Saturday morning at Jak’s Place in Sturgeon Bay was a chance for community members to add their lost loved one to their memorial rock garden and bring some memories home with them. 

At first it may have seemed like the painters were just enjoying a nice Door County Saturday, but there was a much deeper meaning behind the rocks. From events like adding those rocks to the garden to bringing home a plant that can represent a piece of the loved one to a biodegradable balloon release with a message to the loved one, the event gave a sense of closure to many people. Jak’s Place in Sturgeon Bay’s Lisa Barnaby and Sam Burris shared more about the event. 

Jak’s Place holds many recurring events, but this “Memorial Rock Party” was much more than a usual event. Barnaby and Burris made sure to make one thing clear: they did not need to know who you were or who you were making the rock for, but ended up hearing many different stories throughout the day.