One of our clients desired a memorial with a butterfly design to celebrate the life of his beautiful daughter who passed away as a young college student. Using advanced technology, we were able to present numerous butterfly-themed designs that appealed to a grieving parent.
As I have mentioned before, using multiple bases in the monuments that I design adds beauty to a memorial in a way that moves the ordinary to the extraordinary.
Our client spoke up expressing adamantly, and offering little room for discussion, "We want China Black." 'Oh boy,' I thought, 'this person has been listening to monument builders who are using generic terms to describe granite.'
Historic Elmwood Cemetery, established in 1852, is one of my favorite cemeteries. I had the delightful opportunity to spend a few hours in the beautiful Memphis, Tennessee cemetery on January 30, 2005, while in town for a conference for monument builders.
I have noticed in some cemeteries that there are large memorials, frequently with steps, that display religious symbols. Can you write about this topic?
Answer:
I call 'large memorials,' as you describe them, 'centerpiece memorials,' as they serve as a major focal point for sections, and they are used particularly within large cemeteries.
When I first started studying monument terminology, the terms were flowing out of my ears like a foreign language. Monument builders definitely use a foreign language that is not familiar to everyone, so here is another review.
In monuments that I design, I like the use of multiple bases. This underused resource adds beauty to a memorial in a way that moves the ordinary to the extraordinary.
I was in the cemetery, and I observed a slope on a base that I liked. I have been looking at monuments and talking to monument dealers, and I stopped in one of those places that claim to have the "largest display," but your online selection far exceeds their offerings. I enjoy your website and your articles, so can you write more on the subject of bases?
Answer:
Dear Reader, I know exactly how you feel. The most common base in the cemetery is the polished flat top with balance rock pitch sides. This is also my least favorite style, as it is lacking in both creativity and harmony.
The tragedy of unmarked graves.yes, it is a tragedy to leave the resting place of a loved one unmarked. Worst of all, it is a needless tragedy, in a time when beautiful granite memorials may be acquired at prices you can afford.
Every industry has its trends, that is, the direction in which it is moving. The monument builders or memorial industry is no different. A few of the trends are outlined below.
I think it is always good to say "Thank you" to my clients for their business, for they are the reason we are successful in business. Too many businesses think the customer is there to serve their needs, when it is the customer who decides whether our business succeeds or fails. Our sole purpose in business is to serve our customers for a profit.
Earlier this year, I attended an advanced design course in Elberton, Georgia. I learned a great many creative ideas and met some of the most talented designers in the industry. It was an honor to make their acquaintance.
Without a doubt, two of the most interesting designs are the scalloped border and the shell rock border. The photo with this article shows the West Memorial, photographed in the Greenview or Crestview Cemeteries in Cairo, Georgia. The monument has a shell-rock border.
I received a knock on the door on a recent Sunday afternoon. I almost did not answer, figuring it was someone either knocking to encourage me to vote in the upcoming election, which I try to do consistently, or someone was going to try to sell me something. So, reluctantly, I opened the door. There stood a woman I had met before informing me that her young niece had died from cancer that morning, after a courageous battle fighting the disease.
I like the Peavy Memorial that honors Magnus DeLacey Peavy, Jr. (b. July 14, 1921) and Virginia Skipper Peavy (b. May 7, 1922, d. Jan. 13, 1988), not so much because I think it is perfect; it is not. But because the family attempted to use a variety of styles that were other than typical.
Previously, I wrote an article that demonstrated the shell-rock border as used by the West Family. This article is dedicated to explaining the scalloped border as used by the family of Wayne Miller, located in the Greenview or Crestview Cemeteries, contiguously in Cairo, Georgia.
My business is about memorialization, and this is more than just monument building. One of our many products that we offer our clients involves oil paintings.
Preneed decision making is essential, and the honorable, loving thing to do. After burial, the only options are to either accept the rules, or to incur the expense and anguish of disinterment and relocation to either a different part of the cemetery, or to a new cemetery all together.
