours, called the Sons of Freedom, undertook varying degrees of civil disobedience in the early 1950’s. In response, the Government of BC chose to house the sons and daughters of the Sons of Freedom in New Denver – a remote mountainous community that in those days was far removed from the communities in which their parents lived. Over a 5 year period hundreds of children were housed and schooled in a facility in New Denver. 

Doukhobor Commemorative Site

Our task as designers was to create commemoration that told the story in a fair and objective manner, but also reflected the heart wrenching and long lasting effects of the event. Given their communal lifestyle and importance of sharing bread, salt and water at community tables, we created a long community table that was “broken.” The seats around the table are smaller at one end and larger at the other. The plan also included large local stones upon which the first person narratives were to be inscribed. Unfortunately, and perhaps tellingly, this part of the design was never implemented. 

Doukhobor Commemorative Site

PM: Mountain View Cemetery one of the most progressive and culturally responsive cemeteries in North America.  In the past, I have interviewed Cemetery Manager Glen Hodges and Artist in Residence, Paula Jardine.  Now I have a new connection to Mountain View in you!  Mountain View is a cemetery that had run out of burial spaces, and as a result had lost it’s source of income and connection to the community of Vancouver.  What has been accomplished there is nothing less than remarkable, and your firm has been an important part of it.  The Masonic Area Redevelopment was the first of the cemetery’s 12 sections to be redeveloped, and in addition to creating more and varied interment options there, your firm created some remarkably attractive and inviting areas for people to spend time.  The beauty and scale of a cemetery section is vitally important because when families feel comfortable and inspired when visiting, they will return again and again.  This attachment to place is a great benefit to the survivor in continuing their relationship with the deceased, for the community, in having a sense of ownership in the cemetery, and for the financial future of the cemetery itself.

What thoughts and concerns went into the creation of this project?

Mountain View Cemetery Masonic Area Redevelopment

EL: You are correct in that Glen Hodges and Paula Jardine have been two of many keystones to the success of the re-development of Mountain View. Our role was to lead a group of design, heritage and financial consultants in creating the re-development plan, in collaboration with Glen. One of our primary concerns was to develop a design that was not just sympathetic to the very historic Masonic Area, but to enhance it in a sensitive, yet modern way. 

Mountain View Cemetery Masonic Area Redevelopment

We approached this through two primary routes. First we were very careful to integrate the design of the columbaria, family vessels and commemorative elements with the proposed new customer service building and celebration hall. We worked closely with Sandra Moore, Architect, on the landscape around the building and she worked closely with us on the improvements in the Masonic Area. The second strategy we used was to choose materials that worked beautifully with the grey granite curbs and headstones in the area. We took a disciplined, deliberate approach to the selection of material types, colours and textures which resulted in an elegant palette of granite, basalt, concrete and andesite. Cast and extruded aluminum further integrated the cemetery re-development with the buildings.

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Mountain View Cemetery Masonic Area Redevelopment

We also wanted to be sure the columbaria were specific to Mountain View, and so we designed a “rosette-less” system that is at once secure, convenient for field staff and beautiful. It also allowed us to optimize the number of interment options we were able to accommodate on the very narrow and limited road and pathways in this part of the cemetery. Collaboration with Glen and his team, combined with sensitivity to the site has led to a very meaningful and beautiful place.

Mountain View Cemetery Masonic Area Redevelopment

PM: Thank you for your time, Erik, and thank you for the remarkable projects your firm has created.  These memorials have inspired me and I hope that they will inspire other cemeteries and firms to be more creative and responsive in their work.  I invite my readers to visit Lees + Associates on the web to view more of their projects.

For more of the articles in this series, visit:

Columbarium Galleries and Cemetery Sculpture Gardens: Making Cemeteries Relevant, Part 4

Bicycles and Cemeteries: Making Cemeteries Relevant, Part 3

Innovation in Toronto

Feng Shui in Minnesota

Japanese Cemeteries Fill Up

While American Cemeteries Become Irrelevant

Floating Memories: A Ghost Month Tradition in America

(August 2009)

Floating Lantern Memorials in Hawaii

In many parts of the world the seventh lunar month (corresponding roughly with August) is recognized as 'Ghost Month'. In communities influenced by the Chinese Buddhist and Taoist traditions, 'Hungry Ghost' festivals are held to remember, honor, help, and obtain assistance from those who have passed before us. The rituals are as varied as the communities that practice them, and often include the burning of Joss money and offerings of food for the ghosts who are free to wander the earth during this special time. In researching Ghost Month, I learned of one of the most beautiful and moving traditions I have ever come across. Originating in China and Japan, the tradition of placing lanterns afloat to memorialize and aid the dead has begun to catch on in the United States.

