After you have buried a family member and created a memorial for them in the form of a headstone or other type of structure, you might someday decide you wish to add more information to that memorial. Perhaps the headstone is already in place and waiting for a family member, which means you’ll need to add final dates to the headstone. You might also wish to add names of relatives, prayers, meaningful quotes or other types of personalized designs. In any circumstance, you should be able to make these additions relatively easily. Here’s what you should know about editing your... View Article
Many people find that visiting their loved ones’ graves brings them a sense of peace and connection to the departed person. Part of that peace comes from a well-maintained grave, as opposed to walking up, seeing an unkempt or possibly even broken marker and feeling that no one cares. As a monument maker in Phillipsburg, NJ, we often have clients asking us about the best way to keep a memorial clean and maintained. Depending on the type of headstone, your cleaning method will be different. Bronze markers Bronze markers should be cleaned twice a year to keep the protective coating... View Article
Headstones and cemetery markers are a common sight in Western cemeteries. Whether vertical tombstones with elaborate etching or simple in-ground bronze markers, many people look for markers that will stand the test of time. After all, it is a way to honor a loved one’s life, as we hope that they will remain in the collective memory for a long time. If you’ve ever been to a historic cemetery, you’ve seen how the ravages of time have had an effect on stone monuments: some are barely legible after centuries of being exposed to the elements. While still beautiful, they no... View Article
Sometimes death comes when we least expect it, particularly if our loved one was young and healthy. Even when faced with age and illness, not everyone has a will, burial plan or money set aside to cover end-of-life expenses, including the services of a monument maker in Phillipsburg, NJ. That can be devastating for the survivors—not only because they’re grieving a death, but because they also have to figure out how to pay those costs when there’s no extra money available. The average cost of a funeral and burial in the United States is around $10,000, whereas a direct cremation... View Article
Although we all hope that we’ll never have to deal with this particular problem, the fact that travel is cheaper and more accessible than ever makes it more likely that your loved one may die out of town, across state lines or even in another country. While you’re dealing with your grief, you may not realize what’s involved in getting their remains back home, or what the first step in the process might be. Typically, you will be dealing with two funeral homes: one in the place where the death occurred and one in the location where you’d like your... View Article