In 1915, James Richard Thompson opened the Mountain View Cemetery. His son, J. Arthur Thompson, built the Mt. View Funeral Home on the property in 1942, making it the first combined cemetery and funeral home on the West Coast and only the second in the entire country. Over the years, four generations of the Thompson family continued to expand in order to better serve the needs of families in this community.

Mt. View currently owns 160 acres, 110 of which are dedicated to cemeteries. More than 100,000 people have been buried here over the past century.  The cemeteries are divided into 57 separate sections, four of which are dedicated to veterans from all branches of the Armed services.

More then 181 different species of trees, 575 varieties of rhododendrons, and a prize-winning rose garden create a beautiful and peaceful space for families to gather, remember, reflect and heal.

Ten clean, dry, beautiful mausoleums currently house 5,000 casket spaces and 10,000 niches for cremation urns. This fall, Mt. View plans to open an 11th mausoleum, the Mount Rainier Memorial Garden and Mausoleum.

Mt. View currently employs 60 staff members to assist families with all their burial needs - from choosing sites and caskets to planning services and receptions. They even provide free bereavement counseling through their aftercare program.

For families who choose cremation, Mt. View has an onsite crematorium and offers a variety of memorial options, including placement of an urn on a loved one's grave stone or in a columbarium. Niches in one of the mausoleums or the Serenity Fountain are also available. Families may even choose to have their loved one's ashes spread in the Valley Urn Garden.

There are three unique chapels on the property. The Garden Chapel, which seats 100 people, is reminiscent of an English chapel. The larger Valley Chapel seats 350 people in a more modern setting. The Aspen Chapel, with its open space and more secular feel, is perfect for Celebration of Life services.

Mt. View also offers special services which are open to the public, including an Easter Sunrise service and an annual Memorial Day observance. This year's observance will begin at 2 p.m. and include live music provided by the Army Band Brass Quintet and free refreshments.

For the last hundred years, the Thompson family has faithfully served this community. With continued plans for growth and expansion, Mt. View Funeral Home, Memorial Park and Crematory, located at 4100 Steilacoom Blvd. SW in Lakewood, is dedicated to meeting the internment needs of the South Sound for a hundred years to come.  For more information, contact Mt. View at 253.584.0252.