Lake View Funeral Home & Lake View Memorial Gardens

A full-service funeral home

Lake View Funeral Home serves the funeral and cremation needs of the families of Fairview Heights, Swansea, Belleville, Collinsville, Caseyville, O’Fallon and Shiloh. Our building is a spacious 15,000 square feet and was constructed in the mid-1990s. The space is bright, modern and tastefully decorated with 2 wonderful chapels.

We have an on-site crematorium and are able to hold witness cremations, also known as cremation viewings, for families who desire that option.

Glock Chapel

The Glock Chapel sets a warm, inviting atmosphere for family and friends to gather. Named after one of our founders, Loran Glock, it recognizes the dedication and service Loran gave to creating one of the finest cemeteries in the St. Louis area.

Featuring chandeliers and high vaulted ceilings, the Glock Chapel glows with natural light due to windows on the west side of the building. The chapel seats up to 200 people comfortably in pews, making it ideal for large gatherings.

We believe our families deserve the best in comfort, especially during emotionally challenging times. Our funeral home is notably more updated and modern than a typical funeral home. Some of the small luxuries include a small restroom located off the side of the chapel, which is restricted to use by the family and gives family members the option of finding some alone time, if desired. There is also a private space for religious leaders to prepare their remarks in quiet.

Reiss Memorial Chapel

The Riess Memorial Chapel is our original chapel located on the cemetery grounds. This space seats up to 50 people with individual chairs.

The Reiss Memorial Chapel has a beautiful stained-glass front and almost all of the building is actually glass, which provides streaming, natural light for memorial and committal ceremonies, especially during hot or inclement weather.

Comfortable gathering spaces

Though we do have our more formal spaces, we also have environments that are more casual for families. Our visitation parlor is larger than most chapels in the area. Its comfortable high-back chairs, perimeter seating and cozy, living room atmosphere is conducive to conversations between family and friends.

We also have a family lounge with coffee and seating away from the main areas. The lounge features a children’s play area for the little ones and overlooks one of our tranquil lakes.

Personalized funeral services

We offer many ways to personalize a funeral or memorial service. There are no limits to the level of customization. Our staff is happy to speak with families to discover the unique passions and values of a loved one, and then find ways to put those passions into a special ceremony.

To reflect a person’s life, this personalization takes many different forms. It can be as simple as wearing a loved one’s favorite color or incorporating live music, including pianos, guitars and harps. It can also be as vibrant and colorful as including nuances of a beach or nature scene.

We can host receptions in either the large visitation area or in our smaller reception room. The reception room has chandeliers and can accommodate tables for a buffet-style gathering.

Generally, receptions at our location can range in size from 25 to 100 people. We have a close working relationship with a caterer, and we are happy to assist in arranging a unique and personalized reception.

We are passionate about creating services that reflect the unique personality of each life that we celebrate.

Lake View Memorial Gardens cemetery

Lake View Memorial Gardens is a beautiful, park-like cemetery in Fairview Heights. Our cemetery, green and vibrant with flowering plants and serene nature paths, offers traditional cemetery plots, cremation gardens, mausoleums, cremation niches, columbariums and private family estates.

We have been proudly serving the burial needs of families of Fairview Heights, Swansea, Belleville, Collinsville, Caseyville, O’Fallon and Shiloh since 1952.

Spacious property with 15 unique sections

At our entrance, you’ll find the first of our 3 sparkling lakes with a 25-foot fountain greeting guests. The cemetery offers 80 acres of green landscape and natural beauty. Toward the rear of the property, guests can see another lake that has a small island with a tree.

The memorial gardens are sectioned out into 15 areas, each with its own name and sculptures, including Peace and The Last Supper. We are proud to serve many cultures, and we recently opened a section of the cemetery dedicated to Muslims.

Masonic Garden

As part of our commitment to the needs of our community, Lake View offers a garden wholly dedicated to Masons. The Masonic section has different sculpture features, including a Masonic tablet.

Mausoleums

There are 2 mausoleums at Lake View Memorial Gardens. The Garden Mausoleum is outdoor only. The Memorial Mausoleum is both indoor and outdoor, with niche banks, a climate-controled interior and 3 wings. This mausoleum also has a north wall made of glass that overlooks one of our serene lakes.

