Expansion at Guarding Angels Cemetery

MOSES LAKE — Kayser’s Chapel has expanded its Guarding Angels Cemetery near Moses Lake.

The new columbarium was installed earlier this month. The columbarium is designed to house cremation urns.

Development of the cemetery began in 2009, said owner Jerry Kayser. “At the onset this columbarium project was to be the centerpiece for the entire cemetery,” Kayser wrote. But development costs delayed completion of the project, he said. He estimated initial costs were more than $1.6 million.

Development of the columbarium started about two years ago, Kayser said. “Sorting through numerous design and granite options, decisions were finalized for stone to be quarried in China. Fabrication halfway around the world took place over several months.”

The circular space has a central block with other blocks radiating around it in a circular pattern, with concrete walkways. Installation of individual units required a crane.

Ronda Kayser said she was pleased with the result. The Kaysers did not intend to start a cemetery, she said, but the space and what it means “will always be our most rewarding venture.”