Monuments

Average Cost of Moving a Grave?

September 16th, 2014

FSN Funeral Homes,

What is the average cost to move a grave from one cemetery to a different cemetery?

Thanks,

Chaz

_Granite

Wow, Chaz. That’s quite the question.

Short answer, you would be looking at anywhere from $8,000 – $20,000, possibly more, depending on a variety of factors. Let me go into some detail for you.

Exhumation Costs

  1. Depending on state regulations, you may need to have a funeral director present at the exhumation. $1,000 or more.
  2. You may need state permits. Cost varies state-to-state.
  3. If the body is recently buried in a vault or metal coffin $3,000 – $5,000 for the exhumation itself.
  4. If not in the ideal scenario described above expect to pay more and receive less. The body may already be one with the earth or just bits of a skeleton.
  5. Expect to pay for disposal of the previous casket. It held biological remains, so it is probably considered hazardous.

Re-Interment Costs

  1. Transportation. If it’s close by, the remains could be transported by hearse. That shouldn’t be too expensive. If not, you would most likely transport via container truck and the cost could be considerably higher.
  2. If moving to a new state, regulations apply.
  3. You’ll have to buy a new plot, new headstone and (probably) new casket. The only way to avoid the new casket is if the remains were buried in a vault and the exhumation company was able to extract it in one piece. Then the entire vault could be re-buried at the new location if state regulations allow.
  4. Again, you may need a funeral director present for the burial. Start at $1,000.
  5. Lastly, you may want to hold a service for the deceased. There will probably be a cost for that as well.

All told, it is an expensive process, but if having your loved one’s remains close by is important to you, it is more than worth the cost.

Thanks,

Ed

Preserve Your Loved Ones Memory with Gies Bros. G. Sperry & Sons

March 6th, 2014

The death of a loved one is difficult, and making decisions about important services while dealing with grief is never easy. That’s why it’s imperative to work with a company you can trust, one that has been around for a long time, has a stellar reputation and cares about their customers needs, not just their own bottom line. Monument company Gies Bros. G. Sperry & Sons of Dover, NJ, embodies these criteria.

Longevity and Reliability

Gies Bros. has been in business for well over a century, and they are normally the first name people think of when they think of monument services in the Dover, NJ area. The company’s long-lived success isn’t born from the most advertising dollars spent, but rather from a vested interest in you, the customer. The men and women at Gies Bros. care about providing the best monument for your needs, and their commitment to excellence shows in their work.

Local, family-owned businesses don’t thrive for over a hundred years without a strong focus on the customer and a desire to meet the customer’s needs. And when it comes to monuments, the customer’s desire is all that matters.

Workmanship that Matters

A monument is a lasting part of your loved one’s legacy and therefore must be perfect. They have dedicated craftsmen who work tirelessly to bring you the monument you want, so you can show the respect your loved one deserves. Their products include:

  • Bronze Monuments
  • Cemetery Lettering
  • Granite Monuments

And the services they offer are:

  • Computer Generated Proofs
  • Engraving
  • Installation
  • Maintenance
  • Outdoor Displays
  • Sales

Your loved one’s monument will always be there for the world to see, shouldn’t it be crafted by the best available? Contact Gries Bros. G. Sperry & Sons and speak to our helpful staff. They understand how hard it can be to choose the right monument and they’re ready to help every step of the way.

Schmidt Memorials – For Generations of Remembrance

November 11th, 2013

A monument for a loved one should stand the test of time and act as a remembrance of that person’s well-lived life. Schmidt Memorials of Conroe, Texas is a company with over 40 years of experience creating beautiful markers that inspire and celebrate life.

Beautifully Personalized Full LedgerQuality Monuments Built With Precision

With craftsmanship that can only be achieved through years of experience, Schmidt Memorials uses the best materials available to create each of their monuments. This team of professionals works with skill and precision that shows in every handcrafted piece.

Personalized Markers

Part of the lasting effect of a great memorial is the level of personalization that is capable with talented stone and metal workers. From stone engraving and laser etching to stunning bronze markers, a highly original tribute can be created with fitting details and style. These are memorials that go beyond functional and speak to the heart.

When you come to the Schmidt staff with your ideas, they will be able to talk you through your options and explain techniques that will lend itself to different designs. The finished work will accomplish what you agreed upon and exceed your expectations.

