How to Choose a Monument
Ordering a headstone for your loved one is an important step in the healing process. The completed headstone is an everlasting tribute that can be cherished for years to come. Special designs may be created to produce memorials of a more personal or distinctive nature.
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When choosing a headstone or grave marker, there are several things that need to be taken into consideration. First and foremost, you should have a cemetery lot and know how many people the cemetery will allow to be buried on the grave(s). It is important to know what the Cemetery Rules & Regulations for headstones are and having this information beforehand is crucial to ensure the right memorial is ordered.
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There is no right time to get a monument for a loved one. Some people prefer to wait a year while others do it immediately.
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Before visiting the granite works, it might help to walk through a cemetery to get an idea what you like. If still undecided, we have a display on premises.
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If you want the marker to match another one, take a close up photo and take measurements.
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When pricing several companies, make sure to ask for the same width of stone and same grade of granite. If you don't get these, you're comparing apples to oranges.
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Our company would like to help you select an "Abiding Bond of Memory" that will most accurately express your feelings. We respectfully offer you our specialize knowledge, our years of experience and our sincere to desire to serve you well. Above all, we offer honest value and lasting satisfaction.
Types of Headstones
Upright Dies and Bases
Slants with or without Bases
Beveled Markers
Flat Markers
Veterans Markers from the government
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Headstone Materials
Granite
White Marble
Bronze
Colors of Granite
Pennsylvania Black
Barre Vermont
Missouri Red
Dakota Mahogany
Canadian Pink
North American Pink
China Red
China Black
GA Dark Blue
Various other colors of Reds and Blacks
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Headstone Finishes
Polished
Part-Polished
Steel Finished
Honed
Rock Pitched
Base finished - 2" margins
Catholic Faith
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Requires a religious symbol on the monument. A cross, bible, praying hands, saint, Christ or Virgin Mary are a few examples. Typically there is a form that needs to be filled out which we should have and will need to be approved by the Cemetery before proceeding with the purchase of the monument. There are additional fees that need to be paid to the cemetery.
After Care
In future years, due to the elements of nature (moss) and the surrounding environment, memorials may need to be cleaned with a special biodegradable substance which we can provide at an additional cost.
Symbolish
In the design of a monument or marker, symbols, authentically and artistically utilized, add greatly to the beauty and meaning. The flowers and other ornamental emblems shown here are but a few of the many symbols used to significant enrich the memorial.
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Wild Rose - The Wild Rose is a popular flower that is used in many forms in monumental design. In a naturalistic form, it has a symbolic meaning of Love. In conventional form, it means Messianic Promise or Our Blessed Savior and in heraldic form, the Blessed Virgin Mary.
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Grape (true vine) - A popular element of monumental decoration, the Grape or True Vine represents Our Lord. It is also used to symbolize the Christian Church which is made up of believers in the True Vine, Jesus Christ. "I am the vine, ye are the branches." St. John 15.5
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Flowering Dogwood - The Flowering Dogwood is a true symbol of Christianity, Divine Sacrifice and the Triumph of Eternal Life. When used with reference to the Cross or Crucifixion, it symbolizes Regeneration. The Dogwood is the official state flower of North Carolina and Virginia.
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Lily - Known as the Easter Lily, this flower is symbolic of Our Lord's Resurrection and of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Under the title Lilium Candidum or Madonna Lily, it is emblematic of the Annunciation. Purity and Heavenly Bliss.
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Acanthus - Because of its many ornamental possibilities, the Acanthus is used in various forms in memorial design. The Acanthus plant is sometimes associated with the rocky ground upon which most of the ancient Greek cemeteries were placed, hence the attributed symbolism, " Heavenly Gardens."
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Cultivated Rose - Sometimes called the American Beauty Rose, the Cultivated Rose is an artistic decoration on memorials. The symbolic meaning is Everlasting Love. This is the representative flower for persons born in the month of June.
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Ivy - Another popular ornament in memorial design is Ivy, both in natural and artificial form. Its best known symbolic meaning is Memory, but is also used to signify Friendship, Faithfulness and Immortality, Used in wreath form, it symbolized Conviviality.
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Passion Flower - The Passion Flower is one of the many symbols used to portray the story of Our Lord's Passion and Death. In its individual parts, steam, leaf, petals, etc., the flower is said to contain all of the symbols of Our Lord's Passion and Crucifixion.
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Calla Lily - The use of the Calla Lily is memorial design has increased greatly in recent years. This is due to the application of new techniques which enable Guardian craftsmen to lend a deep, sculptured appearance to the flower. Symbolically, the Calla Lily means Majestic Beauty and Marriage.
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Flowering Laurel - The Laurel symbolizes Atonement, Glory, Reward and Victory. In wreath form, it is particularly appropriate for persons who have attained distinction in the the arts, literature, in military service or in the service of Christianity.
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