As Jan Searles and I worked on our Memorial Garden I did a lot of thinking about Westminster’s history and innumerable contributions to sustaining our faith. As a member from the early 80’s through the early 2000's, I personally knew many of the people whose earthly remains are in this holy place. To a person, they were vibrant, kind, funny and intelligent humans. Most importantly, they loved Westminster and worked with their whole beings to shelter and sustain this community for a future they would never see.
WE, the current members and friends of Westminster are the recipients of their decades of joyful participation, hard work and financial commitment. Of course, we also inherited the responsibility of making sure Westminster survives for many future generations. Right now, WE are creating the history that will reflect our commitment to liberal religion.
In this column I will introduce you to someone in our garden. Then, I invite you to take a walk in our Memorial Garden and choose a name that intrigues you. I will research that person’s life and what they meant to Westminster’s history and include them here on our website. Or, if you know/love someone in our garden that you’d like to introduce to our congregation, please send me a write-up and photo: egagnon@gmail.com Or better yet: Send me an email and we'll set up a meeting. I'd love to learn about your loved one and I'm happy to write the article.
If you'd like to apply to use the Westminster Memorial Garden please fill out an application form (available in the office.) There is currently (2026) a $600 charge which helps defray the cost of your bronze memorial plaque as well as support our ongoing maintenance and improvement program. However, if you don't wish to purchase a plaque, there isn't any charge for interring ashes in our Garden, but please contact Jan Searles or Eva Gagnon to tour the Garden and make arrangements.
The Westminster Memorial Garden was established in 2002 after the congregation approved the recommendation of a planning and design committee. Generous contributions by members and friends of Westminster funded the initial plantings, boulders and landscaping. Later additions included memorial benches (in memory of Helen Eastman) a memorial walkway (in memory of Jean Tisser) and a path of pavers as well as additional boulders purchased by supporters during a fundraiser. Of course, we always gratefully welcome donations to help with the upkeep and growth of our Memorial Garden.