In The Arms of the Angels...

Angels are in popular demand in 2012, and we have several styles available. Don't see what you are looking for here? Call us and we will design a custom angel for your loved one. 

A Sweet Little Pooh Bear

Such a Cute Little Guy!

Perhaps the thing that struck me most about Nathan Peak was his cute little glasses combined with his contagious little smile; it always seems like the little guys that hurt the most wear the biggest smiles.

Little Nathan Peak was a warrior of sorts. He had been dealt a rough combination of Hydrocephalus, Spina Bifda, CP and blindness. And as if that weren't enough, sweet little Nathan  suffered a stroke at 6 months of age and was eventually in stage 2 respiratory failure. It is more than any child or parent should have to endure...but they seem to have made the best of it that they possibly could.

When I first met Christina, Nathan's mother, she had a smile just as beautiful as Nathan's. Despite all of the pain and heartache she and her husband were feeling inside, they were ready to place a memorial for their sweet son and they had an idea of what they were looking for: a black teddy bear in honor of their little "Pooh Bear".

Mom and Dad with their little Pooh Bear


It's easy to see why his parents affectionately called him Pooh Bear- he's just a precious little squeezable bundle of cuddles and love. Of course it is difficult to sum up such a beautiful life on just one memorial, so the family chose to focus on Nathan's personality and character traits that truly defined who he was. After considering several design ideas, they decided that a teddy bear memorial would be the perfect tribute for their little Pooh Bear.

When the family mentioned they were interested in a teddy bear for Nathan, we were able to show them pictures of similar bears we had done in gray and begin to work on a design specifically for Nathan's memorial. Once we determined what the monument was going to look like, we placed an order to have the specially cut and polished. When the shape was complete we were finally able to bring this little bear to life and turn him into a beautifully timeless memorial for one sweet little Pooh Bear.  

Rustic Elegance in Memorial Art

Emerson Monument Company recently placed a new monument on display!  This Georgia Gray double monument features a beautiful shell rock finish and shape carved roses- perfect for a couple that loved the rustic luxuries in life. This monument may also be dressed up with a round flower pot (seen on the left) or may have a more casual appearance with a square flower pot (seen on the right).





When I refer to a "shell rock border", I am referring to the rocky border surrounding the smooth (i.e. polished) face. The term "shape carved" refers to a method of carving in which we use a hand held sandblaster to artfully shape the flowers so that they look dimensional as opposed to the traditional flat carvings. Our mastercraftsman, Tony, has been shape carving at Emerson since the early 1980's and is the finest shape carver in the industry; you simply will not find art like his anywhere else.                                                                                          

Shape carved flowers, leaves and ivy not only look great with shell rock borders, but they also look nice on colored granites. In fact, if you look closely at the monuments on our website or on our display, you will notice that several of them feature beautiful shape carving that truly seems to bring the greenery to life.

Shell rock borders also look great on uniquely shaped monuments such as the ever-popular scallop shaped monument. The monument in the photo to the right is an Ebony Mist Scallop designed for two people. If you were to select this memorial, your sir name would be engraved toward the top while your name and date, as well as those of your companion, would be engraved in the scroll down below.

This single  monument features a shell rock broder surrounding the polished arrowhead shape. While the shell rock border does dress the arrowhead down a little, it also seems to add an element of texture and beauty to the shape. What a perfect monument for someone who loved archiology, Native American history or the outdoors.

I hope that you have found this post helpful in coming up with memorial ideas. As you can see, there are many simple but elegant components you may add to a granite memorial to truly make it different.

If you would like to begin designing a memorial or have some ideas that you would like to share, please contact Emerson Monument Company and a member of our staff will be glad to visit with you.

A Trip to Mount Holly Cem.

This past week I had the honor of visiting the Mount Holly Cemetery in Little Rock, AR and wanted to share my experience with you.

The Mount Holly Cemetery is on the National Historic Register of Cemeteries and is home to some of the most beautiful old memorials!

This beautiful cross is inscribed with "INRI" in the middle.  Now...I have seen this before and always wondered what it meant.  So, I looked it up and learned that the acronym represents the Latin inscription which translates into English meaning "Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews".  I found this information on wikipedia and you can click here to read the entire article.

Another popular inscription on memorial crosses is "IHS".  Many customers have asked what the monogram means and it is actually the monogram of the name of Jesus as it is derived from the first three letters of the Greek version of this name.  Those letters are" Iota, Eta and Sigma.

