You may have heard or seen that our new Welcome Center is now open! This new space at Lakewood was intentionally designed to welcome the community, and also to help us better guide individuals and families who wish to explore memorialization options at Lakewood. Whether families are coping with a recent loss, deciding how to memorialize a loved one’s urn they have at home, or planning ahead, our Family Services team can lend a listening ear and offer advice as people make meaningful end-of-life decisions. “The best part of our new space,” says Kelly Leahy, Director of Family Services, “is that ..read more

J.E. Sunde Minneapolis is known for its vibrant music scene, and one of the most unique places in the city to hear an eclectic range of local musicians may be Lakewood’s Music in the Chapel concert series. The popular concerts feature a variety of folk, classical, jazz and vocal groups and take place in the historic Byzantine mosaic chapel, completed in 1910 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.   Lakewood recently had the opportunity to interview three artists scheduled to perform in this year’s concert series.  A space focused on listening J.E. Sunde describes his ..read more

A cemetery might not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of volunteer opportunities, but over the last two years, more than fifty people have joined Lakewood’s Welcome Team, with three others serving as volunteer tour guides. Each dedicated volunteer brings a unique purpose and interest to Lakewood. Here are a few of their stories. Ann Holleschau “My husband is interred in Lakewood’s Garden Mausoleum, and my in-laws are buried in the garden across from the Memorial Chapel. When I visit my husband’s niche in the mausoleum, I meet other people who come frequently to visit their ..read more

Each season, you’re invited to share the beauty of Lakewood during our seasonal Focus on the Seasons photo contest. Twelve winners each year will have their photo featured in the Lakewood calendar. Winners will also receive two free tickets to a Lakewood event, like a Trolley Tour or a Music in the Chapel concert. Enter your photo: Scroll down to submit your Focus on the Seasons winter entries. When submissions are open, you may enter up to two seasonal photos taken on Lakewood’s grounds. Photos must be horizontal and high-resolution. Photos cannot include any recognizable faces. Photographe ..read more

Maybe, when Fran Tilton Shelton first fell in love with her husband, twenty years her senior, she might have considered that one day she’d need to take on a caregiving role. But that’s not the kind of thing you think of at thirty-five, or when you’re falling in love.   In honor of National Caregiver’s month in November, Lakewood will host a special author talk with Shelton, on Thursday, November 2, followed by a discussion of her book, “No Winter Lasts Forever: A Memoir of Loving Bob and Loathing Alzheimer’s,” on Tuesday, November 14.  Shelton’s heartfelt journey delves into her husb ..read more

Enter your fall photo in Lakewood’s Focus on the Seasons photo contest. You’re invited to share the beauty of Lakewood during our Focus on the Seasons fall photo contest. Each season, three winners will have their photos featured in our Lakewood calendar. Winners will also receive two free tickets to a Lakewood event, like a Trolley Tour or a Music in the Chapel concert. Enter your photo:You may enter your photo now through Monday, October 16. Enter up to two seasonal photos taken on Lakewood’s grounds. Photos must be horizontal and high-resolution and cannot include any r ..read more

Vote for your favorite Focus on the Seasons summer photo. Lakewood’s Focus on the Seasons summer photo contest was a huge success! Thanks to all who participated. You can learn more about the photo contest and find upcoming dates and contest rules here. We received so many beautiful photos it was difficult to narrow down to just eight, but we’re thrilled to present our semi-finalists! Scroll down to vote.Everyone is invited to vote for your favorite below. Please only vote once! Voting runs through Monday, September 25. The three photos that receive the most votes will be featured in our 2024 ..read more

Every remembrance story is one of a kind and so is each lovingly created lantern released during Lakewood’s Annual Lantern Lighting Celebration. At this year’s event on Friday, September 22 and Saturday, September 23, everyone is invited to come decorate lantern sleeves to honor and remember loved ones. When the sun sets, the lanterns carrying small lights will be placed in Jo Pond, as cherished names are read aloud, accompanied by the stirring music of a bagpipe.  Anne Maimares and her husband Eric Skarphol have attended the event twice. The first year they were invited by Barbara Heinz ..read more

Beginning Thursday, August 17, enter your summer photo in Lakewood’s Focus on the Seasons photo contest. You’re invited to share the beauty of Lakewood during our Focus on the Seasons summer photo contest. Each season, three winners will have their photos featured in our Lakewood calendar. Winners will also receive two free tickets to a Lakewood event, like a Trolley Tour or a Music in the Chapel concert. Enter your photo:Beginning Thursday, August 17 through Monday, August 28, you may enter up to two seasonal photos taken on Lakewood’s grounds. Photos must be horizontal an ..read more

Barb Heinz, right, with friends at the Lakewood’s 2022 Lantern Lighting Celebration. The first time Barb Heinz attended Lakewood’s Lantern Lighting Celebration she watched the lanterns float across Lakewood’s serene pond at sunset and thought how much her husband Mark would have enjoyed seeing the beauty of this annual celebration.    Barb’s husband Mark passed away in August of 2016, but it wasn’t until 2017 that Barb heard about the event where Lakewood guests decorate lantern sleeves to honor and remember loved ones. As the sun sets, lanterns carrying a small light are placed ..read more