The dedication ceremony for the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery in Blackfoot was held in October 2021. This veterans cemetery is one of more than 150 veterans cemeteries across the nation, the second state cemetery in Idaho. This 40-acre Idaho State Veterans Cemetery will serve more than 20,000 eastern Idaho veterans and their families.

The event included comments and speeches by Under Secretary, Major General Ret. Quinn of the National Cemetery Administration (NCA), Gov. Little, Mark Tschampi, Chief Administrator, Division of Veterans Services, and James Earp, State Veterans Cemetery Bureau Chief. 

Everlasting Tree Honors Under Secretary Mathew Quinn

John and Heidi from Everlasting Tree honored Under Secretary Mathew Quinn with a commemorative pen set created from the same wood the Montana state veterans ceremonial urn covers were made from. 

Veteran Ceremonial Urns Donated by Everlasting Tree

Flag donated to the Veterans of Eastern Idaho by Karen Clark.
Presentation case constructed and donated by Everlasting Tree. 

OSCS DOYLE D. CLARK’S RETIREMENT FLAG

Flown underway from the USS Nimitz in the Persian Gulf During Operation Desert Storm

Donated to the Veterans of Eastern Idaho by Karen Clark.

2021 Abraham Lincoln Pillar of Excellence Award

The 2021 Abraham Lincoln Pillar of Excellence was awarded to the of state of Idaho in recognition of Everlasting Tree’s Veterans Ceremonial Urn Cover Project. This award was accepted by Mark Tschampi, Idaho State Division of Veterans Services, Chief Administrator in Washington DC last week. It was then presented to John and Heidi for their Veterans Ceremonial Urn Cover Project.

John designed and created over eighty custom ceremonial urn covers for Veteran’s who are going to be inurned at a State Veteran’s Cemetery. Over forty Veteran’s State and National Cemeteries in twenty states have received these ceremonial urns.

This award from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes excellence and innovation by honoring outstanding state programs that support veterans within their states. The Pillars of Excellence Award was established by the VA in 2012 and each year seven awards are presented. This is the VA’s pinnacle of excellence award. 

James Earp, Idaho State Veterans Cemetery Bureau Chief, and Marv Hagedorn supported this valued program and were instrumental in getting it submitted for consideration.

Everlasting Tree donates ceremonial urns to the Snake River Canyon National Cemetery

The first national cemetery for United States veterans in Idaho was dedicated on August 12, 2020 in Buhl, Idaho. John Sword of Everlasting Tree Urns was among a small group of local, state and federal dignitaries that included VA Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Randy Reeves. John Sword created and donated a new ceremonial urn for use during ceremonies to honor veterans who will be buried here. 

This is the first national cemetery built in Idaho and is part of the VA National Cemetery Administration Rural Initiative to provide access to VA burial benefits for Veterans who reside in rural areas and who have not previously had reasonable access to a national or state Veterans cemetery.

Before the dedication ceremony John was honored to receive the 'Under Secretary for Memorial Services Coin' from Randy Reeves.

 

The Battle of Belleau Wood ~ Commemorative Pens

The Battle of Belleau Wood occurred 100 years ago in June 1918 during World War I. The battlefield sits about five miles west of the town of Château-Thierry, barely fifty miles northeast of Paris, France. The Aisne-Marne American Cemetery lies below the hill containing Belleau Wood where many American Marines lost their lives during the battle.

This past November, John Sword visited Belleau Wood, where he collected several small oak tree branches from the wooded area above the memorial. From those branches, commemorative pens were made in honor of the valiant Marines who fought there. Each pen was turned and assembled by Col. Stephen H. Young, USA (Ret). The thirteen living recipients of the Medal of Honor recently received a pen as a thank you for their service. 

Aisne-Marne American Cemetery Visit ~ November 7, 2018

On Wednesday, November 7, 2018 we took a train across the border from San Sabastian to Hendaye, France. We then traveled on the high-speed train to Paris. Although we were both anxious to get home we had one last stop to make before our flight out on Friday. On Thursday we scheduled a car and driver to take us to Aisne-Marne American Cemetery. This beautiful cemetery is about an hour from Charles de Gaulle Airport.

The 42.5-acre Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial in France sits at the foot of Belleau Wood. The cemetery contains the graves of 2,289 war dead, most of whom fought in the vicinity and in the Marne Valley in the summer of 1918. The memorial chapel sits on a hillside, decorated with sculptured and stained-glass details of wartime personnel, equipment and insignia.

