10 American Cemetery & Cremation • February 2015

ProfileBy Lisa Howard-Fusco

Top left: A private estate

mausoleum.

(Photo courtesy ofRoselawn Cemetery)

Top right: Ossuary

and wall niches in

The Garden of

Remembrance.

(Photo credit:Nicholas Legeros)

Right: “Cube Column

Resurrection,”

a bronze sculpture

by Paul T. Grandlund,

stands in front of the

Community Mausoleum.

(Photo courtesy ofRoselawn Cemetery)

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American Cemetery & Cremation • February 2015 11

Like many cemeteries of its time,today the city of Roseville has grownup to surround Roselawn; but unlikeso many that are hemmed in by wallsand gates in an attempt to shut outthe urban sprawl, Roselawn is stillwithout any enclosing barriers.

“We’re the only cemetery aroundthe city with no fences or gates,”said Larry Hudella, superintendent.“My theory is that when you put upa fence, the first thing that peoplewill do is climb that fence. We havean open policy.”

An Open Invitation to History

For those that accept Roselawn’sopen invitation to its grounds, thefirst features they would encounteroff the main drive are its original andhistorical structures. The Administra-tion Building and The Chapel wereboth designed and built in 1902 byrenowned architects Cass Gilbert (de-signer of the United States SupremeCourt building in Washington, D.C.and the Woolworth Building in NewYork City) and Thomas G. Holyoke(architect of notable churches such as

Unity Church in St. Paul). The char-acter of the structures is derived fromMedieval English country church ar-chitecture, but uses the architects’ fa-vorite materials, such as Oneotalimestone with Indiana limestonetrim, and flat, red clay tile roofs.

The interior of The Chapel includesfeatures such as Guastavino tile onthe vaulted ceilings of the entrance-way, unique decorative ironwork,and a collection of Stickley furniturethat was selected at the time of theoriginal construction. “They do set

When Roselawn Cemetery was founded in 1902 on the outskirts of St. Paul, Minnesota,the location was chosen for its 160 acres of tranquil beauty that included rolling meadowsand stately oak, ash, and maple trees. It was also created with the conviction that it shouldbe open and peaceful, to blend seamlessly with and be a part of, its community.

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us apart from the rest, they are beau-tiful limestone buildings,” Hudellasaid. He explained that the northwing of The Chapel was once knownas “The Old Catacombs,” whichonce held a crypt and burial vaultsfor use during the winter months; inthe late 1980s, it was renovated intoThe Gathering Room, which is nowused for family receptions and ceme-tery events. However, it was decidedthat the original floor would be pre-served. “The slate looked cool, so wehad tile made from the original floorpieces,” he said.

Committed to Change

Although the historical buildingsand beautifully landscaped groundsfor traditional burial and monumentsprovide a haven of beauty and a refer-ence to the past for the community,what truly sets Roselawn apart are itsmodern bronze sculptures and monu-ments and creative cremation memo-rialization options, which showRoselawn’s commitment to its future.

After visitors pass the older struc-tures, they then encounter an impres-sive modern sculpture, named “CubeColumn Resurrection,” cast in

bronze by the artist Paul T.Granlund, circa 1980. The artworkconsists of a figure in a fetal positionwithin the geometrical shapes below,which contrasts the proud, freestand-ing figure that reaches heavenward.The work is both modern and spiri-tual, reflecting the cemetery’s nonde-nominational status and commitmentto the needs of today’s families.

Hudella, who has worked atRoselawn for over 42 years, has beeninstrumental in coming up with newideas to appeal to families seeking cre-mation memorialization. “I started in1972, and I probably built all the cre-mation features except one: The Gar-den of the 23rd Psalm, a combinationof crypts and niches, which has beensold out for many years,” he ex-plained. As the cremation rate hasclimbed since that time, Hudella rec-ognized the need to continually pro-vide families with new options.“Nowadays, you’re competing. Thebaby boomers want cremation andthe columbarium, and they’ll pay forit if it’s what they want,” he said.

