Testimonials

About 25 years ago, Jeffrey Hardy began to notice an important change in how the world viewed cremation. In 1990 around 20% of the US population preferred cremation, but changes in religious acceptance, cost, environmental concerns and geography began to quickly alter many family's preferences. Jeffrey knew that these social trends would create dramatic changes in the services that funeral homes, cemeteries and crematories provide. Over the next 25 years the number of cremations grew at about 1.64% per year and the need for columbarium products expanded with the demand.

During much of the 20th century the Western Canadian prairie was dominated by fields of grain, criss-crossed by train tracks, and punctuated by tall grain elevators that loaded wheat, barley and oats onto waiting railroad cars. These “prairie skyscrapers,”, emblazoned with the name of the local town, became an iconic symbol of the farming communities that prospered in the prairies until the era of the automobile.

The Spokane River flows through the city of Spokane after flowing from Lake Coeur d' Alene through the picturesque Spokane Valley. Spokane is home to over 200,000 people and is a vibrant cultural center for the region. The Immaculate Heart Retreat Center and Queen of Peace Cemetery are located in the southern hills of Spokane and provide the local community with a location for retreat and contemplation of peace. Catholic Cemeteries of Spokane developed a unique vision for the Queen of Peace Cemetery drawing from the meditative and contemplative elements of the rosary. The cemetery is designed as a life-size “Rosary Garden Walk,” following the design and intention of the traditional rosary beads. The beads of the rosary are represented by niche units. Visitors can bring a rosary and stop on each bead of the path to say prayers.

Trinity Lutheran Church has served the Houston community since 1879. The church, also known as Trinity Lutheran Downtown, includes a church, school, and cemetery. The cemetery is on 1.3 acres of land near the church in downtown Houston. When Faye Faszholz, a church member who serves on the Cemetery Committee and the church grounds Facilities Committee, visited a cemetery in Oklahoma that had a columbarium, she was inspired and began to research the idea of installing columbaria at Trinity.

A close up view shows that the niches that form the cross are backless to showcase the marble wall. Deacon Paul and his community are very happy with their beautiful new columbarium. He is equally happy about their first experience working with KMI Columbaria. “They are small enough that they listened, but big enough that they performed.”