Decorating Ideas

One of my favorite things to do is to stroll through local cemeteries on or around their decoration days. These days are designed to bring families together to help beautify the cemetery and give them an opportunity to honor their loved one with flowers, trinkets and more. Of course in doing this I have gained several decoration ideas that I would like to share.

Of course the most popular way to decorate a loved one's grave is by simply utilizing the granite vases that are commonly attached to the base of the memorial. You can purchase pre-arranged silk floral bundles that are perfect for cemetery use at stores like Hobby Lobby or you may have some made at a local florist shop. To keep your flowers from blowing away, try using florist foam in the vases (the trick is to cram as MUCH as you possibly can into the vase).

Another popular way to decorate is to use a saddle on top of the monument.

I have found that the prettiest saddles come directly from a florist and they are typically reasonably priced. When purchasing a saddle it is important to know the size of the monument (you don't want a small saddle on a large stone or vise versa). If you are working with a florist you can also have him or her incorporate trinkets (can you see the ornaments in our Christmas saddle?) and other unique items into the design.

Some other decoration ideas include:

-Shepherd's Hooks. These are iron hooks that allow baskets of flowers to hang from them. Check with your cemetery to see if these are allowed.

-Blankets. These are flat mesh coverings that are covered with flowers. Check with your cemetery to see if these are allowed.
-Sprays. You have probably seen the little metal stands with floral attangements on them. Those are called sprays. Check with your cemetery to see if these are allowed.

I hope you find these decorating ideas helpful. Add your favorite decorating idea in the comments section below if you have an idea to share.

Planning Ahead

I often think the most difficult purchasing processes one may go through is that of pre-planning his or her funeral, burial and memorial arrangements. It's even true for those of us who work in the industry; I spend each day creating monuments but, when it comes to my own memorial, I am at a loss!

But as much as we would like to avoid it, there comes a time when we realize it would be nice to get the planning out of the way so that we don't burden a loved one with the task.

If you are at that point in your life you probably have several questions regarding pre-planning for a headstone and I am here to help.

The first thing people ask me when they begin pre-planning for their headstone is: "Do I get the headstone now or just pay for it to be placed later?"
The answer is that you have it placed now. Most monument companies do not have the insurances, bonds, trusts or anything else in place to safeguard or track your funds for years to come. Therefore, it is the industry norm to make the stone and immediately place it in the cemetery. Of course your name and birth date will have been engraved and there will be a blank space for your death date inscription.

The second thing people ask is what needs to be done to the stone after they pass. The answer to that varies depending upon the familiy's situation. In most cases you don't need to do anything more than to contract us to engrave the date of death on the stone. However, in the case of a Veteran you will need to order your VA stone and contact us to place it for you.

The third thing people are typically surprised about is that all future engraving, including the inscription of the date of death, IS NOT included in the price of the headstone. The reason for this is that we do not have the ability to track or safeguard your funds for years to come. Therefore, we only accept payment when the services are needed.

The last question most folks ask is how to get started. If you are interested in pre-planning for your headstone, we recommend that you start by gaining an idea of what you are interested in. This may be done by simply walking through cemeteries or browsing through photos online. In doing this you will discover elements that you do and do not like about memorials and will gain a sense of what you think is appropriate for yourself.

If you are considering pre-planning for your memorial or have questions about creating a headstone, please contact Emerson Monument Company and visit with us about the process. Our staff is kind, friendly and informative and will "hold your hand" through the entire process.

A Hawaiian Cemetery

As a person living on the US mainland, it never truly occured to me that Hawaiians would have different burial traditions than the rest of us. Sure, I knew that the traditions would vary depending upon cultural and regious preferences, but I never really thought about the way they might memorialize their loved ones...until I had the opportunity to go to the small Hawaiian island of Kaua'i.

While in Kaua'i I stopped by a large cemetery on the North side of Kapaa. It is built up on a hill with all individuals being buried facing the East (towards the ocean). I did climb to the top of the hill and took a moment to enjoy the serene beauty of the ocean side cemetery before visiting with a sweet lady who had come to visit her grandmother.

As I spoke to the lady, a Hawaiian native, she told me that the majority of Hawaiians prefer to be cremated. The family and friends then gather to sprinkle the ashes in the Pacific Ocean. She said there are companies that will take them out by boat and hold a nice ceremony for them to do this.

As I looked around I noticed the large marble crucifxion in the far Southwest corner of the cemetery. When I asked her about it she indicated the cemetery was a Catholic cemetery.

Now...in Northwest Arkansas many Catholic cemeteries bury individuals to where they are facing a statue of Mary or so forth. However, that was not the case in this cemetery. When I asked her why she shrugged her shoulders, pointed towards the ocean and laughed, "I guess they liked that view better!"

I wanted to post some photos of the cemetery and some of the memorials that I visited. You will notice each plot has a wall around it in order to keep the plot from washing down the side of the hill.