This monument for the Keene family caught my eye for several reasons.  While it is not as old as some of the surrounding stones in the cemetery, it boasts a great deal of intricate hand-carvings at the top.  I don't know about you, but I would love to have watched the monument builder carve all of that detail!

The Oliver monument caught my eye because of the beautiful raised letters for the last name.  You will notice the letters "stand out" against the panel on which they sit, thus the term "raised letters".  Raised letters were very popular (you will notice them on many of the stones) and are actually making a modern day come-back!  Raised letters are one of the few lettering styles that truly look nice on just about any color of granite.

A beautiful old memorial

A hand-carved marble memorial. 

This mausoleum door is absolutely stunning.  It appears to be made of iron and has beautiful iron work on the front of the windows. 



A close-up of the iron work on the mausoleum doors



This beautiful pink monument boasts beautiful raised letters!  The other thing I noticed is a signature from the monument company that created the stone (see photo below).  Decades ago it was customary for the monument builder to sign his or her work just as an artist signs a canvas.  In more recent years the practice is considered tasteless as many people associate it with advertising in the cemetery - and we do not take part in such practices.  However, I thought the practice was definately worth noting for history's sake!

 

This gentleman's bust is hand carved from marble and was then added to this beautiful Barre granite memorial.  Notice the raised letters and the handcarving around the top of the stone.  The craftsmanship of this stone is absolutely amazing!

More mausoleum doors.



I hope you have enjoyed this post; I know I certainly enjoyed my visit to this historic cemetery.  You know, if you are currently looking for a memorial, you might consider taking a stroll through a local cemetery to help you gain an idea of the styles and artistry that you like and dislike.  Northwest Arkansas is blessed with numerous cemeteries that boast countless monument ideas.  Or...if you are simply not a cemetery person, just come on in Emerson Monument Company and I will be glad to listen to you ideas, show you some pictures, and help you create something that is perfectly stunning for your loved one.

A custom Memorial



Perhaps one of the things I love most about my job is getting to know the families that I serve.  And, as I get to know them, I also get to know the loved one that they have lost. 

When I first met Mrs. Brodersen she expressed her desire to find a memorial that is both tasteful and representative of her husband and the things he loved.  As we visited I learned that Eric had owned and operated a successful tree cutting business and also enjoyed the outdoors. 

Determined to help Mrs. Brodersen create a unique memorial for her husband, I searched through photos and drafted ideas and we finally arrived at this beautiful stone. 

Please excuse the photography!  The monument is not leaning- I just can't take a straight shot! :)


Sometimes all we need is just an idea to spark the creation of something so beautiful. 

A Veterans Memorial

If there is a group of folks who deserve a memorial, it is the Veterans who have proudly (and bravely) served our country.

Memorial Day weekend of 2009, we erected a beautiful Veterans Memorial in Farmington, AR.  It was here that a small committee of folks belonging to the Farmington Veteran's Council, brought some ideas together to honor past, present and future Veterans of our United States Armed Forces.  When they came to us they had a general idea of the memorial design and looked to our expertise to help make it happen. 

We recommended a Georgia Gray granite for the memorial and further recommended using laser etched black granite tiles for the Great Seal and the seal of each branch of the military.  By laser etching each seal, we were able to obtain a level of detail that is crisp and accurate.  We then inlayed the black tiles into the gray granite.

Now, I will tell you, there is a fine art to inlaying any kind of tiles into granite.  Why?  Because the inlaying needs to be precise and accurate so that there are no holes or gaps between the base stone and the inlayed stone.  Tiny holes, cracks and gaps could potentially set the base stone up for future problems and are certainly something to avoid.  Here at Emerson Monument Co, our craftsmen are second to none and did an absolutely amazing job with this memorial.

"A tribute to all veterans, past, present and future."

Although some of the memorial was donated by local organizations, the group also needed to do some fundraising to make this memorial possible.  They achieved the necessary funds by selling engraved bricks that were inlayed into a concrete block wall.  Engraved bricks are a lot of fun and very popular because it gives each individual his or her own little tribute within the encompassing memorial.

One of the walls hosting engraved bricks.

I truly enjoyed attending the dedication and memorial service hosted when the memorial was erected.  There was a great turn out of Veterans and their families, as well as some members of other interested organizations.  Several Veterans spoke and told heroic stories which deeply touched my life forever; yes, I am grateful to have attended. 

Many of the Veterans who were at the dedication service.

While the weather isn't great for setting monuments, it sure is perfect for admiring them!

With poinsettas and snow, our sign is definately ready for Christmas.   



I love how the snow mounds in the engraved letters.