The Garden of Hope
A place to remember precious lives lost to miscarriage, stillbirth or early infant death
“Now may the God of hope fill you with joy and peace so that you may overflowed with the hope of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:13
About The Garden
The garden started as a dream in the mind of Dawn Waltman, who serves as the executive director for the board. Dawn and her husband, Brian, lost two babies to miscarriages and a little girl to a stillbirth. As she worked through the grief process, Dawn imagined a place where the lives of her babies, and the thousands of others lost each year, would not be forgotten. A board of directors was formed and plans were made. The board searched for land for several years, hoping to find a location that would be easy to find for visitors from Lancaster as well as neighboring counties.
Myron Stolzfus, a local businessman, donated land for the garden on what was originally his family’s farm. The garden features beautiful walkways among flowering shrubs and plantings. A full colored bronze sculpture of Jesus holding a baby in his arms while sitting beside the mother is a focal point of the garden. Memorial walls have also been built to hold the names of babies who have been lost. Local businesses generously contributed materials and labor to complete the garden.