White Rose Cemetery plans annual Luminary Service

November 9, 2017

The 15th Annual White Rose Cemetery Luminary Service will be held at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18, in the White Rose Mausoleum Chapel.

The event will include a poetry reading, music and a reading of the names of those being remembered. The guest speaker for the event will be Nancy May, leader of the First Baptist Church GriefShare program. The GriefShare program is a 13-week course offered to those going through a recent loss. Each week the group watches a video seminar featuring top experts on grief and recovery subjects with discussion after. For more information, visit www.griefshare.org.

“The holiday season can bring on powerful memories and emotions, and it can be tough for many people,” said Cemetery Relations Coordinator Kim Inman. “The larger culture is sending messages of cheer, gift giving and anticipation of family members returning home to a joyful reunion — messages that can be especially painful for those who long for their loved ones and ache over their absence.

“At this season of the year, so filled with memories and, for most people, family occasions, sometimes our grief seems all but unbearable. And grief is often especially sharp around holiday occasions. But memory can also have a way of easing the sharp edges of grief.”

It is in that spirit, and with that hope, Inman says, that the annual Luminary Service is dedicated to the sacred memory of those who have died.

“The holidays, with all of their joy, is often a time of sadness for those remembering loved ones who have died, whether recently or long ago,” she said. “Many people who attend the annual Luminary Service have done so for years as a special way to remember their loved one. The service is characterized not only by heartfelt tributes, but also by the gentle way that complete strangers console one another.”

Inman says that grieving during the holidays can be difficult, and that the memorial provides an excellent way to gather and share experiences and honor those who have been a part of our lives.

“Many people in our community are affected by the loss of a friend, family member or loved one. To honor them, especially during the holiday season, is a joyful way to remember them,” she said.”

After the service, guests will be invited to take their luminary and place it on the grave of their loved one.

Luminaries may be purchased for $5 each. Proceeds from the sale of luminaries will benefit the White Rose Cemetery Beautification Projects. Make checks payable to White Rose Cemetery and send to White Rose Cemetery, c/o Bartlesville Public Library (or BPL), 600 S. Johnstone, Bartlesville, OK 74003, along with the names of those being honored and by whom they are being honored. Loved ones do not have to be buried at White Rose Cemetery to have a luminary in their honor or memory. The service is free and the community is invited to attend regardless of whether they purchase a luminary.

For more information about the luminary service contact the cemetery office at 918-338- 4070 or email whiterose@cityofbartlesville.org.