Sycamore funeral home holds Luminaria Walk

Candle-lighting ceremonies to remember loved ones who have died have been a longtime holiday tradition for Olson Funeral & Cremation Services’ Quiram Sycamore Chapel.

Because of COVID-19 restrictions in 2020, the funeral home changed its traditional indoor ceremony to an outdoor Luminaria Walk. The positive feedback from this change led to the chapel hosting its second annual Luminaria Walk on Nov. 28, according to a news release.

The names and pictures of all the people cared for by Olson since the last Luminaria Walk were printed on paper bags with candles inside, which were placed along the sidewalk in front of the chapel. Two lines of paper lanterns stretched the entire length of the funeral home. Families were offered hot chocolate and an ornament of remembrance. They had the chance to share the evening around a warming fire with a community of families who have suffered the same loss this past year.

Staff members who set up the display heard many other positive comments from people on the walk. A similar display was held at the Nicholas Conservatory in Rockford on Nov. 26.

“Our staff is honored to host this event for the families we’ve served over the past year. It’s a wonderful opportunity for them to come together and share holiday memories of their loved ones,” Scott Olson, president and the fifth generation of the Olson family to head the company, said in the release.

More pictures from both events can be seen on the Olson Funeral & Cremation Services Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/OlsonFH/.