A Memorial Garden can meet a need in today’s busy world, where people tend to move from place to place, often having no enduring ties to any one community. What better site, then, for a final resting place than near to a church which held meaning during life? At the Church we dedicate our children to God in Baptism and hear the Good News of God’s love for His children. How natural that the Church should be the site for committal of ashes and the last rites of comfort.
Through its Memorial Garden, First United Methodist Church of Ann Arbor offers a means of proclaiming our faith and serving those in need. A committee was formed in 1979 to establish a Garden to be located on the south side of the building. Formal consecration was November 8, 1981.
The process for interment prescribes that each person’s ashes will be buried directly in the soil in a separate, undesignated location within the walls of the Garden. At the time of interment, a short prayer service will be conducted by a minister of First Church and witnessed by a member of the Memorial Garden Committee. Family members and friends are welcome to be present at this ceremony. Interments are generally scheduled from April through October but can be conducted during the rest of the year as the weather permits. Names of the interred are inscribed on the Garden Wall twice a year. The number of interments is now close to 400.
Our Memorial Garden Brochure includes additional information, fee structure and contact information. It also contains directions on how to begin the process of creating an interment agreement for yourself or a loved one.
To discuss scheduling of an interment, please contact the church office at 734-662-4536.
Contributions to the maintenance and enhancement of the Garden are always welcome. Donations for spring flowers are used each May for a brief service on the Sunday before Memorial Day. Families may wish to designate the Garden for memorial contributions. For details or general questions, please contact the church office at 734-662-4536 or info@fumc-a2.org.