West Columbia, SC (Paul Kirby) – Celestial Memorial Gardens of West Columbia cut the ribbon Thursday morning on their newly renovated office area. The Cayce West Columbia Chamber of Commerce assisted in planning the event that drew a large crowd to the full service cemetery.
According to their webpage, Celestial Memorial Gardens was founded in 1963 by the late Duke Newton. It is one of the few remaining family owned and operated perpetual care cemeteries in Columbia. Located just off Augusta Road on Delree Street, the park is situated on a 35 acre tract of land that is easily accessed by several major highways and interstates. At this time, only 15 acres of the park are developed. That leaves 20 acres for future expansion. Burial property is available in their established gardens or the mausoleums.
The office at Celestial was still functional before the renovation, but it had been challenged by a growing staff as the business enjoyed success. The square footage of the area is still the same, but some extra offices were carved out, a dedicated breakroom is new, and there were several other changes. The job of decorating was done expertly in house with a two-tone paint scheme throughout. The colors, two tones of a gray that are very attractive, are separated by a white chair railing. There’s also new carpet throughout. Those are highlighted by the large windows that occupy almost every room in the administrative offices.
Outside is much the same as it has been, beautiful. The garden is always well groomed, and you can see the evolution of the industry by looking at the markers on the graves. There are some very large, elaborate ones from the times gone by that were very popular. Now, markers are flat and rarely rise above ground. At Celestial, the mixture of both styles draw you to look at the stones just to see the dates.
After the official ribbon cutting Thursday, a great lunch was provided by the staff at Celestial. There was venison chili, vegetable, and cheese and cracker plates, sandwiches, and more. Everyone seemed to enjoy mingling and talking with the visitors and the staff. They had all been introduced during the official welcome.
Celestial Memorial Garden provides a myriad of services. One of the most important is pre-planning. As pointed out by one speaker during the remarks, it is so difficult for family members to make all the decisions necessary on what may be, “The worst day of their lives,” the day they lose someone near and dear to them. That’s one of the best reasons to make your final arrangements now so that burden won’t fall on your loved ones when you pass. To begin that process, or to ask any other questions regarding how Celestial Memorial Gardens, call their staff at (803) 794-8083.