Inscribed on its interior wall are 1,060 names of the missing. Rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified. In 1940 during World War II the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery chapel was damaged due to heavy fighting in the vicinity. All damage was repaired except for one shell hole in the chapel, left as a reminder of what took place. Belleau Wood adjoins the cemetery and contains many vestiges of World War I. A monument at the flagpole commemorates the valor of the U.S. Marines who captured much of this ground in 1918.

The remains of the hunting lodge lie in the northwest corner of the wood, on a hillside behind the cemetery chapel. During the fighting, the "pavilion" served as a German battalion headquarters until first overrun by the 43rd Company, USMC. From the top of the structure, the Marines could see well behind the German lines.

Wreaths Across America ~ Idaho State Veterans Cemetery

On a clear and cold December morning in Boise, Idaho, Sally Jackson and friends gather at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery to pay respect to her husband Captain Arthur J. Jackson, a World War II, United States Marine Corps, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient.

Pictured above from left to right: James Earp; Tamara Earp; Sally Jackson; John Sword.

Sally's dedication and memory of her husband Art inspired artist, John Sword, to create the Medal of Honor Urns that symbolize the strength and courage of the recipients. Each urn is individually handcrafted from wood and  topped by a bronze leaf cast from an actual leaf from Arlington Cemetery. In addition, a special compartment in the urns contains earth from   battlefields from around the world where US soldiers fought and died. Sally then introduced this urn to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.

James Earp, the bureau chief of the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery, and his wife Tamara first met the Jackson's years ago during their visit to the Veterans Cemetery.  When John created the very first Veterans Ceremonial Urn covers for use during Veteran and spouse committal services, James became good friends with John and his wife Heidi.  James shared the positive experiences with other State Veterans Cemetery directors and the VA's Pacific District Director who requested this program to be implemented at other National Veterans Cemeteries. John has provided over fifty of these urns in eleven states.

Tamara volunteers as the Wreaths Across America location coordinator for The Idaho State Veterans Cemetery. Each year she provides a special Flag that is placed in the wreath to recognize the valor, heroism, and selfless sacrifice for the three Idaho Medal of Honor Recipients, Major Ed Freeman; Colonel Bernard Fisher; and Captain Arthur Jackson laid to rest in the upper section of the Veterans cemetery.

As the group was winding down, a magnificent bird flying in the distance slowly approached.  Once within view it was clearly the  Bald Eagle, a symbol of our Nation's strength and freedom.  This was an impressive conclusion as this gathering of friends completed their visit to honor their loved ones, Veterans and their families. 

Everlasting Tree Donates Ceremonial Urn Cover to Honor WASP

This WASP ceremonial urn cover was designed and created by Idaho artist, John Sword. John donated this urn in honor of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), to be used for inurnment ceremonies for these trailblazing women who flew for the Army Air Forces during WWII.

Sand from Avenger Field in Sweetwater, Texas, is incorporated into the base of the urn to symbolize where they trained. The leaves on the lid were replicated in bronze from a leaf collected at Arlington National Cemetery. They were cast at Valley Bronze in Joseph, Oregon. Valley Bronze provided the bronze work for the World War II Memorial and the frames that hold the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights in Washington DC. The pens are handmade from the same tree as the urn by female volunteers at Woodcraft Boise and donated along with the urn. 

To make arrangements to use the urn contact Erin Miller at finalfightfinalflight@gmail.com or the National WASP WWII Museum at waspmuseum@yahoo.com

See Also: Everlasting Tree Donates Cremation Urn for WASP Pilot Elaine Harmon | 9/7/16

John became acquainted with this organization in 2016 when he learned about the Harmon family’s efforts to obtain permission for her to be interred at Arlington National Cemetery on a national news report. He subsequently donated an urn for the inurnment of WASP Pilot Elaine Harmon in a special ceremony on September 7, 2017. See more about this story here.

Sculpted Bubinga Wood Cremation Urn with Two Keepsake Boxes

Have you been searching for a cremation urn that is like none other? Something that reflects the uniqueness and individuality of someone you loved? Everlasting Tree Cremation urns are not only hand crafted in the US, they are one of a kind.

This beautiful sculpted Bubinga urn was recently designed and crafted from hand-selected Bubinga wood, also known as African Rosewood. The large urn comes with a 3” x 4” brass plaque, which can be engraved with several lines of copy. The keepsake boxes are simply a smaller version of the larger Bubinga urn and are a great option if you are sharing a loved one’s ashes or special keepsake items. A small hole, capped with a brass plug, can be placed in the base to discreetly store a small amount of ashes. A small Allen wrench is included. You can see other custom urns on Etsy. Just click on the 'Etsy Shop' tab or the link in the side bar. 

