The Relevance of a Cemetery

The importance of the cemetery is profound.

They are places of history. Cemeteries are filled with many stories, nature, and art. They are so many times forgotten in peoples’ lives; people don’t like to think about them.

Myles Munroe is quoted as saying, “The wealthiest place in the world is not the gold mines of South America or the oil fields of Iraq or Iran. They are not the diamond mines of South Africa or the banks of the world. The wealthiest place on the planet is just down the road. It is the cemetery. There lie buried companies that were never started, inventions that were never made, bestselling books that were never written, and masterpieces that were never painted. In the cemetery is buried the greatest treasure of untapped potential.”

The older cemeteries had large monuments – memorials for the family. They told a story many times in words inscribed on a stone. They also told a story about the people lying there in their grave. Look at the old headstones the next time you visit a cemetery. Look at the symbols, the lettering, the shape, size, and color of the stone. What shape is it? What symbols are on it? Many times, a short biography is written. It is never just a name and two dates. Something in a person’s life influenced the decision about that headstone. It tells a story.

Oakwood Memorial Park, with its rolling grounds and trees is a place of beauty and reflection.

Although Oakwood is a memorial park with flat bronze and granite headstones it is still a place filled with wonderful stories. The bronze headstones tell a story just as the people of yesteryear had done. We prefer to call them memorials. Why? Because to us a marker marks a spot, but a memorial marks the grave and tells a little bit about the person lying there. When you design a memorial for yourself or a loved one you are telling a story. Why do you choose roses, oak leaves, a motorcycle, or a fish in your design? It tells something about what was important to you or the one you are designing it for. The colors you choose, the emblems, the wording. Through your design you are revealing a little bit about your life so that when you leave this world people will stop, reflect, and see what was important to you. It isn’t any different than picking a car, a tattoo, a hair color, or a house. There are many questions and just as many answers but the root of all of them is because it is a reflection of you.

So again, ponder the question, what is the importance of a cemetery?

A cemetery provides a permanent resting place for your loved ones and yourself. It provides a permanent place future generations can come to and learn about history – specifically the history of their family. It provides a permanent physical place where family and friends can gather to reflect and tell stories. A cemetery provides a permanent place for the healing of a grieving soul.

For more information, visit our website or call 815-433-0313.

Oakwood Memorial Park

2405 Champlain St

Ottawa, IL 61350