You're Buried Like You're Married....

Have you ever heard that saying? There is a lot of truth to it if you or a loved one is having a traditional burial in a double plot. What is tradition? Good question.

Traditionally the woman is buried in the plot to the North while the man is buried in the plot to the South.
Also, in accordance to tradition, in MOST cemeteries (in NWA the Catholic cemeteries are an exception), the head is rests on the West side of the grave and the feet rest on the East side of the grave.

Do non-traditional burial occur? Sure. And, what may be tradition in some parts of the country or some cemeteries, may not be the case in others.

That is why it is important to know if your loved one is buried traditionally or non-traditionally.

If you are purchasing a double headstone, it is important to know who is on which side. Why? Because we want to make sure the correct name is placed on the correct side of the monument!
With that being said, it is always a good idea to check with the caretaker of the cemetery and ask him or her who is buried on which side and if the face of the monument should be looking towards the East or towards the West.

If you are considering purchasing a double headstone for yourself or a loved one, and are a little confused about the above information, please contact us and we will be glad to visit with you and provide you a worksheet to help you understand more clearly.

The Setting Process

When you purchase a monument it is important to note that the setting process is just as important as the selection and design processes. Why? Because it is not uncommon for monuments to settle, lean, or even sink over time. And, while you can't prevent these actions from occuring, you can select a monument company that guarantees their setting process and promises to raise or straighten the monument at no additional charge.
SO, no matter where you are shopping for your memorial, it is imporant to ask the following questions:

1) Do you place a foundation underneath your monuments?

2) If so, what type of foundation do you use?

3) Do you guarantee your setting work?

4) If so, what are the steps I need to take if my monument begins to settle or lean?

At Emerson Monument Company we dig a footing and place a dry pour foundation underneath each and every stone we set. We guarantee this method and will go correct your monument if it ever settles, sinks, or leans.

If you have had the unfortunate experience of purchasing at a company that does not guarantee the quality of their work or has since gone out of business, please give us a call and we will be happy to discuss our ability to provide such services to you.

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.