It’s official! With the Governor’s approval on April 26th, 2005 the cemetery at the former Cambridge State Hospital was officially named the Garden Of Remembrance. Former Cambridge State Hospital residents and people with disabilities now have a final resting place in the community, in a cemetery no longer hidden away and neglected.

With the naming of the state cemetery made official by the legislature and the approval of the Governor, the Garden Of Remembrance Cemetery is now like any other. The cemetery is open to the public and accessible. The well maintained flower gardens and benches offer a quiet and comfortable place to be in the presence of loved ones.

The improvements to the Garden Of Remembrance can be attributed to the combined efforts of the Minnesota Extended Treatment Options (METO), Remembering With Dignity, National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) East Central Minnesota Chapter and many individuals in the Cambridge community. In 2003, the effort to name the cemetery began after Remembering With Dignity and National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) East Central Chapter initiated improvements to the cemetery with named grave markers.

Visit the Garden Of Remembrance on June 11th, during the Isanti County Historical Society’s Cemetery Tour, a day when cemeteries in Isanti County will be staffed with volunteers providing interesting historical information. Though the history of the treatment of people in state hospitals remains fraught with civil rights abuses, the respect now shown to the deceased residents, family and friends has improved. For more information, contact Jim Fas-sett-Carman at Remembering With Dignity. 651-641-0297, Email: rwd@selfadvocacy.org.