Monument Company Gives Back to Local Community – A True Kindness

Many acts of kindness come with the benefit of knowing that the party being helped recognizes and appreciates the kindness which was given.  However, memorials come with the understanding that not only will their be no sign of appreciation, but also no repayment of the kindness.

Recently a story came out about a local monument company which went above and beyond to give back to its community members, in an ultimate “payback-free” fashion.  The story below highlights the efforts taken by this monument company to restore the graves of Rabbi Abraham Yosef Rice, the first ordained rabbi in the United States, and his wife Rosalie Rice.  Their graves and monuments were falling apart from many years of rust, and this monument company took it upon itself to fully restore the monuments and the overall grave site.  For the full read, see the link below:

http://jewishtimes.com/haposek/#.Um7_S_mxQ-J

Private Estate Mausoleums: More Popular Than Ever

A world which is accustomed to people spending millions of dollars on their residences is now trending to spending the same amounts on their final resting places.  A Wall Street Journal article (which is linked to below), highlights the extravagant nature of these everlasting memorials, and the lengths at which owner are going to customize every last detail in them.

As mentioned in one of our earlier posts, mausoleums provide a dignified and private way to memorialize loved ones forever, while keeping family members in close proximity even after passing.  Every structure is custom built to the specific needs of the purchasing family member, and now modern design and architectural features are being incorporated into what used to be traditional looking mausoleum buildings.  While bronze doors and stained-glass windows are traditionally considered luxurious additions, some are taking their designs as far as including chandeliers, rugs, and even hot tubs!  Take a look at the WSJ article below for more details:

 

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323477604578654084003664860.html

How to Clean Bronze Grave Markers

Found this interesting post from another site, in case anyone is interested in finding out how to clean a bronze grave marker.  I can’t guarantee that this will work, but definitely contains some useful information. See link below:

 

http://www.howtocleanstuff.net/how-to-restore-and-maintain-a-bronze-headstone/

Memorial Headstone Provides Long Awaited Relief

Memorial Headstone Provides Long Awaited Relief

In a touching story, Fram Monument Company helps deliver a long awaited closure to a family in need.  Click above link to read the full story.

Custom Cemetery Mausoleums – Are they right for you?

For anyone who does not know, a mausoleum is an upright structure or building which holds interment spaces for above-ground entombment.  The concept has existed for many years, as is seen in pyramids.  Traditionally, mausoleums were used as a sign of wealth and importance during one’s lifetime, but today, some people simply prefer the idea of spending eternity above ground.

While some faiths and religions looks down on above ground interment, this option is becoming very popular in modern times.  People of all backgrounds are selecting this option for their futures, and it is not uncommon to plan arrangements in advance.

Mausoleums range in size, starting with a one space crypt for individuals, up to custom built mausoleums which hold up to 100 crypts.  Many use companion mausoleums for husband/wife resting places, and family estates can typically consist of 2-8 crypt walk-in mausoleums.

Walk-in mausoleums are very popular at private family cemeteries, as well as family estates at public cemeteries.  These mausoleum structures typically include bronze doors, stained glass windows, granite floors and walls, and plenty of engraving.   Often times the mausoleum will be accessorized with benches, pavers, and landscaping work surrounding.  This design creates a personalized territory for families to visit loved ones after they have passed.

The mausoleum selection process usually begins at the time of a funeral, or during family estate planning.  Since the deceased will be interred in the crypts, it is important for the mausoleum to already be in place in time for funeral services.  As these structures can take anywhere from 1-6 months to prepare, it is important to plan ahead.

Now that the positives of above-ground interment have been discussed, let’s discuss some potentially deterring issues:  Firstly, above-ground interment typically costs more than in-ground interment, so most people never even come across the mausoleum option.  Secondly, cemeteries usually sell mausoleums for significantly higher prices than local monument companies, which usually scares families from entertaining the idea.  Lastly, while some families can afford to purchase mausoleums, these structures tend to stand out amongst the other memorials in the cemetery, and some people would prefer to blend in more with the others.

