Cemetery lights warm hearts on cold night.

Byline: Lewis Taylor The Register-Guard

One woman said it was like lighting the star on the Christmas tree for her late husband.

Another visitor said it warmed his soul on a cold winter night.

The 3,000 candles that lighted up the Sunset Hills Cemetery on Saturday meant different things to different people. But most agreed it was a sight to behold.

"Wonderful," said Brenda Lunney of Eugene, whose husband, Richard, is buried at the cemetery. "I am so absolutely thrilled with this."

"Beautiful" and "gorgeous" were two other common sentiments from visitors, most of whom stayed in their cars to avoid the chilly weather. Some had loved ones buried in the cemetery, while others just wanted to bask in the glow of all those candles.

"I think it's a very nice way to memorialize everybody's loved ones," said Leslie Rosal of Salem.

"Pretty cool," said Rosal's son, Jeremy, 11.

The cemetery's new owners organized the candle display as a way for people to honor their dead. Co-owner Jim Johnson said he had created similar displays at cemeteries in California.

"It's for people to be able to remember their loved ones at Christmas," Johnson said.

Preparations began early in the day. A group of volunteers that included several dozen students from Cascade Military Academy set up an assembly line to construct the candles. They shoveled a ton and a half of sand into flame-resistant bags and added long-burning candles to each one. A light was placed on each of the cemetery's 2,600 graves, and the remaining bags were placed along the road.

"It's a big honor to me," said 17-year-old Brian Johnson, a student at Cascade Military Academy who helped prepare the display.

As night fell, Johnson and his classmates performed a color guard ceremony and visitors began to arrive. Sherry Loennig of Creswell came to place flowers on the graves of her father and brother, Ernest and Sherman Cairns.

"I think it brings happy to a sad place," she said.

Bob Dougherty visited his wife Carol's grave and the graves of many of his friends. Earlier in the day he lighted the candle that was placed on her grave.

"It meant that I could see her again," he said. "And to know that she was such a good person on Earth, a super teacher, a wonderful mother and a wonderful wife and partner."

Emma Williams came to remember her husband, Ollie, who is buried in the cemetery. She called the display a tribute to the city of Eugene.

"I think it looks just spectacular," she added.

Cemetery co-owner Melissa Lind said she hoped to make the candle ceremony an annual event at Sunset Hills, which sounded like a great idea to Patricia Baker, whose son, mother, sister and stepfather all are buried at the cemetery.

"It's beautiful," she said. "I'm really pleased with it."

CAPTION(S):

Lillybeth Frels, a volunteer from Cascade Military Academy, kneels to relight a candle after Saturday's ceremony at Sunset Hills Cemetery. Wayne Eastburn / The Register-Guard The Cascade Military Academy color guard marches at Saturday's ceremony at Sunset Hills Cemetery. "I think it brings happy to a sad place," Sherry Loennig said of the display. "I think it's a very nice way to memorialize everybody's loved ones." - LESLIE ROSAL, SALEM RESIDENT