Early members of Lakeway Church planned wisely and purchased boldly so we could expand on their dreams. In the ’70s, the church was shared by Protestants and Catholics. Phyllis and Donald Oliver gave the Trustees an idea for a columbarium on the church grounds, but the idea was rejected. In 1987, Harry Kolb presented the idea again to the Board; this time, they approved it based on Kolb’s guarantee The Garden would be built entirely on subscriptions and not require any funds from the Board.

A Memorial Garden committee was appointed, with Kolb as chair. Mary Louise Davis, Sally Bybee, Elsie Stell, Sam Hamilton, Donald Oliver, and Roger Schuler were members. Ann Young, a landscape designer, was engaged to draw a plan. It included three walls with 270 spaces for the interment of cremated remains in a box or an urn. Two have containers in the ground; the rest are in the walls. Sales were brisk, easily matching the cost estimate of $65,000. Jim Hanson was selected as a general contractor, and the work began. Sally Bybee arranged for Bybee Construction Co in Indiana to create and erect the Celtic cross that is still a centerpiece of the Garden. They donated several stone benches. Phyllis Oliver donated the entrance gate and the wrought-iron fencing around it in memory of her mother. Both Catholics and Protestants were interred in the Garden. A dedication was held in March 1990, with Monsignor McCabe presiding.  Regulations were put in place, including no flowers or decorations being allowed on the spaces. Plaques were sold at $150 each and spaces at $600 each. The Memorial Garden Fund was established, separate from other church funds. The land was purchased for future expansion of the Garden, and the fund was healthy.

In 1995, the Catholics and Protestants agreed to separate. The Catholics built their facilities on Lohman’s Crossing, where they currently worship. In 1999, The Lakeway Church purchased 14 acres of adjacent land from the Catholic Church. Presently, the driveway from Lohman’s Crossing gives access to this property on which the youth building and the Worship Center now stand. The Lakeway Church owns 23 acres. In 2010, the Memorial Garden property was deeded separately from the rest of the church property.

A new Memorial Garden Committee was formed to oversee its operations, and guidelines were drawn. One policy limits the future purchase of spaces to members of The Lakeway Church and their families. Prices have been raised over the years. The accounts are kept separate from other church accounts. More walls, a prayer area with the waterfall and Praying Jesus, more landscaping, and other enhancements have been added.