Behind the Granlund sculpture isthe Community Mausoleum, a con-temporary, open structure, but built

with Mankato limestone and a slateroof to match the look of the originalhistoric chapel and buildings. Com-pleted in 2008, the sides of the mau-soleum house 96 full-size crypts, butthe back wall consists entirely of atypical Northern Minnesota lakescene, sculptured out of bronze anddivided into 180 cremation niches.According to Matthews InternationalCorporation, Bronze Division, whichcast the scene, it is the largest of itskind in the world.

Although he says that such a high-end memorialization can be a draw-back for those concerned withpersonalization (nothing is allowedon the wall as it would take awayfrom the collective image), the re-sponse from families has been mostlypositive. “In the summer there’s onlyone place here in Minnesota you cango and that’s up north to the cabins,and this is a typical scene,” Hudellasaid. “People just love it.”

Another option for cremation fam-ilies is the Reflection of Peace colum-barium, an emerald green circularstructure topped with a flock ofbronze doves of peace taking flight.Names are engraved upon the niches,

12 American Cemetery & Cremation • February 2015

The Ossuary and its spiral walkway, where loved ones are memorialized along the granite blocks that border the path.

(Photo credit: Nicholas Legeros)

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American Cemetery & Cremation • February 2015 13

and the columbarium is surroundedby gardens, benches and trees, aswell as 100 additional in-ground cre-mation lots. Hudella explained thatthe section was originally unused,picturesque land, and all they neededto do was to add benches, a sculptureand to make the surrounding groundavailable for the interment of cremat-ed remains. “It instantly createdmore cremation options, and that’smore of a draw for people,” he said.Although the columbarium was com-pleted in 2010, according to Hudellait is almost sold out.

But when asked what his favoritecremation memorialization idea was,Hudella said it was the newestcolumbarium, Split Rock Garden,completed in 2012. “It’s a hot one.Over only a couple of years, it’s al-ready paid for itself. People reallylove that one,” he said.

Located near The Chapel and setagainst a limestone wall, Split Rockis a rounded columbarium bronzesculpture that appears to be split inthe middle and pushed aside so as toallow one to walk through it.

Once completed, however, many ofthe employees agreed the area needed

a little “something extra,” such as awater feature. Hudella decided to pur-chase a bronze fountain sculpture ti-tled “Summer Fun,” depictingchildren sitting on a log holding a tur-tle, and placed it over a small con-structed pond, visible through the“split” rock. Recalling a table hisdaughter had that was inlaid with acompass pattern, he searched andfound a compass stamp to place at thefront of the columbarium as an extrabonus to the design. He also added afew stone benches for visitors to restand reflect.

“I just got inspired,” Hudella ex-plained. “Even with the benches, Itook a chance. They’re rustic andrough looking, but they matched inthere nice.”

It’s also an opportunity to providesomething for those families lookingfor more personalization. Names andimages are sand-blasted onto theniches, said Hudella, according to thefamily’s wishes; as an example, hementions a former railroad engineerwhose family had requested a pictureof a locomotive on his niche. “Also,the military families love it if you canput a military emblem on it,” he said.

“I’ll usually throw it in to the cost ofthe whole thing, as a goodwill ges-ture. You can’t buy that kind of PR.”

A Community for Eternity

The Garden of Remembrance, yetanother cremation option at the ceme-tery, has been added on to four timessince its opening in the mid-1980s.

The large niche wall that encirclesthe garden is set into an embank-ment, and its 800 niches are accentedwith flowering planters. However,the cemetery has room to lay out 300more, if the need arises.

It is offset by a lawn area withpatches of flowering plants and 270in-ground lots for the interment ofcremated remains; all lots havebronze markers that are flush withthe ground, most of which are set upto contain the remains of two people(though a few can hold three or arereserved for only one).

