A columbarium to store cremated remains was recently completed and dedicated at Calera Rose Hill Cemetery.
It was a project of Gordon Funeral Home and Brent Gordon, a long-time funeral director and owner of the funeral home, said it was a year-long project.
“We partnered with the city and the cemetery here at Rose Hill,” Gordon said. “We came together to build this columbarium wall. We realized there wasn’t a place in the county to memorialize cremains and we got with the city and the cemetery and they allowed us to build this.”
Gordon said the funeral home built it and the town helped with funds.
He thanked those involved. “First of all, we want to thank the cemetery,” Gordon said. “We want to thank the city and everybody involved in allowing us to partner with you guys and allowing us to make a really nice place to memorialize a family’s’ loved ones that are cremations. In the county and the area, there’s just not a place to do that without taking up a grave space or just taking them home. There are many cremains just taken home and we feel like that this will fill a space and help families have a really nice permanent location to memorialize their loved ones.
“This was quite a project. It turned out really nice. We can come out here and have a graveside service here and place the cremains within the wall.”
Calera Vice Mayor Chuck Townsend said the columbarium is a great addition to the town as well as the public.
“I think other towns in the area will also come to realize that this is a special place,” Townsend said.
Calera Police Chief Don Hyde closed in prayer.
“Lord, we know first of all that this place, the location here and the placement of it was something that was much needed for our area and with the future growth … We’re just blessed as a town to be the first to have this type of setting,” Hyde said.
