Testimonials

“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.”

“Russ handed me a small pink flag on a metal stake, “when you find the right spot, just mark it with this.”

With those words, I set out to explore the untamed lands of “Great River Natural Burial.” I passed by the graves of John and Judy Wright. Grasses and wildflowers now cover the spot where their bodies lie, distinguishable only by the large stone etched with their names.

A hawk soared overhead, changing course with a gentle tilt of its wings as it danced with the wind.

Months ago, I decided that the season of Easter would be a fitting time to choose a burial spot. No, I don’t have intentions of dying anytime soon. But it was a lovely day and the wildflowers were blooming — a perfect time to intermingle the inevitability of death with the wonder of living.

I found a spot for my flag at the base of a towering Ponderosa Pine. One side of the tree was blackened by wildfire—scarred yet sturdy—just like us.

We may not know how many days we have on this side of the soil. We may not know how many breaths we have left in these bodies, nor the strength of the winds or fires we will face.

Yet some things are clear: each moment is precious, each breath infused with God’s most amazing grace.”

“Thank you for being our guide for this important moment. I truly appreciate you.”

“All of us family and friends of [loved one] thank you both for the incredible experience of closure and completion that you helped us experience on [date]. It was perfect.”