Funeral service holiday memorials continue tradition born out of pandemic

SYCAMORE – Keeping with a tradition born out of the COVID-19 pandemic, Olson Funeral and Cremation Services will hold its third annual Luminaria walk Nov. 27 at Olson Quiram Chapel in Sycamore.

The candle-lighting ceremony is held in late November as a way to help grieving families prepare for the holidays and “keep the good memories alive,” said Clay Kloster, a director at Olson Funeral and Cremation Services.

“It’s a very family oriented time getting into the holidays, and when you lose a loved one, you know, it’s hard to see that empty chair sitting there,” Kloster said.

The Luminaria walk at Olson Quiram Chapel in Sycamore will take place from 3:30 to 6 p.m. on Nov. 27. A similar display at the Nicholas Conservatory in Rockford will be held on Nov. 25.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered the world in early 2020, Olson Funeral and Cremation Services would hold an inside candle-light service for families who’d held a funeral through the company during the preceding year.

“Obviously during the pandemic we couldn’t handle a hundred some people in the building so we decided to go with this and we had a really good turn out during those years so we decided to keep it going,” Kloster said.

The general public is invited to drive by the chapel to see the illuminated lanterns. The event, however, is meant to give the families of the deceased specifically an opportunity to mourn with others in the community who’ve also lost loved ones over the past year.

The names and pictures of all the people who had services with Olson Funeral and Cremation Services over the past year will be printed on paper bags and placed along the Somonauk Street sidewalk. Families will be able to visit the chapel to pick up their loved one’s luminaria after the event.

Luminarias, sometimes called farolito, are traditionally used as Christmas decorations and are often seen in New Mexico. Olson Funeral and Cremation Services have taken that custom and spun it into a new tradition.

“It’s something to keep them in mind and thought and spirit as you’re getting ready for the holiday season,” Kloster said.

Olson Funeral and Cremation Services held indoor remembrance services before the pandemic. After pivoting to the outdoor format in 2020, the funeral company received positive feedback from families and opted to keep the format moving forward.

“Most families that have come have been very appreciative of this,” Kloster said.