Memorial Circle and Columbarium


On Sunday, November 10, 2019
we dedicated the QUUF Memorial Circle & Columbarium

For anyone wishing to purchase a niche or plaque, links to the required paperwork are below. A purchaser may go to the QUUF Office and pick out a section (A-C for plaques and F-M for niches) and a location (101-135) on the model in the office. Deliver or mail the signed documents along with a check ($500 for a plaque; $700 for a niche) to the QUUF office (Attn: Columbarium). Copies of the documents will be mailed back to you for your records.

For more information contact the Endowments Committee.

The QUUF Memorial Circle & Columbarium stands as a serene and meaningful space for reflection, remembrance, and connection.  It offers a lasting tribute for QUUF members and their families by providing a permanent resting place for cremains in individual niches or memorial plaques, without niches, to honor loved ones.

Although the idea for the Columbarium was first considered during the construction of the sanctuary in 2009-2010, funding challenges kept the project on hold. In 2014, with an initial contribution from Barbara Jensen’s will, the first task force was formed to refine the design and determine the best approach. The committee’s goal was to ensure the project paid for itself through community support, avoiding any burden on general QUUF finances.

On June 9, 2019, after obtaining the required financing and selling 96 niches/plaques, the QUUF congregation approved construction of the long-awaited Memorial Circle & Columbarium. The project was helped significantly by donations from Shary Irwin and Abby Kimball. Concrete and foundational work was done by SCC Concrete of Port Townsend. Premier Columbarium of Centralia did its assembly work in October.

Kathleen Croston and Glenn Waldenberg with an up-close examination
of the Memorial Circle & Columbarium model. They worked together to
manage the project as construction began.

The project stalled due to initial funding obstacles, but in 2017, Glenn Waldenberg joined the committee and introduced a new, more cost-effective design. His proposal allowed for the construction to be completed in one phase and managed more easily. By 2018, the committee launched a series of educational and sales events after services, leading to enthusiastic support from the congregation. With contributions that included two $10,000 donations, five $10,000 loans, and a $20,000 loan from Endowments, the fundraising goal was met.

Construction began in June 2019, and the Memorial Circle & Columbarium was completed by November 1, 2019 with a dedication ceremony held on November 10, 2019. The committee disbanded and a support team helped oversee its continued success until February 2024, when the Endowments Committee assumed all administrative duties for the columbarium.

This page last updated March 6, 2025