More Than Just Monuments

Did you know that Emerson Monument Company is more than just monuments?? Most people don't realize that they have seen our work in everyday places...not just the cemeteries.

At Emerson Monument Co. we provide custom engraved signs, sidewalks, windows, floors, tiles and more! Check it all out below!


Are you familiar with the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Benton County? This is a great organization that strives to provide single parents with the resources needed to make gaining a higher education possible. We are proud to have incorporated their logo into this custom engraved stone.





Most NWA Residents are familiar with the Har-ber Meadows Master-Planned Community. This is a cute residential area that is close to shopping and home to both people and wildlife alike. We recently provided a custom-engraved and handpainted native stone sign for them.

Check out those Springdale Bulldogs!! The new campus is beautiful and we are proud of the custom engraved mascots that have been incorporated into the Emma Street entrance. The bulldog seen below was engraved into a custom-cut circular piece of Georgia Gray Granite and then layed into the brick wall. What a fun project to have been involved in!

Check out this custom engraved glass for Tyson Foods! Great job, guys!

How Do I Clean THAT??

Okay, so we all know the feeling. It's the heart-sinking moment when you stand, looking at a loved one's memorial, realizing that you are going to have to clean an unidentified mess from his or her stone. Maybe it is bird poo or perhaps it is berry stains or moss; whatever the substance may be, we have some solutions. BUT, before cleaning a memorial, there are some important factors to consider.

1. It is important to always check the color of the granite with which you will be working. Black granite tends to scratch a little easier than gray granite. SO, if you are working with black, you will want to avoid rubbing, stiff bristles or anything else that could cause scratching.

2. Check the engraving on the stone. If the engraving appears to have been done by a laser, please avoid rubbing or scrubbing over the laser etched portion. This will ensure any potential scratching will not impact the etching.

3. Always check the material the stone is made of. If it is marble please do not take the advice found on our blog!

4. If the stone you are cleaning appears to be damaged, please refrain from cleaning it and contact your monument dealer immediately.

Now that you know what you are dealing with you will initially need to gather a few materials:
-A large jug of water
-A spray bottle
-Bleach
-A soft bristle tooth brush

We recommend mixing one part water to one part bleach in your spray bottle and beginning with a small portion of the soiled area. Simply spray some solution and lightly scrub for a few moments. It is important to note that, after scrubbing, you need to rinse the area REALLY well with your water. Why? Because the bleach could lighten your memorial if you don't.

If the bleach and water solution does not work (and occasionally it will not), you might consider purchasing a Dupont Alkaline Cleanser that can be found at nearly any counter top store in your area. Please note that you need to read the instructions for this cleanser very carefully prior to using it.

If the alkaline cleanser does not work or if you are physically unable to clean your loved one's memorial, please contact Emerson Monument Company and we will be glad to cleanse your stone for you.

Preserving a Slice of History

This past weekend my husband and father-in-law took me to a remote civil war memorial near New Edinburgh, AR. Now, I will admit, I am not as educated in the Civil War as those who grew up in the Deep South or near a battle field. However, after visiting the Marks Mill State Park, I am very interested in learning more and returning to the site when we have more time to really study the memorials.

The Marks Mill State Park features numerous memorials (most of which are engraved into granite) to commemorate the battle that took place and preserve history for generations to come. It is truly a neat little place to visit and I wanted to share what they have done. It is worth noting that Emerson Monument Company did not make or erect any of the memorials at the Marks Mill State Park. However, we are certainly capable of creating monuments such as these to memorialize any family or historical site.

Marble upright Veteran's memorials. These may have been issued by the Veteran's Administration or made to duplicate those that are typically issued by the VA.

Georgia Gray polished 2 (meaning only the front and the back are polished and the top and sides are rough) oval top monument with Vermarco lettering. A red lithichrome paid was also used on the text "The battle had begun!" This memorial was placed upon a tall brick base.

This exhibit boasts several engraved memorials. While some of the memorials are Georgia Gray slants, others are engraved Georgia Gray tiles that have been layed into a rock or brick structure.
This appears to be a Dakota Mahogony oval top stone with vermarco lettering.

This memorial appears to be Academy Black with vermarco lettering and other decorative engravings. It stands on top of a white brick base.

Marking Graves

Yesterday Emerson Monument Company had the pleasure of placing new granite markers at the Spade Mountain Cemetery in Adair County, Oklahoma.
Years ago - no, decades ago- families would bury their loved ones in Spade Mountain Cemetery and then mark their graves with homemade headstones. These stones typically consisted of sand or lime stone that had been engraved by hand. And while these stones are invaluable slices of history, they are becoming difficult to read.

Determined not to lose the memory of each individual buried in the cemetery, the Spade Mountain Cemetery Board chose to have each individual's grave marked with a fresh new stone while still keeping the old stone in tact. What a great way to preserve history!

If you are a board member, geneology enthusiast or interested family member who desires to preserve or mark historical graves, please contact us for information on our "Mark Every Grave" program.