Every service, every memorial, every interaction with the family – personalization is an important part of everything we do,” said Angela Erickson, family service director at Forest Lawn Funeral Home, Cemetery and Mausoleum (ForestLawnOmaha.com). “The glass front niche is the ultimate form of personalization because it allows people to tell their individual stories through the items they choose to display in their glass front niche.”
Forest Lawn introduced the glass front niche when it opened the Forest Lawn Mausoleum in 2021. The glass front niches are designed to hold the urns containing the cremated remains for permanent placement.
Each urn is then surrounded by the special photos, mementos and other items that represent the key people, events and activities that reflect the individual’s life. They might also include items that family and friends most associate with that person.
Forest Lawn counselors typically start the conversation with a question, “If every niche tells a story, what would your story be?” From there, they ask the individual to visualize the things that are most important to them. Their answers help determine the size of niche that is needed, the type and size of urn that can be selected, and most importantly, the special items that help to tell their story.
Forest Lawn provides glass front niches in different sizes to hold either one or two urns. The interior of the niche is illuminated to showcase the contents.
With more people selecting cremation, the glass front niches offer a unique option that places the emphasis on personalizing the individual and allowing family and visitors to remember what made that person unique, according to Erickson.
“Guiding families through this process is part of the personalization that we provide,” Erickson said. “The stories they t ell are truly unique and can include military service, trips to the beach, fishing and other hobbies, gardening, sports and the families they love.”
To learn more about glass front niches and the full range of funeral home, cemetery and cremation services offered at Forest Lawn, contact Angela Erickson at (402) 451-1000 or by e-mail at AErickson@ForestLawnOmaha.com.