There is Empowerment in Remembering.

Have you ever seen Dr. Suess' hit movie, The Lorax? It's a fun yet cautionary tale that promotes environmental awareness, self motivation and sustainability- all very important things for our society to remember.

As I was watching the movie with my own children, I couldn't help but become excited about a small prop that is used. It is a simple stone with the simple word "UNLESS" engraved on it. As the movie went on the Onceler proclaimed,

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing will get better. It's not."

What a powerful statement! Even more importantly, what a wonderful message to empower our children to realize that, if used appropriately, their voices can be heard to make important changes- changes for the better.

I became inspired by the meaning of the little rock, as did the staff here at Emerson Monument Company, and decided to help the Lorax communicate his message by taking it to the local schools. And I am SO glad that we did because it has been a really fun and enjoyable project for us all to work on!


Presenting Our Stone to a Local Elementary School 



When we presented our stones to the local schools we incorporated it into their curriculum in several fun and meaningful ways.

At one school we incorporated the presentation into their Kindergarten Career Day. I began my career day presentation by telling the kids that I am a Memorialist. (a big word for 5 and 6 year olds!) I told them that in my career I help people remember important people and important events. They seemed to understand that and even had some suggestions about the people and events they think are important. 

I then read the portion of , The Lorax, to them that illustrates the UNLESS rock.

"What do you think The Lorax's important message means? And why is it important?" They had some wonderful (and, I will admit, some very funny) answers! "But why is it important that this message be remembered by future generations?" I challenged.

And, most importantly of all, "Why do you think the Lorax chose to engrave his message on a stone rather than simply write it on paper or post it on Facebook?"

All around us, in our community centers and public places, in our cemeteries, in our gardens, and even in our businesses, there are dedications to those people and events that we regard as important and special. They are individuals, groups and historical events that have defined who we are, where we come from and why we think and act the way we do.

We honor them by keeping their memories alive- forever. But in a world of dwindling permanence, the only way to truly keep those memories alive- even decades after we, ourselves, are gone- is to etch those memories in stone to ensure they remain memorable for generations yet to come.

That is my objective as a memorialist- to tell stories in stone that will be cherished and remembered for generations; To honor the lives and events that have defined us, and to do so in a beautifully permanent way.

My name is Alison Raymer and I am proud to be a memorialist at Emerson Monument Company and to work with the families and communities which I serve.

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.

Preserving a Slice of History

Emerson Monument Company is pleased to announce they have accepted an invitation to participate in the 2nd Annual Arkansas Historic Preservation Program Cemetery Information Fair.  The fair will be held on Saturday, November 5, 2011 at the First United Methodist Church in Little Rock from noon to 4pm.

This is the second year that Emerson has participated in the program and, in doing so and with the assistance of other organizations, helps to teach fair participants proper cemetery preservation techniques. 

We hope to see all of our Little Rock area readers and customers there!

On Geneology

Have you ever found yourself in the midst of a genealogy project that has you stumped? Many of my customers have found themselves in such a predicament and come to me with hopes that I can help. While I am not a genealogy expert (I am doing good to even begin my own genealogy projects!), I do have company records that date back to 1926 that can help.

Throughout the decades the owners of Emerson have been careful to record details of each and every sell from who purchased it the stone to where the stone was placed. These records have been cautiously preserved and are available to our customers who find themselves in a "genealogy predicament". In fact, I love getting to sit down with folks and thumb through our sales records from the 1920's- our business is reseponsible for a little slice of history and we are proud of that!

Next time you need help locating the grave of a loved one/descendant/relative, give us a call with the approximate date of purchase as well as the name of the person whom you think may have purchased the stone and we will do our best to help you out!

*Note: Our records are exclusive to the customers we serve. If we did not make the monument then we will not have records and suggest you locate the company who did make the monument. If that information is unavailable we recommend you try any online genealogy website to help with your project.