Creating Timeless Memorials

One of the things I enjoy most about my job is the opportunity to really get to know the families I work with and help them create beautiful memorials for their loved ones. That is also the hardest part of my job, as it is tough to watch families hurt and try to cope with the pain they are feeling. However, it is always an honor to know that they have chosen to trust both myself and my team here at Emerson to create their loved one's memorial.

When families come into our store they often come in with an idea of what they would like the memorial to look like. Sometimes the idea is something they thought up that represents a hobby, belief, or life long mission. Other times the family might bring in photos of something they have seen out in the cemetery that they would also like to have for their loved one.

I recently worked with a sweet family that came to me with an idea for a memorial for their beautiful daughter. They brought in this photo (below) and asked if we could do something similar.

There were several things the family liked about this monument. They loved the shape with the detailing on the top and bottom sides. They also loved the raised carving (you can see the carving just above her name appears to "pop out" from the granite) and the two bases that it sits on.

As I began to visit with the family about their ideas I came to learn that they wanted the design to be soft and feminine yet classic. We decided that a raised, shape carved rose in place of the hand would be stunning, along with a raised, shape carved ivy border up top.

The family also told me that the monument would be going in an older section of the cemetery and that the surrounding monuments looked like this (below).

Isn't that beautiful?! Those old monuments are stunning and timeless, two elements that the family wished to accomplish with their daughter's memorial. Keeping the surrounding monuments in mind, we suggested that the monument be "steeled". A steeled monument is a monument that has had the shiny polish removed to create a classic look.

Once we worked with the family and they approved of the shape, size and design, we began working on the monument. I have added photos of the process below.


We sandblast the monument

We carefully place a specil stencil on the monument.

We shape carve the monument by hand

Beautiful!

Completed monument in the cemetery

This stunning memorial is a beautiful reminder of sweet Cara's life and the legacy that she left to her family, friends and to others whose lives she may not have even realized she touched.

If you are interested in creating a memorial for yourself on a pre-need basis or for a loved one, please contact Emerson Monument Co. and we will help guide you through the process.



Designing a Memorial

When I sit down with families to visit about their memorial they often say the same thing, "I have absolutely no idea what I want the monument to look like".

If you could easily find yourself uttering that very same thing, then this blog post is especially for you.

Each year I work with countless families who know that they want to place a memorial in the cemetery and often they even know what color they want. However, when it comes to the actual design, they could use some guidance.

Stock Designs for Sandblasting
At Emerson Monument Co. we have an entire library of designs that families commonly use. These designs are organized by the size of the monument and range from the very simple to the extremely elaborate. Sometimes families will select the entire design and other times the families will use the design as an "inspiration" and build on it.

We also have an entire library of components that are commonly used on monuments. Components are single images, such as an emblem, that represents a career, hobby, event, honor, etc.

Designs for Laser Etching
For those who choose to go the laser etching route, things work a little differently.
Typically when a family would like to do some laser etching I will sit down with them and go over their ideas and show them pictures of similarly etched memorials. We will then gather all necessary artwork from them and go from there.

Proofs.
At Emerson Monument Company we will not start making your monument until you have signed off on a rendering of the memorial. While the renderings are in black and white, they are to-scale and a great way to "see" the monument before it is complete. It is also an opportunity to allow both you and your family to make any necessary changes.

I hope you have found this information to be helpful. If you would like to start designing a memorial, please contact us via email and we will be glad to help.