After many years of careful planning and creation, the Community Memorial Garden and Columbarium opened in October 2025.  The Memorial Garden features a Memorial Wall, the Columbarium and Honor bricks that line the entrance walkway. The Garden’s entrance features a stained glass gate that was designed and made by a local Williams artist, Eric Dearing.

The Columbarium has niches that will hold up to two cremated remains.  The Memorial Wall holds plaques that remember a deceased loved one.  The Honor bricks recognize a special event date (weddings, baptism, births, etc.) and will be placed along the entrance walkway into the garden.

The Memorial Garden is for the entire Williams community and surrounding areas.  Niches, plaques and bricks are available for purchase through the church.

The Memorial Garden was conceived as an extension of the long-standing tradition of a church yard burial resting place.  This Garden provides families in Williams and the surrounding areas a place to honor their loved ones in the Christian tradition.  It is a reminder of preceding generations and a peaceful place for remembering loved ones and meditating on the meaning of faith and eternal life.  It provides a beautiful and serene place to visit, pray and give thanks for the happy memories of the special lives that have been shared.

What is a Columbarium?

The columbarium is a structure within the Memorial Garden comprised of individual niches or compartments in which urns are placed.  Each niche can contain two urns.  Each niche has an engraved granite front with the name(s) along with birth and death date(s) of the ashes of the person(s) inurned within.  Inurnment is available to any resident of Williams or the surrounding areas whether or not they have a specific church affiliation.

Inurnment is the placing of ashes into an urn and then placing the urn into a niche in the Columbarium.  A Priest of St. John’s or a Pastor/Leader of your choice will be present and conduct the service of inurnment.

The price of a niche is $1600.  Each niche is large enough to accommodate two (2) urns.  The price includes the engraving, shipping and handling of the granite faceplate and the internal urn(s).

What are Memorial Wall Plaques?

Memorial wall plaques are an alternative to the niches that will allow people to honor those loved ones who have passed with their name, birth and death dates. The Memorial Wall has room for 120 plaques.  Each plaque is six (6) inches by four (4) inches.  There is one name per plaque.  The cost per plaque with engraving is $500.

What are Honor Walkway Bricks?

The bricks are individually engraved to honor, celebrate or memorialize an event (weddings, baptisms, birthdays, anniversaries, etc.)  Each brick is four (4) inches by eight (8) inches by two and a quarter (2 1/4) inches.  Engraving can be up to three (3) lines. Each brick has a cost of $100.

Costs Include

The cost of what you purchase includes the maintenance of the Garden, and the cost of maintaining records of the use and administration of the Garden in perpetuity.

If a loved one was in the military, their rank and branch of service can be noted on the faceplate/plaque.

To Order or Get Additional Information

Samples bricks, plaques and niches are available at the church for viewing and to help answer your questions.

Please contact the church office at office@stjohnswilliamsaz.org, or call (928)635-2781 and leave a message with any questions or order information you may have.