Highland Memorial Park...a place for Remembering
Highland Memorial Park, Ocala’s most historic perpetual care cemetery is located at 1515 NE Third Street in Ocala. It is the County’s only gated perpetual care cemetery and is considered one of the area’s most beautiful memorial parks. A cemetery operated as a Perpetual Care cemetery means that a perpetual care fund for its maintenance, repair and care has been established; the income from the fund is devoted to maintaining the cemetery, forever. The guarantee of permanent care makes Highland Memorial Park an ideal resting place for departed loved ones and a perfect place for families to return, year after year, to remember and honor.
Established by Mr. Miles Hiers in the mid 1930’s, Highland Memorial Park, is carefully preserved and richly landscaped. Fifty acres of beautifully manicured grounds, majestic oaks, and a sparking-clear pond are all part of the peaceful, lush landscaped grounds. All this is carefully overseen by John Baxley, Highland Memorial Park’s Operations Manager. John is born out of a four-generation family of citrus growers. He uses his extensive knowledge of horticulture to beautify and improve the gardens and grounds at the park. John began this project seven years ago and today the park is a testament to the care, dignity and respect invested in preserving it as a refuge within the middle of beautiful Ocala. That care is constant. From dawn to dusk, seven days each week John and his team are dedicated to keeping the grounds beautiful and inviting. “Honoring life is very important at Highland Memorial Park. The park has been in existence for approximately eighty years and because of its perpetual care trust, children and grandchildren of loved ones will forever be able to honor the lives of their family members whose remains rest there,” says John Baxley.
For the past decade, Highland Memorial Park has experienced significant growth in its offerings for unique memorial options. These include the Celebration of Life Room Memorial and the Seasons of Life Garden Mausoleum. The Celebration of Life Room is an indoor climatized cremation memorial with glass and bronze-front niches. Family members can place and view photographs, jewelry and any type of memorabilia that tells the story of the life of their loved one. The Seasons of Life Garden Mausoleum is equally original and innovative. The beautiful memorial is actually the first of its kind in the area. It is constructed of poured-in-place, reinforced concrete, clad in polished Rosa Limbara Granite and includes over 200 casket crypts as well as four custom engraved feature panels. The beautiful Rosa Limbara granite panels are engraved with artwork designed by local artist Lanaye Engle, and include a depiction of the four seasons.
The Veterans Garden at Highland Memorial Park is a special section at the park specifically reserved to memorialize the men and women of our armed forces. Paying tribute to those who served our country continues to be one of Highland Memorial Park’s greatest honors.
Highland Memorial Park’s tagline “A place for remembering” fits so perfectly with the company’s commitment to honor and remember. For example, the Highland Memorial Day Community Celebration is organized annually to honor and remember Veterans and to celebrate the freedom of our great country. On this day of remembrance, the Real American Heroes Presentation pays tribute to local Veterans for their service to our country, men and women who served our country to the fullest. Among those recognized are Pearl Harbor Survivors, Purple Heart recipients and World War II Veterans, to name a few. To view video footage of the current year’s event as well as the associated "What Memorial Day Means to Me" Essay Contest (an annual competition that gives area middle and high school students the chance to win scholarship prizes), please visit www.HighlandMemorialDay.com
There's a lot of history at Highland Memorial Park. Interestingly, among the veterans buried there is U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Berman Ganoe Jr., who was killed in Vietnam and was originally listed as missing in action for more than 30 years, as well as U.S. Navy Petty Officer Angela Santos, the first American in the military to be recorded as killed in a terrorist bombing during the 1980’s.
There is a proud feeling that comes with seeing the memorials in person. The heroic lives led by these brave men and women who have answered the call of service are something to be revered and respected. They lay at rest in a beautiful place of honor.
The architecture of the park as a whole was designed specifically to give loved ones the respect and dignity they deserve. It was also carefully planned for the mourner to have a quiet place of peace and solace. Within the gardens, families can decide upon many different memorial options for cherished family members. These include in-ground burials, cremation, mausoleums, large private family estate lots as well as private family mausoleums.
Highland Memorial Park and Hiers-Baxley Funeral Services takes great pride in preserving family heritage. For a complimentary tour of Highland Memorial Park and its unique offerings, please call 352-369-1020, or toll free at 1-800-371-7307.