The Lantern Festival at Forest Hills Cemetery in Jamaica Plain

Forest Hills Cemetery, in Boston, holds an annual Lantern Festival in July. Drawing inspiration from Japan’s Buddhist Bon Festival, thousands gather at Lake Hibiscus at sunset to send rafts of message-carrying candlelit lanterns drifting over to the other side.

Lantern Floating Participants in Hawaii

Lantern Floating Hawaii is based on Toro Nagashi—a Japanese ceremony started by the Shinnyo-en Buddhist order in 1952, and traditionally held in July and August to mark the end of Obon festival season. Translated literally, the words toro nagashi mean "lantern offerings on water." Hawaii’s Shinnyo-en order holds its ceremony annually on Memorial Day to honor lives lost in war, and to remember departed loved ones. There are prayers for a future filled with peace and harmony. Participants write the names of the deceased and messages of comfort on paper lanterns, which are then set adrift onto the open ocean. This year more than 2,000 candle-lit lanterns will be released from Ala Moana Beach. -from Hawaii Magazine

Participants place their lanterns in the water at Ala Moana Beach Park

Lanterns on the Yangtse River in China

Here is an exerpt from the Lantern Floating Hawaii site, and a video of this breathtaking ritual from YouTube.

Every Memorial Day thousands of people gather at Ala Moana Beach Park for the Lantern Floating Ceremony led by Her Holiness Keishu Shinso, the spiritual head of Shinnyo-en. The ceremony remembers those who gave their lives in conflict, allows for reflection on the memories of loved ones and dedicates prayers for a peaceful and harmonious future. Just as the waters of the Pacific merge with each ocean, the wish for peace and happiness extends from Hawaii across the globe. The Lantern Floating is free and open to all regardless of nationality, race, faith or lifestyle. Each individual who takes part in the ceremony will bring their own unique life journey, memories, and hopes with them. Each personal experience adds to the healing and transformative power of the event. For those wishing to make prayer requests, they will be accepted from all people regardless of religious belief. A limited number of lanterns will also be made available to the public beginning at 1 p.m.

The Trees Remember: Memorial Plantings

There are many ways to memorialize a person. There are monuments, eulogies, traditions and rituals. There are gifts of flowers and donations to charitable organizations. In fact, there are as many ways to memorialize as there are special people to remember. The important thing is to make your memorial appropriate to the spirit of your loved one; a meaningful tribute to their personality.

Planting a tree is by no means a new idea for memorials. Many of us have planted trees with our own hands in memory of a loved one, and it is a satisfying and moving experience to get your hands dirty, and your muscles working for such a good reason. It is also an act that allows for reflection and the symbolism of renewal as we see that tree grow and change each season

Tree planting can also be arranged as a memorial gift, replenishing the earth with a group of trees planted where they are needed most. This is what 'The Trees Remember' organization offers. I recently had the opportunity to interview Todd Pagel, the owner and founder of The Trees Remember.

Pat McNally: What inspired you to start this service, Mr. Pagel?

Todd Pagel: The Trees Remember was created to connect people looking to give unique and inspirational gifts, for almost any occasion, and various non-profit reforestation initiatives, which are trying desperately to save our endangered forests and woodlands.

It is our mission to supply simple and affordable giving solutions, which create vibrant, living legacies for those honored for years to come. The initial inspiration to start this project was actually quite simple. In searching for a unique gift for somebody, I came across a site offering tree dedications. I immediately fell in love with the idea of giving a gift which kept “paying the planet back” long after most gifts would be forgotten or thrown away. The materials the recipient would have received through this company, however, were utterly unimpressive and, in my opinion, did not live up to the gift’s noble intent. I was certain I could improve upon the idea, the presentation, and the price. The Trees Remember was founded to achieve a number of goals. We wish to promote tree planting as a viable, more meaningful and symbolic gift alternative to “traditional”, temporary gifts, like cards, candy, flowers, etc.; to significantly enhance the experience of both giving and receiving a tree dedication gift; and to reinforce the efforts of non-profit groups who are planting trees and struggling to restore areas of the planet which have significant reforestation needs.

