An idea of A Garden of Memories came to Shirley Stanelle in 2000 a place to have a tree, a bush or an engraved stone in memory of someone. She use to take her little dog for a walk at the Nature Center on the way home from her store in Pueblo and had thoughts about how nice it would be to have an engraved stone there for her husband, Ken. Then it struck her that it would be even nicer to have a place at our church to reflect and remember someone. Her idea was approved by the board. Drawing on her training as a Master Gardener, Shirley started on a design that would include the area behind the church as a formal garden, and into the prairie for a natural garden. As she worked on the plans she wondered if God was behind all this, nudging her on. A group of dedicated people became the Gardenin' Angels, and work proceeded. Tumbleweeds were cleared away. Rock gardens were created using salvaged materials and plants from home gardens. A perennial bed and a memorial tree were planted in the fall of 2001.The formal garden was started in the spring of 2002, with a concrete pathway, a fountain, more trees, bushes, perennial plants, and a meditation area. A seven-foot cross and a bridge were installed to lead the way into the natural garden. A dedication ceremony was held in the garden Sunday, September 15, by which time many of the planned improvements had been made, such as stepping stones for pathways and memory markers. The Garden of Memories is an on-going project and is open to the community to enjoy.