However, it is the garden’s center-piece, the ossuary, which has beencausing quite a stir in and beyond theRoselawn community.

A circular sidewalk lined withgranite blocks spirals inward towarda striking central bronze sphere,

Left: The bronze orb sculpture in the heart of the Ossuary, which unlocks to reveal a vault for cremated remains. (Photo credit:Nicholas Legeros) Right: Split Rock Garden, with its distinctive split columbarium. (Photo courtesy of Roselawn Cemetery)

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14 American Cemetery & Cremation • February 2015

which has handprints of all sizes castinto its surface. The orb unlocks andturns upward to reveal an openingfor cremated remains to be pouredinto a vault that can contain thecommingled remains of up to 2,000people. When deposited, the cremat-ed remains pass by an 18-inch cym-bal that sounds a “final note,” anannouncement of sorts, that the re-mains of a loved one have becomepart of both the sculpture and a newcommunity. The names of the de-ceased are memorialized on the gran-ite blocks bordering the walkwaythat leads up to the sculpture.

The sculptor commissioned for theproject, Nick Legeros (who appren-ticed with Paul Granlund), was in-spired by the Greek myth ofOrpheus, a gifted minstrel who loseshis love, Eurydice, to a poisonoussnake bite and follows her into theunderworld in order to charm Hadesinto returning her to life.

“I’m not in the death-care industry,I’m a sculptor,” said Legeros, “and itgives me a different perspective onthings. When I was first approachedby Larry I said, ‘You mean you wantme to put dead people in my sculp-ture?’ But it was a jolt – and it mademe think in a different way.”

He explains that while people arealive, they are a member of a com-munity, but after death the deceased

have traditionallybeen isolated in a cas-ket with ground bur-ial. Instead, theossuary reflects thedeceased becoming amember of a newcommunity. “It’s al-most Egyptian, it hasa magical quality, oran old ancient feel toit. There are hand im-pressions on thesphere, which givespeople something totouch. It’s polished, sothe metal reflects theperson opening it, say-ing ‘I’m the one keep-ing this person’smemory alive.’ There’s somethingabout this that as an artist, if I wasinterred here, I’d feel like I was be-coming a part of a work of art.”

The construction of the ossuarywas completed in 2008, and Hudellahas seen a lot of positive response,both from the public and other ceme-teries looking at constructing some-thing similar. “It started off kind ofslow, but now it’s taking off. Cur-rently there are 28 names on thewall, and there will be 18-20 more,including preneed. Now we get callsfrom all over the country askingabout it.”

Roselawn is a nonprofit associationadministered by a board of trusteesthat must also be lot owners in orderto serve; however, the cemetery alsocontinues to serve the communitywith events for the public, in keepingwith its open policy. For 33 years ithas hosted a yearly Memorial Week-end Celebration; in recent years it hasincluded a Historical Military Saluteby a veteran Honor Guard, a Memor-ial Day service with choral music andan organ concert.

In 2013, Roselawn also began anew tradition: A Christmas OpenHouse in The Chapel and Gather-ing Room. “A couple from thearea, who now live in Oregon, Barband Terry Bang, come back everyyear to play Santa and Mrs. Clausand play Christmas music. We havehot chocolate and cookies, and singand have pictures with Santa,”Hudella explained. Although it isstill a new event and mostly knownto families with loved ones atRoselawn, it has gotten a good re-sponse from those who live in thearea, due to advertising in the localnewspaper and placing fl iersthroughout the community.

Roselawn’s focus on preserving itspast but ensuring it meets the chang-ing needs of the community is payingoff. “We have set sales records forthree years in a row, now, while oth-ers are crying a bit about cremation,”Hudella said. “I think we take whatwe have and use it well.” •

Bronze doves of peace reach into the sky as part of theReflection of Peace columbarium. (Photo courtesy ofRoselawn Cemetery)

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