Children’s Tribute

For the families we serve who have had a child die, we offer to place an individual garden ornament in our specially planted Butterfly Garden surrounding the patios at Hamilton’s on Westown Parkway in West Des Moines. The Garden Dancer ornament is in the shape of a boy or girl dancing with their names etched in the metal. These ornaments rest among the butterflies and the flowers for the family to visit whenever they wish.

Multiple times a year, we hold a special Children’s Tribute Ceremony for the families whose children are honored in the garden. Following the tribute, families are invited to take their child’s Garden Dancer home as a keepsake. These garden ornaments are given to the families free of charge, in part due to the generous donations from the West Des Moines Kiwanis Club.

The garden was originally dedicated on July 23, 2005, in memory of Alan Andrew Dean Miller, infant son of Holly and Ryan Miller. Holly is a Funeral Director and Co-Vice President at Hamilton’s as well as a third-generation family owner who started the program to give families a special place to honor the child they’ve lost.