Everlasting Tree Urn honors Army Command Sergeant Major at Arlington National Cemetery

“It was a pleasure to work with John to craft a burial urn for my father, a retired Army Command Sergeant Major who earned a Purple Heart in Vietnam. My family wanted an urn that exuded strength and beauty, and John delivered just that. When he learned of Dad’s Purple Heart, he created design options to include the medal on the urn – something he had not done before. He collaborated with my family to ensure we had the perfect design. After learning that Dad would be interred at Arlington National Cemetery, he committed to making a superior design befitting such a dignified final resting place. We are very pleased with the final piece. Many of those in attendance at the inurnment ceremony commented that it was 'the most beautiful urn' they had ever seen.

John went a step further. He made a vase out of the wood left over from Dad’s urn and sent it to my Mom as a gift. Such a kind, thoughtful gesture.

John was caring, collaborative and responsive to all of our concerns, and worked in partnership with my family to create the perfect vessel for Dad’s ashes. His craftsmanship is impeccable. We highly recommend him for any natural wood urns and vessels you may need.”

The Brown Family

Related Links
Lee Brown Jr. Obituary

Video of Ceremony

New Wood Cremation Urn and Memorial Vase now on Etsy

This beautiful sculpted Padauk wood cremation urn and memorial vaseb is now available in our Esty Shop. This was designed and sculpted from hand-selected African Padauk, which is also known as barwood, corail, African coralwood, vermillion and yomo. Padauks are of African or Asian origin and are valued for their toughness and beautiful color. An eye catching wood, the color varies from a rich crimson or brick red, to reddish-purple streaks, to bright-orange. It darkens over time to dark reddish-brown.

This vase comes with a heavy plastic insert for flowers. A small hole, capped with a brass plug, is placed near the base of this vase to discreetly store a small amount of ashes. A small Allen wrench is included.

There are many one-of-a-kind urns in the Etsy shop and we are adding new wood urns every week. We now offer a limited number of Keepsake Boxes. These sweet boxes are a unique way to honor a loved one's memory.

...

Everlasting Tree Donates Cremation Urn for WASP Pilot Elaine Harmon

WASP (Women’s Airforce Service Pilots) pilot Elaine Harmon was interred at Arlington National Cemetery in a special ceremony on September 7, 2016. See Story.

Eagle, Idaho Artist, John Sword, learned about the family’s efforts to obtain permission for her to be interred at Arlington National Cemetery on a national news report.  The news footage showed a black plastic urn container sitting on a closet shelf.  John contacted Erin Miller, Mrs. Harmon’s granddaughter, and offered to design and create a special urn for the ceremony. After several months, numerous emails, photos and telephone conversations, the completed urn (shown below) was delivered for Mrs. Harmon’s ceremony.  John also provided matching memorial vases for Mrs. Harmon’s daughter and three granddaughters. 

The urn was sculpted from hand-selected African Padauk. Padauk is a moderately heavy, strong and stiff wood with exceptional stability. It is valued for its toughness and beautiful color which darkens over time to a dark reddish-brown. John selected Padauk as symbolic of the toughness, strength and stability required of WASP pilots.  Prior to the ceremony, soils that John collected from Sweetwater, Texas, where Mrs. Harmon trained, and Nellis Air Force Base, where she was stationed, were placed into two small cavities in the base of the urn. As shown in the photograph, Elaine’s wings were secured to the urn. 

John and his wife, Heidi Egerman were honored to attend the ceremony on September 7th at the Arlington National Cemetery.

To learn more about this story and the considerable efforts that went into obtaining legal permission for WASP pilots to be interred at Arlington National Cemetery, see: Female Pilot Unit Gains Support in Congress for Right to Arlington Burials     

See news coverage below.

CBS Evening News ~ September 8, 2016

CBS Evening News Video

NPR News

The U.S. Air Force Honor Guard carries the remains of World War II pilot Elaine Harmon during services on Wednesday at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va.

New Keepsake Boxes are now available from Everlasting Tree

These beautiful one-of-kind keepsake boxes have been designed and hand crafted from Beechwood. These unique miniature urns are simply a smaller version of John’s large cremation urns. They are a great option if you are sharing a loved one’s ashes and they are a unique way to honor someones's memory. A small hole, capped with a brass plug, is designed into the base to discreetly store a small amount of ashes. A small Allen wrench is included. You will be seeing more of these for sale soon on our Etsy Shop. 