Pat McNally: How does your organization differ from other tree planting services?

Todd Pagel: The Trees Remember differs from similar services in a number of ways. First and foremost is our understanding that the physical qualities of the gift, and the experience of receiving it, are almost as important as the sentiment behind it. Other services create rather mundane cards, sent in ordinary paper envelopes. We believe a gift like this deserves more elegant treatment and more attention to detail. Additionally, if the tree dedication site’s card generation is an automated process, any error the giver of the gift might make on the order form will find its way directly onto the final product, which can prove unfortunate or even embarrassing. Most importantly, most services also fail to offer significant opportunity to truly personalize the gift, or allow the sender to express their feelings, in their own words, on a separate card.

The Trees Remember, however, creates each card individually, by hand. They are printed on recycled photographic paper and slipped into elegant and sturdy, textured, cardboard frames, which have an embossed, double border and decorative edges. We also provide an elegant fold-over note, in its own separate envelope, in which our customers can say whatever they are truly feeling. Sometimes it is a simple one sentence phrase, while other times, it can be paragraphs long. Rather than depending on automation and website scripts, we personally input these sentiments individually, proofreading each and every one. We do not change the wording of the message (except in obvious cases of transposed words), but we look out for our customer’s best interests, adding commas, capitalizing names, and formatting the message to its best effect. Once the acknowledgment card is in the frame, and the personal note is in its envelope and slipped inside, we wrap the frame with a waxed cord from which dangles a small pewter “Eternity Tree” charm. Though it is only the size of a dime, it is a physical reminder of the gift itself, and they can attach it to key-chains, bracelets, necklaces, bookmarks, etc., so a reminder of their memories is always close at hand and within sight. After all that, the finished package is placed in a rigid cardboard mailer (also recycled, of course), so even if the mailman has a bad day, your framed card arrives in pristine condition. All these components and processes make our gift acknowledgment package a pleasure to receive. The quality is immediately apparent, and reflects well on our customers. Our central aim is to provide added value to the presentation of this symbolic gift, and to convey our customer’s sentiments in as elegant and uplifting a manner as possible.

Pat McNally: I understand that your policy is to work through third party non-profits, and to facilitate the planting of trees where they are needed, rather than in a place that is easy for contributors to see. This makes sense, however, what assurance do people considering memorials have that their funds will actually be used to plant trees? Also, is there a list of third party groups that you work with?

Todd Pagel: Being a business, we do not publish specific information on costs and/or affiliations, as we consider this proprietary information. However, we understand the natural tendency to want “a paper trail” in transactions like this and are currently investigating implementation of third party auditing and certification, to provide another level of validation for our business model. I will state for the record that the non-profit organizations we use are the largest in the industry, and have established and impeccable reputations going back decades, and have planted literally hundreds of thousands of trees over the years. Though we heartily endorse donations to international reforestation efforts as well, at present, we are currently targeting only domestic planting.

Pat McNally: Are the trees planted through this program harvested later?

Todd Pagel: The trees we arrange to have planted are all planted in U.S. National Parks, and are not scheduled to be harvested at any later date. They are planted as seedlings, in areas where they are sorely needed - areas ravaged by fire, erosion, or human interference in natural cycles, and there they will stay, becoming vital components of a vibrant ecosystem once again, and for many, many years to come.

Pat McNally: Can you tell us what percentage of each gift goes to the actual planting of trees?

Todd Pagel: Each non-profit has a cost they incur to plant each tree, and we pay whatever price they require in order to fill the amount of the gift. It varies from group to group. What I can say that The Trees Remember is still a very young company, run out of a very meager office, with a very small staff, and I, as owner, have yet to draw a regular salary, or actually take any money at all out of the company. This is a labor of love and commitment, not an endeavor we engage in for the money or to retire on any time soon.

