Thinking Outside the Box

Our loved ones are special. They have interests, dislikes, and "quirks" that set them apart from everyone else. Today, more than ever, generations are focusing on celebrating the things that make their loved ones unique.

It is no secret that Mr. Graham loved to fly. It was his passion. And when those who did not know Mr. Graham look at his stone, they, too, will gain a sense of both his humor and his hobby.

So what qualities set your loved one apart? How can you incorporate their passions into their memorial? Would you like something that stands out from surrounding memorials or something that conforms to the general style?
Those are great questions to ask yourself before shopping for a memorial and are good things to go over with our staff if you are a little uncertain of what you are looking for.

Epitaphs

Epitaphs are tricky sometimes. It's not because they are difficult to write but because it is often difficult to think of the perfect words to use to sum up our loved ones' lives. Many families come to me and express a desire to write something but they just aren't sure what that something is and look to me for help. For that reason I have made a list of popular epitaphs that are used today and have posted that list on our website. If you are also struggling to come up with an epitaph please check out the list on our Frequently Asked Questions page at http://www.emersonmonument.com/.

Timeless Treasures

A few days ago I was driving on Water Tower Rd. in Bentonville when I happened accross a historic cemetery called Maxwell/Mt. Eden Cem. It is nestled under the trees behind College Place Subdivision and would go unnoticed if you were not looking for it. While walking this particular cemetery I noticed the way family names used to be done on monuments and wanted to share that style with you.

Looking at this stone you will notice that it is what we refer to as a "polish 3". Polish 3 means that the front, back, and very top of the stone are polished (i.e. smooth and shiny) while the sides are rough and rocky. This particular family apparently decided to take advantage of this polish 3 monument by have raised letters engraved for their family name, "Alfrey".

Although this style is not as common in modern days as it was years ago, it certainly may still be done today. If you would like this done to your monument just ask for a polish 3 straight top monument with raised letters on the top. This style may also be done on an oval top and a slightly slanted top for increased visibility.

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.

The Purchase Process

On many occasions I receive phone calls asking what the monument purchase process looks like and I would like to explain that here.

Most often families begin the monument purchase process with a general idea of what they are looking for. For example, some families come to us stating they want something “simple”, “black”, “big”, or “flat”. They often form their ideas based on a combination of the cemetery requirements and what style rock they feel best represents their loved ones’ life.

Once the family communicates their initial ideas to us we are able to offer further ideas, examples, and options to them. After the initial color, shape, size, and style of the stone have been determined we are able to discuss design ideas with the family.

After all ideas have been discussed we are able to design a rendering of the memorial that we provide to the family. The rendering is done in a CAD program which allows us to create the monument to scale, and offer the family an idea of what the stone will look like. Once the family approves of the monument design we are able to begin our manufacturing process.

Once the monument is made we place it in line to be set in the cemetery. We do a large volume of monuments within a 90 mile radius of Springdale, AR, which allows us to visit most cemeteries about once per month. That being said, you can typically allow between four and six weeks from the time you approve your drawing until the time the monument is placed in the cemetery.
Next week I will discuss the various colors of stone and where they originate.

I hope you have found this post helpful and hope you will contact me if you have any questions.

Laser Etching...A New Way to Tell the Story

You can learn a lot about someone based on the engravings on his or her headstone and, with modern day technology, history is being told in a whole new way. While the traditional method of memorializing has traditionally revolved around sandblasted stones such as this:

It has now shifted to laser etchings. With laser etching we are able to take this photo:

And turn it into this:

Laser etching, although fairly new, is a great way to capture detail in stone and really tell a story in a way that is simply not possible via sandblasting. Some fun facts about laser etching are:

• We only laser etch on black. Many monument companies will etch on ebony mist or other colors but we do not recommend it as you need a granite grain that does not vary in color so that it does not distort your image once etched.
• By laser etching you can actually fit more text onto one stone. This is because the laser is capable of achieving smaller, more delicate fonts than the sand blaster is.
• Laser etching is a method of engraving the stone and your etching should endure the test of time nicely if it is not painted. Painted laser etchings (i.e. etched and then hand painted on top of the etching) utilize paints that are inevitably suseptible to weathering and are rumored to last approximately 25 years. That fact bothers some folks and does not bother others.
• The laser etching process is pretty simple. When you come in to begin your laser etching we recommend that you bring your artwork with you. If the artwork is digital we recommend it be at 600 dpi. If you don't know what that means then don't worry, I will help you! We will then work up a proof for you to view and welcome any changes you have to the proof. We will continue to work this way until the proof meets your satisfaction and you give us the "okay" to begin work.
  

I hope you found this post to be informative and encourage you to drop me an e-mail, post a comment, or give me a call if you have any questions.

Indian Grave Houses

As a member of the Choctaw Nation I am interested in Native American culture and, as a monument person, have always been interested in Indian Grave Houses such as the ones seen below.


I had always wondered what the purpose of these little grave houses was and had simply assumed they were originally used for memorialization purposes. However, by doing a little research, I learned that the grave houses were not built for memorialization purposes at all; hence the headstones seen erected in front of the grave houses (the headstones are used for memorialization!).

Being a member of the Choctaw Nation I consulted with a member of their historical department regarding the purpose of these houses and was surprised at what I learned. Throughout time much of the Native American history has been passed down orally leaving younger tribal members to rely upon the oral history that has been passed down to their elders. That being said, it is reasonable to believe that there are two common "myths" about the grave houses and I would like to share those with you.

1) In the mid- 1800's there was a tradition known as bone picking. According to my source at the Choctaw Nation, when a member of the tribe passed, his or her body was placed above ground and allowed to deteriorate. Once the deterioration process had progressed, an individual known as a "bone picker" would cleanse the bones and then present the bones to the family of the deceased in what was called a "bone house". These bones were placed above ground with the bone house walls and roofs sheltering them. It was not until many years later that missionaries who had come to the area told the tribe that the practices were not sanitary or proper; the tribe began burrying their loved ones at that time.

2) The second myth is that tribe members were burried in the grave houses and that the purpose of the houses was to enclose spirits with the deceased in order to represent an eternal existance harmonic existance with the spirits they believed in.

Whatever the case may be, the tradition of grave houses, although not widely known, is fascinating. If you have not seen a grave house in person you may be interested in taking a short drive over in to Oklahoma to visit some and view an often ignored slice of history.