Envisioned as a consecrated garden where interred ashes lie in rest, this beautiful spot envelopes the warmth and spirit of abiding love and Christian friendship that has been such a notable feature of worship at this church since its inception.
The Garden of Memories is located on the north side of the Sanctuary. Low walls, topped by a wrought-iron fence, allow an unobstructed view of the stately stained-glass windows of the sanctuary, which provide a spiritual background for the garden.
Within these walls, a tree-shaded path winds among beds of flowering shrubs and beside splashing fountains. Ornamental iron gates at the front and rear of the garden openly invite visitors. Red granite tablets bearing the names of the deceased and the years of birth and death are displayed on the garden walls. Receptacles containing the ashes are buried in corresponding rows beneath the lawn.
The Garden of Memories is always open for visitation.
Interment in the Garden of Memories is available only to current members of The Church at Litchfield Park and their immediate families. To preserve the garden for the exclusive use of membership in years to come, reserved space may not be resold or assigned to any other person, but only to the Church. The ashes of only one person may be placed in a single space. The red granite tablets mounted on the garden walls, which simply bear the name of the deceased and the years of birth and death, are purchased through the Garden of Memories Committee at the time of interment.
For those who choose cremation, this beautiful Garden of Memories is designed to accommodate the needs of the membership for generations to come.
Care and control of the Garden of Memories is the responsibility of The Church at Litchfield Park and the Garden of Memories Committee. To reserve a space for interment, or for any business regarding the garden, please call the church office at 623-935-3411.
The original Garden of Memories was begun in the mid-1980’s, and an expansion of the garden, in the summer of 2009, added nearly 350 interment spaces. Located immediately west of the original garden, the west garden was dedicated on September 27, 2009, in memory of Col. Walter A. Douglass and John Petty.
The expansion was made possible thanks to financial gifts by Ginny Douglass and Susan Petty Adams in memory of their husbands. The Veteran’s Memorial Fountain on the west wall was also dedicated in memory of Col. Douglass as a place of remembrance and reflection for those men and women who have served in the U.S. Armed Services.
After the expansion project was completed, the original garden was renovated, financed by Garden of Memories funds and special gifts. Old trees and a deteriorating fountain were removed, the garden was re-stuccoed, and metal fencing was repaired and painted. New trees, grass, plants, concrete benches, and a sparkling fountain were installed. Memorial plaques were removed and realigned, and planters were emptied, cleaned and replanted. This beautiful place of peace and rest is now complete.