Pat McNally: How can families specify that memorials for their loved ones go to your organization?

Todd Pagel: This question hits upon the core of a program we are currently developing, namely encouraging funeral homes to offer our service directly to families they are serving, as well as to those who support the families in their time of grief. Funerary staff can easily offer memorial planting information as an option to the family when the package of services is being purchased. In order for families to directly endorse the use of our services, they should have funeral home notifications and/or obituaries include a phrase like “In lieu of flowers, the family encourages the planting memorial trees through The Trees Remember at www.thetreesremember.com/memorialtrees.html ”, or something like that. We are also developing a discreet and elegant way of enabling distribution of memorial planting information right at the funeral home, during visiting hours (with family permission), wherein mourners could access a small display of information, be able to take a small reminder card home with them, and order online after the service. This is a delicate endeavor, however, and we are still assessing its viability via industry consultants.

Pat McNally: Thank you for discussing your business with us, Mr. Pagel. Are there any thoughts or statistics about tree planting that you'd like to leave us with?

Todd Pagel: I would like to share my feelings on the giving of trees as an expression of sympathy and the dedication of trees as living legacies to lives well lived:

Trees are stoic, silent, and seemingly eternal. They are strong, and solid. They are deeply rooted into the very fabric of this world and have an elegant grace about them that is unmatched in nature. As we evolved, trees have always offered us shelter, food, protection, etc. There has always been a spiritual link between man and trees, and people who are grieving find in trees an unspoken solace and a solemn comfort. When somebody loses a loved one, I believe they subconsciously embrace things which seem more permanent, and more resistant to the passage of time, to give them a reassuring sense of the world’s continuity as they navigate dramatic changes in their lives. Trees offer that connection to something larger than ourselves, something which will live on long after we have turned to dust. In fact, the name of the company came from this snippet of verse.

“Heart and Soul of the World,

Timeless Watchers of Men,

The Trees Remember All.”

-Anonymous

for more information, visit The Trees Remember Website. All photos in this post were used by permission from Todd Pagel

On the Streets: Graffiti Memorials

8/26/09 
At a recent industry conference, I heard several stories of children carving their initials into trees used as evidence of our natural need for being remembered. This wasn't an official discussion topic, just casual conversations among funeral professionals, but it got me thinking.

What can we learn from graffiti memorials?

Rest in peace - until we meet again

I don't endorse or condone the alteration of another's property without their permission, and I'd be the first person to complain if our funeral home was vandalized. Right or wrong though, graffiti sometimes speaks for those who lack the means, but not the creativity to communicate something important. What these pieces tell me, is that there is a basic human need to memorialize our dead. It is important enough that some people risk jail time to paint a piece that says, "this person mattered to me, this life was important and I want everyone to know about it, I remember a unique person who changed my life, my loss is painful and it matters".

The young man who memorialized his friend on this wall is facing criminal charges. He apologized to the business owners, but also said of his friend "he was one of the most beautiful people I've ever known"

When New Zealand Green Activist Rod Donald died, a supporter put up this message, but not everyone in the party was pleased about it.

The writing on the wall

The families in our society choose more and more to deal with grieving on their own. Funeral processions and services are described as gaudy, or just for show. People say they want to remember on their own, to celebrate rather than mourn. I think that the graffiti shown here should remind us that there is a strong need for us to have a public facet to our grief experience. We need people to acknowledge what has been lost and understand that our lives have been touched and changed.

A familiar face is no longer in all the places we once saw it.

What happens when we do not allow ourselves a public expression of our loss at a funeral or memorial service? We have an un-met need. We don't get the support and empathy of our friends and neighbors. We have something burning in the back of our throat, but we haven't let it out, so we find ourselves unable to really move beyond it.

I'm not crazy about graffiti, but it does allow those without a voice to be heard, and maybe there would be less of it on the walls and trains of our world if families took the time and effort to have meaningful funerals.

Graffiti can be used for protest as well as memorialization. In January, I posted a story on Ghost Bikes, bicycles that are painted white and chained to the places where bicyclists have been killed by automobiles. Here are two more ways that victims are memorialized on the streets of the world. The photos above are from a public awareness campaign in Portugal, reminding pedestrians and motorists alike that 1/4 of the victims of traffic fatalities are pedestrians. The names of pedestrians who have died make up the bars in these crosswalks. Strictly speaking, this is not graffiti because permission was given for the installations. In fact, an insurance company sponsored the campaign.