If you and your family decide that a custom built mausoleum is right for you, please remember the 3 P’s when it comes to the purchase process.  Professionalism, Patience & Price.  Mausoleums are large, extremely detailed works of art, and it is important to be working with an expert in the industry.  The process takes plenty of time, from planning the design, to fabricating materials, constructing the building, and finally installing the mausoleum on site.  Make sure to work with a local dealer who can take the time to perfect the project.  Lastly, while mausoleums are beautiful, they are also expensive, so make sure you do NOT purchase directly from your cemetery, as cemeteries are known to overcharge for memorials in general, and mausoleums specifically.

How to Buy Headstones and Memorials Online – The Smart Way

With all of the advances in technology, consumers today have much more information regarding potential purchases than ever before.  While the monument business may be outdated, the internet has created opportunities for families in need to save money by purchasing memorials online.

Most larger, corporate owned cemeteries sell memorials directly, which is very convenient for families who want to take care of all of the memorial arrangements at one place.  That being said, families will typically pay a significant premium to buy directly from the cemetery.  That reality has led many to search for online vendors to supply the memorials, but the process can be very misleading.
For starters, the first rule of purchasing a memorial is knowing what type of memorial your cemetery will allow.  Many online vendors will simply let you add an item to a cart and purchase it, without ever confirming the rules and regulations of the receiving cemetery.  This of course can lead to wasted money, time, and frustration.

Secondly, most online monument companies will boast prices seemingly 75% less than what your cemetery may be offering, which can be very misleading.  Most prices are not inclusive of all pieces required for cemetery installation, any cemetery fees related to installation, actual physical foundation setting, and monument installation on site.  There may also be delivery fees tacked onto the memorial price you see online.  That means that even if you purchase online for seemingly very inexpensive, you will have to arrange for delivery, completion of memorial, foundation, installation, and fee payments.  This usually adds up to a lot more money than what was originally advertised.

Lastly, it is very difficult to make decisions regarding an everlasting memorial for a loved one, without ever seeing a physical display of the materials and craftsmanship.  Typically online monument companies will ship nationwide, but will not have a showroom or samples anywhere near your local area.

The solution to all of these issues is simple: FIND AN ONLINE VENDOR WHO HAS LOCAL OFFICES IN YOUR AREA.  It may take you some time to sift through the multiple ads and vendors you come across, but usually a search for “headstones in (your local city)” will yield very helpful results, and sometimes even reviews of the company in your neighborhood will go along with your search results.  A local company can tackle all of the above issues as follows:

A) A local company is typically already familiar with the rules and regulations regarding memorials in the surrounding cemeteries.  This will prove to be very valuable in the process.

B) A local company may display prices slightly higher than the nationwide vendors display, but usually those prices are inclusive of all necessary parts of the memorial, physical delivery to the local cemetery, on-site foundation work, installation, and coordination of cemetery fee payments.  This saves the consumer time and headaches, while still costing significantly less than the cost of purchasing directly from the cemetery.

C) The local monument company will have one or multiple showrooms in your area, which can enable the consumer to not only see the materials first hand, but to speak to an actual memorial expert face to face.  Designing a memorial is much more productive of a process in person, than over an online submission form.

It may sound like more research is required initially, but trust me, it will pay off in many ways!

Why Jewish People Leave Stones on Monuments at Gravesites

Every religion seems to have specific traditions relating to the memorial process.  The focus of today’s post will be the Jewish tradition of leaving stones on graves of loved ones, as opposed to the traditional custom of bringing flowers.

According to the Jewish tradition, all people are equal at the time of death, regardless of social or financial status during a lifetime.  That being said, elegant flowers left on the grave of a once wealthy person can be disparaging to family members of a loved one who did not live a life of riches.

It is interesting to note that while most people these days can afford to pick or purchase a few flowers and leave them on a grave, and stones may even be more difficult to come across, nevertheless the tradition remains to keep equality via the use of simple stones.

This brings about a lovely lesson for life as well.  Regardless of who we may be during our lifetimes, at the end of the day we all return to the same place.  If we can keep that in mind during our daily lives, it may help create a sense of equality while we are still around to enjoy the peace!