Veterans memorial and other memorial tributes

We maintain numerous memorials in honor of various groups and organizations.

Our Veterans Memorial, rededicated annually, lists every veteran buried at Lake View Memorial Gardens and provides a powerful tribute to those who served our country.

Our cemetery also features a POW/MIA Memorial, a MADD Memorial and an Angel of Hope Memorial.

The MADD Memorial is for the Mothers Against Drunk Driving organization. We host a MADD event every year at Riess Chapel for family and friends who have lost someone to drunk driving.

The Angel of Hope Memorial provides a place for families who have lost infants to remember their precious little ones. In the first week of December, families who have lost an infant are also welcome to return for a remembrance service.

We also hold an Easter sunrise service in coordination with the St. Clare Clergy Association.

Teeming plant life

Lake View Memorial Gardens has the second-largest collection of flora in the area—behind only the Missouri St. Louis Botanical Garden.

We have 400 species of trees, flowers and other plants—so many that our memorial gardens are used by nearby colleges and universities to study our flora for their science and botany classes. The Lake View Nature Walk is where students come to explore and learn about all the types of plant life.

Lake View Memorial Gardens and Lake View Funeral Home are also known for their silk floral program. Since the early 1950s, our floral program has helped families honor their loved ones with a seasonal placement of timeless, silk flowers. Each season, we place a new silk flower arrangement and take a picture of the gravesite for the family.

We work with other local cemeteries

Though we certainly enjoy helping families who want both their funeral and graveside service at Lake View Memorial Gardens and Lake View Funeral Home, we are also able to conduct funeral services at other local cemeteries.

We understand that you may have another cemetery in mind for various reasons. We never want you to feel pressure or obligation to use our cemetery. This is an important choice, and we will always be respectful of your choice. If you do choose another cemetery, our funeral home staff is experienced at conducting memorial services at other locations, including Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.

Veterans funerals and Memorial Day

We are proud to serve military families. At Lake View, we have been honored to handle many veteran funerals and memorial services. For a veteran's service, our staff coordinates with the appropriate branch of service and conducts the funeral according to that military branch’s protocol. We also work closely with Veterans Service Organizations and the Patriot Guard Riders.

Our cemetery has held more than 6,000 veterans to date. Each Memorial Day, we have Boy Scouts and other volunteers place miniature American flags at the veterans’ gravesites as a show of respect.

History

When Leroy Lawrence and Loran Glock first conceived of Lake View Memorial Gardens, they had in mind a place of beauty and tranquility where families could say farewell to loved ones and preserve their memories in comfort.

In 1952, the cemetery site was selected and developed at 5000 N. Illinois St. in Fairview Heights. The name Lake View was chosen in reference to the 3 beautiful lakes on the property.

Reiss Memorial Chapel

In 1970, the Riess Memorial Chapel, named in honor of Mr. & Mrs. William Riess, was built near the center lake located on the grounds. During inclement weather or at the discretion of the family, memorial services can be held in this lovely chapel.

A dream fulfilled

Leroy and Loran’s original vision of a combination facility with both cemetery and funeral home was put on hold after Leroy died. But in 1995, their dream became a reality with the establishment of Lake View Funeral Home on the grounds of Lake View Memorial Gardens. The funeral home was constructed along the shore of the front lake.

The grounds encompass 3 lakes, a nature trail and more than 450 species of trees, shrubs and plants on 80 acres. Families are often drawn to Lake View Memorial Gardens and Lake View Funeral Home, not only for our grounds, but also for the tastefully decorated rooms and large chapel.

Grand funeral home building

The 2-story, 15,000-square-foot facility includes a grand main chapel, called the Glock Chapel, a large visitation parlor, a reception room, a family lounge, a children's play area and offices for cemetery and funeral home administration. The location also has parking for more than 100 vehicles.

A legacy continues

Today, the staff of Lake View Memorial Gardens and Lake View Funeral Home are honored to serve the Fairview Heights and surrounding communities with respect, integrity and compassion. Our purpose is to support families at difficult times, celebrating the significance of lives and preserving memories that transcend generations.