Testimonials

“Wow, you expect choosing a plot to be a very sad event, but this was really fun and I feel really excited.”

“When we drove home from Mosier, I knew I needed to write a poem about the burial spot, and I’m enclosing what I composed.

It was great to be there on that beautiful day, and our special wait for the shroud was another chance to soak in the silence and watch bluebirds and woodpeckers in the trees.

Thank you for your personal touch!”

When you visit me

When you visit,

know i chose this place
to keep it quiet and sacred,
to let the grasses harbor
small spring flowers
and drop dry seeds at will,
to give the oaks breathing room
and the birds a home
in their branches,
to let the air carry the calls
of woodpeckers and warblers,
swallows and sparrows,
jays and hawks.

The solid part of me
will be in the soil
becoming bones that
prevent trespass,
feeding worms,
bugs and microbes.

Till my offering is emptied.

The rest of me—
no one really knows.
From some high vantage point
I hope to see the black cliffs
speckled with succulents,
the trees with leaves
turned silver in brisk wind,
the whitecaps of a faithful river,
the mountains
clad and reclad with snow,
the meadows bursting
purple, yellow, blue.

But if I don’t,
I treasure having seen them already.

Perhaps they will not matter afterwards.
But they matter to me now.
And my body will hold
a piece of this landscape
between two stones,
one black, laced with gray lichen.
the other quoting a hymn.

“Since love is lord of heaven and earth,
how can I keep from singing?”

“Thank you so much for your time and care during our tour today.  What a beautiful and meaningful place you’ve cultivated! It means so much to me to know I will have such a peaceful and meaningful place to rest.”

“We were just basking in the memories of our time with you yesterday. You’ve facilitated a grounding and purposeful journey for us and we are thankful.”

“I am amazed at how emotional I feel about the stone! It is nice that I can be there to see it placed. … It feels good to have these arrangements finalized.”

“Thank you for your time, patience and knowledge. Your commitment to stewardship of the land is obvious and inspiring.  I look forward to participating in such a beautiful place.”

“We all want to thank you for helping us have a meaningful burial for [loved one].  Your presence was so helpful and not intrusive.  The thoughtfulness you showed by putting up seating and a fire!  This all added to our pleasant experience.  And thanks for the seeds.  I liked the idea of growing them on his space. [Name] our son and our granddaughter) came up and threw the seeds on [loved one]’s grave.  We did not spend long as it was so cold.  We will be back again when it’s warmer.

It was a good decision on your part to have us come the next day.  Much better weather.

The thank yous could go on and on.  But we sincerely mean them.  So a big appreciation to both of you. “

“Saturday’s event was so special, meaning-filled and rich. I feel it flowed beautifully.

Thank you for creating the event so people could learn about the phenomenally important work that you do at Great River, Stephanie and Russ.”

” You & Rus created a truly impressive, touching & informative day! I’ve heard from several people as well that they are so impressed by the beauty and ethos of Great River and your incredibly hard work! “

“Thank you and Russell so much for making Saturday such a good experience.  I love the spot you chose for [loved one]’s internment and the place for the bench is perfect.  All the nice extras, like the sign, the basket of Kleenex, the blankets, helped to turn a difficult day into a very good memory.  And Russell is an excellent cameraman!  The video is wonderful, and my sons who couldn’t be there really appreciated it.”