Losing a family member is such a difficult experience. You don't know where to start, or who to run…read moreto when attempting to plan a funeral... or even what the next steps are to ensure your loved one is taken care of. My family and I can't thank Carla and Adrian enough for the supportive and professional service they have provided to us. Hospitality and sympathy are two qualities that are very hard to come by these days, but Gardens of Eden provided both with ease. As our first family passing, this establishment made it smooth and simple for us. On behalf of our loving mother, sister, aunt, daughter, Maria Reyna, the Martinez family thanks the Gardens of Eden for the value and care they showed to our loved one.

My mother died at home after a long illness. We didn't want to use the mortuary that has locations…read morein Calexico and El Centro where we had my dad a couple years back because they had the worst customer service I have ever seen. So I decided to go with Garden of Eden. I initially spoke to Carla who gave me the estimate. She and her staff were so empathetic, accommodating and honest with the whole process that it was so refreshing from I had experience with the other mortuary...the complete opposite. The staff even helped me when I was in Europe with different time zones. I believe This is the best option for funeral services in Imperial Valley. Thank you Carla and team for your tremendous support and kindness during the grieving of our family!

Please be warned that Hems Brother Mortuary is not a reputable business!!!! You are despicable…read morebusiness. It's already hard enough with dealing a parent's passing but now I cannot even bury her due to Hems Mortuary lack of morality and business principles. My mother purchased a plot from Hems Brother Mortuary back in November 1999. My mother passed May 2022 in Long Beach, CA. I have been calling Hems Mortuary since late May 2022 to schedule her ashes burial and they will not take my calls or work with me to schedule her burial. Yet, Hems took my mother's money for the plot back in 1999. I have asked repeatedly for Kirk or Jamie Hems, and no one has returned my call to schedule my mother's burial. The staff keeps giving excuse is that they are so busy they don't have time to deal with ashes burials. Aren;t you a mortuary and funeral home? This is already a difficult time with a parent's passing but then to deal with Hems is unbelievable. My mother purchased the plot so she could be buried with my father and Hems is not honoring the purchase or my mom's last wishes.

Money hungry! Take your loved one someplace more caring and honest. Way overcharged! Charged us an…read moreextra $300 to keep her body while we had to go home to San Felipe to get cash because that's all they take which is weird! Then after we paid they tell us they can't do the cremation for months because they are so backlogged? Why charge extra then? Not an honest business.

El Centro is not the main office. Sit with the nice salesman and do all the paperwork and then…read morelisten to him confirm it all with his boss over the phone in Brawley and then come back to you with a different price total. Also: the nice salesman sets a time for your funeral....only to call you back 24 hours later and to say they don't have enough hearses for that time, so they have to move it a day later. Beware...nice, but not so competent.

I found Chaplain Erica and Joe through a Google search for chaplains experienced in conducting…read moreservices at Riverside National Cemetery. Chaplain Erica responded within an hour and arranged a telephone consultation the following day. She immediately demonstrated extensive knowledge of the VA cemetery's strict scheduling requirements for its 30-minute services and explained how to make the most of the military honors and benefits available to veterans. The service was flawlessly coordinated, and I felt my father received the dignified, respectful, and heartfelt farewell he deserved. One recommendation I was initially hesitant about was Chaplain Erica's suggestion to use both a local florist and a bagpiper. In hindsight, both were outstanding additions. The florist charged significantly less than many regional florists while providing exceptionally fresh and beautiful arrangements. Just as importantly, they were very familiar with Riverside National Cemetery's procedures and had everything set up well before the service began. The bagpiper, Joel "The Marine Piper," was especially memorable. Dressed in full Marine and Scottish Highland attire, his music--including Taps--created a solemn, reverent atmosphere that made the service even more meaningful. His performance provided a moving and fitting farewell for my father. I highly recommend Chaplain Erica to any family planning a service at Riverside National Cemetery. Her fees were very reasonable, her guidance throughout the process was invaluable, and her experience with the cemetery's procedures helped ensure everything proceeded seamlessly during a difficult time.

Chaplain Erica Thank you for your kindness, compassion, and…read moreguidance before, during and after my mom's funeral service. Your comforting presence and thoughtful words brought peace to our family during a difficult time. We are deeply grateful for the care and support you showed us as we honored and placed my mom's urn with my dad's urn in his columbarium. Days after the service, you sent texts assuring us that you were available for "talk", if we needed. Your compassion and kindness went beyond just the service. We will always be grateful for the kindness you showed.

Avoid Acropolis. We got a quote for $2,800 but spent over $5,695 on a marker that failed to meet…read morecemetary design rules the first attempt and then failed to meet their quality inspection on the second attempt. 1. Cemetery Design Rules We paid Acropolis $2,800 for the first version of the marker. They said that they had experience working with most San Diego cemeteries and had made many deliveries to our cemetary. We were therefore surprised when the cemetary told us that the grave marker was missing the bronze top that goes on top of the granite and therefore could not be installed. Acropolis did not check the cemetery's design rules prior to production. They said that it was our responsibility to tell them what the design rules were... 2. Quality Issues Acropolis asked for an additional $2,895 to add the bronze bringing the total to $5,695. When this second version arrived, the cemetery's marker department flagged multiple quality issues and took photos of those issues (see below). When asked by the cemetary team whether they had sent us photos of the marker, Acropolis said yes. When asked by the cemetary team to see the photos that were sent to us, it was clear that the photos were taken in such a way as to avoid showing any of the quality issues. The cemetery team sent us the following email: "Upon receiving and inspecting the marker, we identified several concerns that we want to bring to your attention before moving forward: - Areas of missing brown paint on the bronze - Multiple scratches present on the bronze - Uneven bronze pour within the frame of the plaque - Noticeable scratches on the granite base to which the bronze is attached" 3. Starting From Scratch with Express Monument Rather than continuing with Acropolis and paying yet more money (Acropolis asked for upfront payment), I walked away from Acropolis with nothing to show for the $5,695 spent. I hired a separate company, Express Monument, and paid them $3,000 for a brand new grave marker. . Express did not repair the previous piece; they manufactured a completely brand-new grave marker (after checking with the cemetary about design rules) and installed it without any issues.

Acropolis and staff took the time to make sure the headstone was exactly what I wanted, perfect…read moredown to the details. Eduardo, the owner, works with pride, and his assistant Claudio is meticulous and hardworking. The pricing is excellent, especially for the high-quality stone they provide. I researched other businesses, but none come close to the professionalism and craftsmanship here. Highly recommend, if I could give more stars, I would!