Valhalla-Gaerdner-Holten Funeral Home & Valhalla Gardens

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Valhalla-Gaerdner-Holten Funeral Home & Valhalla Gardens

Louis area. We also can assist in your time of need nationally and internationally.

Valhalla-Gaerdner-Holten Funeral Home and Valhalla Gardens of Memory serve families in the Belleville, Illinois area and throughout the Metro East and Greater St.

08/06/2025

What is Valhalla developing near the mausoleum? If you have driven through the park recently, you have noticed some excavation near the mausoleum.

We are excited to announce more opportunity for burials in our new “mixed use” Garden of Tranquility.

Please call us with questions and set up a tour.

07/24/2025

The cottage where Ulysses S. Grant passed away has remained largely untouched since his passing. There you will find his memorial flowers, drained of color, but mostly intact.

They’ve just been sitting in the dining room all this time.

07/23/2025

07/22/2025

Dr. Alan Wolfelt, recognized as one of North America’s leading death educators and grief counselors, hears from journalists, colleagues, friends, family and others. Here he shares his thoughts on anger spurred by violence and how mourning can help drive change. https://bit.ly/3KVQoUn

07/21/2025

Meet three women — all very much alive — who’ve pre-planned their funerals to insulate their families from financial hardship and added stress. https://bit.ly/3MQdNbg

07/20/2025

Ease the emotional and financial burden for loved ones by planning your celebration of life in advance. The best gift you can give your family is peace of mind. Plan now. When you’re ready to get started, message me for more details.

07/18/2025

People choose cremation for many reasons. Some see it as easier from an emotional standpoint. Others perceive it as less costly. Cremation comes with a certain flexibility that many appreciate. And those with environmental concerns find it a friendlier alternative to casket burial. https://bit.ly/3qHhZ4t

07/17/2025

The 6-foot-depth requirement for graves originated in the 1660s as a precaution to prevent the spreading of disease during the London plagues. Today, most states require a minimum of 18 inches of soil to cover a casket, creating about a 4-foot grave depth.

07/16/2025

When someone we love passes, it’s not the big things we miss most. It’s all the irreplaceable little things that made them special. It’s the details that matter most. https://bit.ly/3LgKprU

07/15/2025

We help create remembrances that reflect the unique values, character and traditions of the families we serve. That is our passion, that is our purpose, that is our promise. When you’re ready to start planning your life celebration, message me for more details.

07/13/2025

A funeral or cremation memorial that celebrates the details that make you unique in the world takes a little thought and planning. Get your free copy of Imagine: A Memorial Inspiration Guide and start thinking about how you’d like to be remembered. https://bit.ly/3GvKnsc

Address

Belleville, IL

Telephone

+16182333110

Website

http://www.valhallagardensandfuneralhome.com/

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Our Story

Valhalla-Gaerdner-Holten Funeral Home in Belleville, Illinois, was founded in September 1930 by Jefferson Bush (J.B.) Azbill. For over 85 years, we have remained dedicated to helping families plan funeral and cremation services that celebrate their loved ones, growing into the full-service funeral home we are today.

Early Years

The cemetery, which was originally known as Valhalla Burial Park, was the 1st memorial lawn burial park in southwestern Illinois. Development was made up of themed garden sections with spacious lots and walkways surrounded by various trees, bushes and flowers. Memorials were custom, decorative, flat bronze on concrete foundations to maintain a park-like setting.

Azbill passed away suddenly in 1936, after a short illness. His widow, Freda Azbill, took over management and development of the Belleville funeral home and cemetery. Freda remained active as president for 54 years until her death in 1990. Freda was responsible for producing and staging the Avenue of Flags in 1951.

Growing To Serve Families In Belleville

In 1959, the 1st section of the Valhalla Sanctuary Chapel of Memories Mausoleum was constructed. It included crypts and niches, was constructed of concrete for strength and included a beautiful custom stained-glass window made in Manheim, Germany. Several additions have been added over the years, including more stained-glass windows and statuary art from around the world.

As Valhalla Gardens of Memory grew, new garden sections were enhanced with beautiful full-size marble and bronze statues sculpted in Italy from the same quarries that artist Michelangelo used. One statue in particular, from the Garden of Ascension, was displayed during the 1964 World’s Fair in New York on its way to Belleville.

Local Family Tradition

David Evans, Freda Azbill’s grandson, who had joined the staff in 1978, took over management of the funeral home and cemetery park after her passing. He continued the construction of new sections, including an underground lawn crypt section, in-ground and above-ground cremation niche options, a crematorium and developed the Valhalla Garden Mausoleum, so families would have multiple choices for their final resting place.

In 1996, Valhalla-Gaerdner-Holten Funeral Home opened, offering families a wide range of funeral and cremation service options as well as memorialization choices and the convenience, if desired, of having the cemetery nearby.

Working together, everyone at Valhalla-Gaerdner-Holten Funeral Home and Valhalla Gardens of Memory is poised to continue our many decades of service to the greater Belleville and St. Clair County area.