Private Memorials at Arlington National Cemetery – Available Again!

Years ago, anyone having a loved one interred at Arlington National Cemetery could request that the interment site be in what is called “a private monument section.”  The “regular sections” at the cemetery entail the same burial options as what one would be entitled to in these so called “private monument sections,” so what is the difference between the two?

The “regular sections” are filled with white upright marble monuments, which all look exactly the same, and are provided by Arlington National Cemetery at no cost to the family.  These white memorial headstones are used in veteran cemeteries throughout the country, and are meant to be identical to each other between cemeteries.  Some people find them to be traditional and appropriate, while others find them to be very limiting.

Regarding the “private monument sections,” these sections have been closed off for many years, so any new burials had to be in the “regular sections” which limited the memorial type.  As of the 3rd quarter of 2011 however, the “private monument sections” have been reopened to families, allowing for much larger, upright granite memorials to be installed, at the expense of the families desiring to purchase them for their loved ones.  The cemetery will not provide these memorials, but will refer families to local monument providers if interest is expressed.

The monument company must obtain approvals from the director of interment services at Arlington National Cemetery on behalf of the family, even after the “private section interment site” has been designated for use by the cemetery.  The monument is then designed, fabricated, and installed directly by the local monument provider, at no expense to the cemetery.

The pros and cons are obvious: Get a free traditional memorial paid for by the US government, while being limited to size, style, lettering, and layout, or pay for your own dignified memorial and design it however you like, assuming you can pay for it.  Either way, you can rest assured knowing that your loved one will be resting with full military honors in the nation’s most famous burial grounds.

HOW BRONZE CEMETERY MARKERS AND HEADSTONES ARE MADE

Most people that place orders for bronze cemetery markers and headstones are not at all aware of the intense process that goes along with preparing every order.  Aside from all of the supporting jobs required to fulfill a bronze marker order, such as taking the order, building a foundation in the ground, and installing the marker, which all take time and effort, there is the main process of creating the bronze marker itself.

Creating the marker seems to be pretty straight forward, there is a basic plaque, lettering, and a few emblems usually.  However, this process is extremely detailed and time consuming, especially since bronze memorials are created to last forever, so they need to be built as perfectly as possible.

While there are many foundries and bronze manufacturers around, CR Bronze Works of Utah uploaded an in depth look at how bronze markers are made.  They posted it on youtube as a 3 part documentary, and it is worth checking out.  The links to each part are below:

 

 

COMPANION MONUMENTS – TOGETHER FOREVER

Many times when a spouse passes, the surviving spouse will purchase a double or companion monument.  This means that the headstone, footstone, or anything else that is being used to mark the grave, is now centered over 2 graves as opposed to just one.  This kind of monument arrangement offers significant benefits over going with a conventional single monument at the time, and then matching another single later on:

To begin with, most people are concerned about cost, and even though the monument is bigger and costs more than a single monument upfront, in the long term it turns out to be cost-effective.  Whether granite or bronze, companion monuments require more material than a single monument.  When the surviving spouse passes though, the only thing left to do is engrave the empty side of the monument, which is a lot less expensive than purchasing a brand new monument.  Materials also fluctuate in cost, and knowing that engraving is the only future task to complete will leave you with financial piece of mind.

Secondly, just as couples like to be buried side by side, it is also preferred by many to share a joint monument.  The feelings of love and unity remain visible to all even after both individuals have passed.   Companion monuments leave room for separate inscriptions and emblems, while maintaining a look of togetherness.  Sometimes double monuments can be made of one piece of material, or separate pieces combined.  Either way the effect is achieved.

Lastly, because companion monuments are generally larger than individual ones, the family name on the stone will usually be accented.  A large visual of the family name makes it easier for cemetery visitors to find their loved ones, instead of scavenging around the cemetery.  In the event that more than two graves are owned at the location, a larger family name will create a general consensus that the area is occupied by that specific family.

Even though all of these benefits exist, some people still prefer to have their own single monuments, which is just as fine.  Remember, these monuments are up for you and your family members to be able to visit and remember your loved ones, so make arrangements based on your preferences.