This photo is from Guatemala, where white crosses were painted on the streets on July 11, 2009 to protest and to remember.

"Today, the principle roads of the city appeared painted with white crosses, an action of the Civic National Movement to remember the victims of violence and impunity." Prensa Libre http://bit.ly/BKrM6

via Boing Boing http://www.boingboing.net/2009/06/11/guatemala-white-cros.html

So what can we learn from graffiti memorials?

Each life matters and each loss needs to be acknowleged.

R.I.P.

A Parking Lot: Dedication to Larry Burman

On August 30th, we held a ceremony dedicating the new parking lot at the Olson-Holzhuter-Cress Funeral Home in Stoughton, in the memory of a beloved employee and friend, Larry Burman. A parking lot may seem like an odd thing to dedicate, but as Pastor Richard Halom noted in his opening address, a well constructed parking lot may not be a glamorous thing like a bridge or an ocean liner, but it makes life nicer for everyone, and welcomes them in to where they are going. Larry was like that. He wasn't flashy and didn't need to be the center of attention, but his smile, wit and gentle helpfulness made difficult days easier for his co-workers and the families we serve.

The Rev. Richard Halom addresses the gathering of Larry's friends and family

In this business, there are many stressful deadlines and concerns, but nothing like that ever seemed to phase Larry. He was always smiling and in a good mood, and usually had some choice wise-cracks along the way. He took care of everything that needed to be done even before any of us thought to do it. We knew that if Larry was on the job, everything would go well, and we’d have a good time too. Larry wasn’t a funeral director, but he could certainly run a funeral better than most of the funeral directors out there. What always amazed me about Larry was how fast he moved - even though he suffered from arthritis. When he came to work in the morning it seemed like he was hopping out of his car and ready to go - even before the car came to a full stop. The only time I ever saw Larry upset was when he came in one day to tell us about the seriousness of his illness. He wanted so much to be around long enough to hold his new grandchild.

Following Pastor, I shared some memories of Larry and performed the dedication

Larry had a wonderful and humorous take on everything, and he referred to everything as a ‘doo-hinkus’. Larry had a sharp wit- he didn’t suffer foolishness, and you always knew how he felt about something, but it was always good natured, and he was willing to laugh at himself as well. One night, we were working a visitation, standing to the side and visiting, and Larry looked down towards the floor and started laughing. It seems that when he got up in the morning it must have still been dark, and he put on one brown shoe and one black one. He laughed about that for a long time and he even made a point to tell the family about it –which I know brightened up the evening for them.

Larry's Plaque and Monument sit in a garden planter in the parking lot

Larry had a great love for his family. He was always talking about them, and you could tell that he cared deeply for them. Larry’s wife Pat, and their children and grandchildren are wonderful people just like Larry. When Larry died, I can only imagine what his family was going through, but when we got out to his house, I’m not sure if I was helping the family through things, or if they were helping me, because that’s the kind of gracious giving people they are. I know that Larry loved them very much.

Gathering in the funeral home to share memories after the dedication

Because Larry was so good at so many things, he was always in great demand for all sorts of projects at all of the Cress locations. So, it was natural that he took the lead when we needed a new parking lot. We took a lot of bids to resurface in asphalt, but Larry was smart enough to realize when D.W. Nelson Concrete of Stoughton gave us a great bid for doing it in concrete, that this was the best choice in terms of quality and cost effectiveness for the long term. On Larry’s recommendation, we went with Nelson’s bid, and I know that Larry would have been very pleased with the work they did for us.

Larry's wife Pat, stands with me at the close of the service

And so, we found it fitting to dedicate our parking lot in the loving memory of our friend Larry Burman. The plaque that now rests in the garden planter area of the lot, generously donated by Wisconsin Monument of Stoughton, will be a reminder to us of Larry’s wonderful spirit; cheering us up as we go out to services, reminding us as we come back in the afternoon why we do this work, warming us with his memory as we stand out parking cars on the cold winter days, and in a special way, we know that Larry will still be the first one here in the morning.