Banner Hospice in Greeley Plans a New Memorial Garden Site

Banner Hospice of Northern Colorado will move its Memorial Garden to a new site this summer to provide a more peaceful setting for families to honor their loved ones.  

The Memorial Garden has been located off 11th Street Road in east Greeley adjacent to the former offices of  Banner Hospice. When the hospice office moved, Banner leaders explored ways to enhance the Memorial  Garden.  

“It was there for more than 20 years. When we decided to leave the 11th Street Road building, we were mindful of the garden. We wanted to give it the right location,” said Lisa Rigg, service director for Banner Hospice. 

The new location is being developed at Banner’s Summit View Medical Commons at 71st Avenue and 20th Streets in west Greeley. The open area is south of the parking lot offering a view of the mountains. Designers hope it becomes a centerpiece of that medical complex. 

Julie Miller, the bereavement coordinator, has been contacting family members who placed memorials in the garden including rose bushes, benches, and flagstones. Those items are being moved and in the case of the flagstones,  enhanced so they are more visible to the families and will be preserved better over time.  

Banner Hospice will host a dedication of the garden later in the summer when the rose bushes are blooming and other plants are fully established in their new home. 

The hospice business has had different owners since it began in 1978, and Banner acquired operations in 2019.  Because of the transitions, Miller has been trying to reach the families who donated to the garden from the records. She estimates they have been able to contact about 70% of the 130 families she wants to reach. Miller is hopeful community members can spread the word and people who are interested can call her at 970-939-6481 to be invited to the dedication.  

Banner Hospice offices are co-located with Banner Home Care at 5628 W. 19th St. Suite 2 in Greeley. The program provides high-quality, comprehensive, compassionate end-of-life care throughout northern Colorado.  Hospice team members provide care to patients where they are whether that’s in the home, in independent or assisted living, skilled nursing facilities, or hospitals. Care is available 24/7.  

Headquartered in Arizona, Banner Health is one of the largest nonprofit health care systems in the country. The system owns and operates 30 acute-care hospitals, Banner Health Network, Banner – University Medicine, academic and employed physician groups, long-term care centers, outpatient surgery centers, and an array of other services; including Banner Urgent Care, family clinics, home care, and hospice services, pharmacies and a  nursing registry. Banner Health is in six states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada, and Wyoming.  For more information, visit www.BannerHealth.com.