When a loved one passes on, there is often a need for a specific point of remembrance where a person can go to reflect and remember that loved one. This may be the cemetery where the departed was buried, but in the case of a cremation or burial at a distant location, such a place may not be available. We naturally turn to the Church, which teaches and reminds us of God's love and his promise of eternal life.

Ascension Lutheran's Memorial Garden and Wall serves to bring together two important needs, a place to remember loved ones and a place to reflect on God's great love for us. The Memorial Garden was the gift and passion of Roy Foerster who recognized the need for such a place when his wife Barbara passed away.

The Memorial Garden is a hedge-enclosed garden with stone benches where one may go and reflect on departed loved ones, or simply meditate and pray. Cast bronze plaques bearing the names of those memorialized are mounted on a polished granite memorial wall within the garden. The plaques are standardized in size and basic design and are approximately three inches high by six inches wide.

Any person with a direct connection to Ascension Lutheran Church is eligible to be memorialized with a plaque on the wall. (Groups or events are not eligible.) The plaque may not be installed until after the person is deceased, but a plaque may be prepurchased. One may also select a blank "space holder" plaque that can be installed on the wall to reserve a location, and then engraved and reinstalled at a future date. Plaques will be installed in the order in which they are received.

The costs for the plaques are as follows which include the cost of the plaque, its installation, and perpetual care of the plaque, garden and wall:

$450 -Memorial plaque
$550 -Space holder plaque

For more information about the Memorial Wall, please contact Todd Klipp at (805) 480-3334, or by e-mail at klippers@roadrunner.com.