Walters Funeral Home opens The Gift Shop at Walters
Expertly curated gifts for those in mourning
Walters Funeral Home has opened a small gift shop as an alternative for mourners to give thoughtful, personalized gifts and support, at a time when personal and community connections may have changed due to the pandemic.
"In the beginning of the pandemic, watching as families had to pick and choose who could attend the funerals; it was a heart-wrenching experience,” said Cecile Walters Trotter, founder of the Gift Shop at Walters. “I think that helpless feeling led people to want to connect and show their care in new and different ways that were more meaningful and intentional. It made us wonder if there was a need for alternative sympathy gift options.”
Walters Trotter spent several months curating specialty gift items that aid in the healing process and help move the recipient along in their grief journey to come to terms with their loss. There are gifts that help the bereaved create a ritual for mourning—such as tea, candles, journals, and other self-care items. The candles are made in collaboration with Nouvelle Candle Co. out of St. Francisville, and fragrances were specifically selected for scents that inspire, such as rebirth, healing, peace, and hope.
The Shop also offers books on grief and specific to different types of loss.
“A lot of research has been done on the stages of grief, and how mourners have to go through this journey to find a sense of peace,” explained Walters Trotter. “Rituals—whether meditative, journaling, exercise, etc.—sets up a specific time and place that we can slow down to contemplate and express our grief. We are here, in this time, to do that work; whether it be making tea and journaling, taking a bath, lighting a candle and saying prayers. It’s about finding space to recognize the death, reorganize your life, and move on in a healthy way.”
The Gift Shop at Walters also offers personalized items as tokens of remembrance, such as laminated prayer cards and obituaries, personalized candles, and video ‘books’—a 5” x 7” screen in a soft cover book that automatically plays a slide show of photos when the cover is opened.
For those who want to give an assortment of sympathy gifts, ready-made baskets are thoughtfully put together for a range of budgets.
“Our hope is that this selection of items allows the giver to give a more meaningful, sincere and sensitive gift that is both tasteful and useful,” she said. “Share your sympathies, encourage self-care, and give comfort to those in mourning.”
View some of our products below:

