Our History

Hills of Rest Cemetery is a community cemetery. For over seventy-five years, families of every nationality, every religious background and every economic level have chosen Hills of Rest for their loved ones. It’s a place where families gather to mourn the death of a loved one, and to celebrate a life well lived. Families can trace their history at the grave sites of members from previous generations. Hills of Rest is the final resting place of nearly 3,500 veterans. Every Memorial Day, these men and women are remembered with particular appreciation and honor for their service to our country. We place an American flag beside the bronze plaque that marks their grave. As a part of the diverse and growing community that is Sioux Falls, Hills of Rest continues to be the cemetery of choice for many in our community. Those of us who are the present conservators of this hallowed place take our responsibility seriously so that future generations may know their past.

 

Hills of Rest Memorial Park was founded in 1933 by Robert and Mildred Powers. The location that was chosen for Hills of Rest was a 110-acre site east of the city limits of Sioux Falls, SD. Today, more than 70 years later, the city has grown around us. Instead of a traditional upright cemetery, Hills of Rest was designed as a memorial park. This concept accentuates the beauty of nature by setting the bronze and granite grave markers flush with the ground. Part of the distinct landscaping of Hills of Rest Cemetery is the use of fieldstone for the construction of buildings and gateposts. This type of construction required skilled stonecutters and craftsmen. Another part of the design is the placement of evergreen and leaf-bearing trees. The trees planted during the early construction have matured and today enhance the serenity that is Hills of Rest Cemetery. In 2004, a tree farm was started consisting of over 250 trees of various species to help insure that trees damaged by storms or disease could easily be replaced.