Why River Hills Memorials?
River Hills Memorials as both a name and a company came together from many directions. The story of how the business came to be is below, but we’re sometimes asked about our name.
Our family enjoys being outdoors in nature as much as we can. Activities like hiking, fishing, boating, and birdwatching are part of every season.
It all came together on a family road trip one Summer. A client offered us the opportunity for a week-long stay at their time-share in San Diego, CA, and we took the plunge! We drove from our home in Minnesota west through South Dakota and Wyoming, then south through Utah and over to San Diego. We stopped along the way to see the sights and stay with family and friends.
This trip happened to take place during a major family discussion around transitioning to a new business. While we were pondering this change in professional direction, we were taking in some of the most spectacular sights in the United States, including mountains, rivers, canyons, and wildlife. Everything came together on one incredible hike up in the mountains of Utah.
While hiking around a crystal-clear mountain lake, taking as many pictures as possible, we came to an opening in the trees, and I was able to capture this picture. This image spoke to me a little differently about the beauty of nature. I was struck by the massiveness of the mountains, the strength of the trees reaching up from the rocky earth, the clarity of the water, and the peacefulness of it all. The experience of that place inspired me, and after some reflection on my surroundings that afternoon, the name “River Hills Memorials” came to be.
How it all started
Creating cremation urns wasn't exactly a childhood dream, it was a journey down a winding road that turned out to be more fulfilling than I ever imagined.
After 25 years in kitchen and bath remodeling as a designer, cabinet maker and installer, I started doing creative hobby woodworking projects that were an interesting change from the functional work of kitchen and bath remodels. Fun projects like cutting boards and coasters often turned into gifts for friends and family.
The hobby side of woodworking created opportunities for some fun projects with my kids to make pieces of their own. Together we built bookcases for their bedrooms, animal enclosures, and more cutting boards that they used as gifts for their friends. When the time came to build the business, they helped by putting their digital photography skills to work. Many of the photos featured on this site were taken by my daughters! The time we spent working on their projects and the memories we created together are priceless.
Another door was opened while collaborating with friends who also enjoyed woodworking. We partnered to help each other with projects such as working carousels, game tables, and other projects. Eventually, these collaborations sparked conversations and people started asking, “why don’t you do this full time?”
While I truly enjoyed woodworking, I was hesitant to leave the remodeling industry as I’ve always found it to be rewarding. While a large amount of time and thought is invested into creating a space clients would truly enjoy and live in everyday, the friendships that developed along the way are what meant the most at the end of each project. I didn't know if woodworking could also provide pathways to relationships the same way that working so closely with people in their homes had for all these years.
Everything clicked when a good friend was asked to make a cremation urn for someone he knew, and we ended up talking about what it meant to be asked to create such a piece for someone. He made that first one, then we worked together on several more. As people saw the quality of the product we were producing, we were asked to make more.
Before we knew it, we were supplying our urns to some local cemeteries and funeral homes. We found a deep personal satisfaction creating these meaningful memorials for families. It’s an honor to know that every time someone looks at one of our pieces, it will be a moment to remember and treasure their loved one.
We are continually blessed by this opportunity to be entrusted with creating memorials and urns full time and look forward to what the future holds. We thank you for your business!