These sculpted beechwood keepsake boxes are now available from Everlasting Tree.

Western Design Conference

John’s custom cherry rocking chair was selected by a jury of design experts and will be showcased in this year’s Western Design Conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming on September 10 through the 13th. This Exhibit + Sale celebrates those who have chosen to forgo mass production in order to create one of a kind, museum quality functional art pieces that bring the spirit of the West into the mainstream marketplace.

The artists who are selected by a jury of design experts are rigorously challenged to create their best work as they compete for limited invitations to showcase their pieces at the Western Design Conference. These talented artists bring a quality and interpretation to western design that is sought after by collectors and designers worldwide. Creative, original and innovative work cannot be produced in volume. See more chair images here. 

New Everlasting Tree Cremation Urns

If you haven’t been out to the Everlasting Tree website lately, it might be time to take another look. Below you can see some of the new urns we have recently added to our Etsy site. In addition to designing and handcrafting these beautiful cremation urns, John has been making rocking chairs. Browse around this site and see more of his distinct style. You will see similar lines and waves which are characteristic of these beautiful urns. 

...

These one-of-a-kind urns are distinctive and personal pieces of art – as unique as the individuals they are intended to memorialize. Curves and waves and highly unique wood grain patterns are characteristic of John's style. These urns are unlike many other cremation urns on the market today. Some are simple, with clean lines and some are delicate, flowing and ornate. 

Whether you plan to display the urn during the memorial service, store the remains permanently or store them temporarily to be scattered in a special location later – these urns are a versatile and unique way to honor your loved-one’s memory. You can see a selection of urns for sale at Everlasting Tree Urns on Etsy. We put new one-of-a-kind urns out there on a regular basis. You might bookmark this site for when the time comes and you would like to memorialize someone you love with something special. 

Myrtlewood Scultped Cremation Urn - New on Etsy

This beautiful one-of-kind cremation urn was designed and sculpted from hand selected Oregon Myrtlewood. The Oregon Myrtlewood tree grows uncultivated, only in a small area along the Pacific Coast. Oregon Myrtlewood sometimes goes by other names such as Coos Bay Laurel or bay and pepperwood. All are one-in-the-same, botanically classified as Umbellularia California. No other hardwood excels Oregon Myrtlewood in beauty of grain and variety of coloring. Golden tans and muted reds, yellow greens and soft grays, ash blonds and seal browns, often patterned with velvet black for striking designs within the wood. Here is nature's artistry unsurpassed.

Whether you plan to display the urn during the memorial service, store the remains permanently or store them temporarily to be scattered in a special location later – these urns are a versatile and unique way to honor your loved-one’s memory.

Urn details:

Size: 6.75”H x5.5”W x 5.5”D

Cubic Inches: 200 cu

See other urns at Etsy.com

Veteran Cemetery Ceremonial Urns

John Sword and Heidi Egerman are both artists and native Idahoans who live in Eagle, Idaho. John has always loved creating in wood and has designed and crafted a line of specialty boxes, including letter boxes, jewelry boxes, keepsake boxes, vases and cremation urns. Heidi, a jewelry artist and metal smith, creates the bronze and copper leaves from actual leaves gathered at Arlington National Cemetery. The urns you see here have been donated to the Willamette National Cemetery in Portland, Oregon, and are used weekly. John also donates ceremonial urns to the Idaho State Veteran's Cemetery and the Washington State Veteran's Cemetery.

New custom urns in exoctic African Padauk wood

African Padauk urns are one of Everlasting Trees most popular and most beautiful. Also known as barwood, corail, African coralwood, vermillion and yomo, Padauks are of African or Asian origin and are valued for their toughness and beautiful color. An eye catching wood, the color varies from a rich crimson or brick red, to reddish-purple streaks, to bright-orange. It darkens over time to dark reddish-brown. These urn has  been added to our Etsy shop so if you are interested in more information or in purchasing one of these urns, please click here.

Outside dimension: height=9.5"; width=7.5"W | Cubic Inches: 200
A brass insert is available for this urn 

Whether you plan to display the urn during the memorial service, store the remains permanently or store them temporarily to be scattered in a special location later – these urns are a versatile and unique way to honor your loved-one’s memory. A brass insert is available for this urn.

Everlasting Tree - a new web experience