GCC Memorial Gardens
Where are the Memorial Gardens?
Glenview Community Church (GCC) has two Memorial Gardens. They are both places of quiet beauty, offering comfort to those who visit. You are welcome to visit either garden. We simply ask that you treat the area with reverence and respect, in honor of those interred there.
The original (interior) Memorial Garden, established in 1982, is located in the interior courtyard of the church. It is accessible through a door on the north side of the Upper Commons. Cremains are buried under the stone pavers in the courtyard and the names of those interred are listed on wall plaques adjacent to the door. This garden, with its outstanding reservations, has reached capacity.
A second (exterior) Memorial Garden was created in 2024 and is located on the east lawn of the church property, adjacent to the circular driveway and Elm Street. This garden has space for cremated ashes to be buried and also includes a Remembrance Wall to honor loved ones not interred at GCC.
Who can be buried in a Memorial Garden?
Members of GCC, their families, and friends of GCC may have their ashes interred in a GCC Memorial Garden. Extended family or friends of a church member can be interred but at a higher cost.
What is the process for reserving space in a Memorial Garden?
Any eligible person can complete an Interment Plot Reservation Form and submit it to the church office. A specific plot can then be selected from the available plots and reserved. The plot reservation fee must be paid within 30 days of submitting the reservation form and prior to interment.
Plots can be reserved at any time (in advance or by a family member at the time of death.)
Family members can request adjacent plots if they are available. Spouses/life partners can request to have their ashes co-mingled and be interred together.
What are Remembrance Plaques and who are they for?
An area of the perimeter wall of the exterior Memorial Garden, the Remembrance Wall, is available for bronze Remembrance Plaques.
Remembrance Plaques are intended for families to create a memorial location at GCC for family or friends interred elsewhere or to commemorate significant family history.
Plaques will be text-only, cast bronze, and permanently mounted to the designated area of the perimeter wall.
What is the process for ordering a Remembrance Plaque?
Any church member can complete a Remembrance Plaque Order Form and submit it to the church office.
The Memorial Garden Care Committee will review the requested message submitted in the order form to ensure the message is appropriate for the Memorial Garden and that it can fit in the space available.
Once approved, final costs will be calculated and the applicant will remit payment. When payment is received, GCC Office Staff will order the plaque.
Plaques will be installed as they are received.
Each family is limited to three plaques.
What are the fees?
The fee to reserve a plot in a Memorial Garden is $2,000 per person for GCC members and their immediate family (parents, children, and spouses/life partners). This fee must be paid at the time of reservation. Remittance of this fee covers the cost of burial in the Garden, the stone marker, and contributes to the perpetual care of both Memorial Gardens. Extended family or friends of a church member will be charged 50% above that of the current member cost.
An optional bronze nameplate with the name, birth and death year can be ordered at the time of death through the church office. This nameplate will be affixed to the top of the stone marker. The fee for the plaque will be 10% above the acquisition cost. [Estimated 2024 price: $185-200]
The fee for each Remembrance Plaque is $500 plus the cost of the engraved bronze plaque and installation. [Estimated 2024 total price: $850]
Fees listed above were calculated for 2024. Fees will be reviewed regularly and adjusted as needed by the Memorial Garden Care Committee. Financial assistance will be available as funds permit. Requests for assistance should be made to the Senior Minister at GCC.
What is the process for burial of cremated ashes?
When an individual dies, family members should complete a Interment Plot Reservation Form and contact the ministers of the church to request the deceased’s cremains be interred in the Memorial Garden at a mutually agreed-upon time and date.
If a plot had not be previously reserved, a family member can complete an Interment Plot Reservation Form, select an available plot location for their loved one, and remit payment at this time.
A Certificate of Cremation (provided by a funeral home) is required prior to interment.
Physical and electronic copies of all records related to interment (plot reservation form, receipt of payment, plot location, and certificate of cremation) will be kept in the church office and made available to family members upon request.
During the interment ceremony, ashes are placed directly into the earth. Urns and other containers will not be used.
During or shortly after the interment, a stone marker (and optional bronze nameplate) will be placed over the ashes.
Can flowers or mementos be placed in the Memorial Gardens?
The Memorial Gardens are designed to be places of tranquility. Landscaping and seasonal plantings are thoughtfully planned and maintained by the Memorial Garden Care Committee. As such, no permanent personal plantings, containers, ornaments, or markers of any kind can be placed in the Memorial Gardens. Live flowers/bouquets may be temporarily placed in the garden (e.g., to commemorate a birthday or anniversary) but will be removed when they are no longer fresh.
Do the Memorial Gardens accept gifts and donations?
If people are interested in making contributions to the Memorial Gardens, they should contact the Memorial Garden Care Committee directly.
Help with seasonal planting and/or clean-up or special projects is welcome and can be scheduled with the committee.
In the event of special monetary gifts, the Memorial Garden Care Committee may recommend additional features to complement the basic garden design and enhance the experience. The committee will be responsible for selecting the specific items for purchase and getting those selections approved by church leadership. When appropriate, bronze text-only plaques identifying the honoree for the purchase can be installed at a cost comparable to a Remembrance Plaque for the Remembrance Wall.
The committee is interested in adding or updating the following to the Memorial Gardens:
- Perennials and seasonal flowers
- Signs identifying each garden and when it was established
- Up to 4 vinyl screens with flower boxes for the Interior Memorial Garden
- Irrigation system
If there are no enhancement items needing to be purchased, monetary gifts will be added to the Memorial Garden endowment fund.
Who is responsible for the upkeep of the Memorial Gardens?
The Memorial Garden Care Committee is responsible for the care and maintenance of the Memorial Gardens and is charged with maintaining the simplicity and uniformity of each Memorial Garden. The Memorial Garden Care Committee will coordinate with GCC Facilities and/or Office Staff as needed. This committee reports to the Resource Ministry via the Properties Board. Any significant changes to Memorial Garden Policies, procedures, or operations of the Memorial Gardens will be brought to the Leadership Council by the Resource Ministry Leadership Council Member. Current members of the Memorial Garden Care Committee are Scott Lothian (Chair), Dori Hirsch, Peter Grant, Bob Selgrad, and Laura Heyser.