Unique Stone BenchMemorialized With Excellence

Trust a company that will help you through the selection and ordering process step by step. Whether you are ordering for a loved one or pre-planning, the experienced employees will work with you one on one to get a clear picture of what you want to express.

However, if you find yourself needing guidance, you will appreciate a knowledgeable staff that can make appropriate suggestions too. This type of excellence customer service has helped build a business with a reputation for quality work and focus on the customer’s needs.

They also offer a relaxed, no pressure atmosphere that allows each client the freedom to make these important decisions at their own comfortable pace. After all, they understand it is a process of love to create a memorial that will last many lifetimes. Schmidt Memorials is dedicated to providing the right commemorative element for you.

Building A Tribute With Tucson Marble & Granite

August 15th, 2013

Selecting a monument is a decision that lasts a lifetime and beyond.

Whether you are honoring a loved one or are pre-planning, Tucson Marble and Granite can help you through the process of visualizing and building this important marker piece by piece. They can create a stunning tribute that stand the test of time. Their craftsmen work with precision and care that have been the trademark of this trusted family-owned company since 1917. While this business is located in Tucson, Arizona, they proudly ship anywhere in the world and service all cemeteries.

Beautiful Monuments Crafted From Quality Materials

Using only the best hard stone and proven carving techniques for their work, this monument company knows that you are commemorating an important life lived.

Monuments, urns and plaques are available in many sizes and designs and are guaranteed to remain unchanged for generations to come. When quality is crucial, turn to a company that specializes in hand-crafted markers made with the most enduring materials of nature.

Personalized Headstones

You can choose from traditional text and symbolic graphics for a stately simple look on a bronze plaque or stone. Celebrate memories and create a lasting focal point with a photo etching. With this technique almost any photo can be engraved on a variety of stone to preserve a beautifully realistic portrait.

Understanding The Importance of Remembrance

In a somber time full of important questions, you can work directly with an understanding and compassionate team member to find the right answers. All the skilled employees at Tucson Marble and Granite understands the need for thorough, detailed workmanship and how to create a lasting image for your loved one.

Monuments for a graveside are more than words on a stone. These markers are objects that symbolize the lasting effect a person can have on those around them. This is quite possibly the most permanent physical presence we, as morals, can maintain. Tucson Marble and Granite offer 75 years of experience and artistry in dedicating unique and exquisite monuments to commemorate the dearly departed.

Preserving a Memory with PCS Laser and Memorial

March 27th, 2013

PCS Laser and Memorial helps you through this very difficult time with ease and compassion. Dealing with the loss of a loved one is a very difficult process and their goal is to make this transition a time of remembrance. By working with you to create the monument you and your family deserves is what they strive for to create a long-lasting memory.

Istone MemorialIn their 25 years of business, many of their services have grown and changed, including their laser etching. Both remarkably detailed and long-lasting, laser etching on granite is an ideal way to preserve the memory of a loved one. Along with their laser etched monuments, you can even bring in personal photos of your loved one to create a custom image. Both are such wonderful ways to commemorate your beloved.

Another way their services have grown is with the addition of their isotone memorials. This new innovation memorial links cemetery memorials to a website that can be shared with loved ones around the world. QR codes on memorials act as a link from a smart phone to an online memorial. This is a great way to personalize a headstone eternally leaving a legacy behind.

Let a Memory Live On

First off, what is a QR code? Similar to a barcode, yet it contains so much more information. A QR code can be added to any memorial allowing smartphone enabled phones to scan it and then be taken to your loved one’s history, such as an obituary, photos, comments left by family and friends and even a video. Once someone scans the QR code, they will be connected to a personalized website which will then share your family’s history for years to come. Their legacy will live on and it becomes more than just a headstone. Visitors will truly get a feel of who they were as a person. Keep your family’s history alive with an “istone”.

PCS Laser and Memorial  offers beautiful headstones and even some that make for a  truly interactive experience. Giving anyone who visits more of a connection to your loved one as well as helping preserve your family’s history for generations to come.

What is a Columbarium?

January 15th, 2013

A columbarium is a specially designed room or building with niches for cinerary urns (cremation urns) to be stored, much like a mausoleum. There is a trend in the monument industry toward using the word mausoleum for both bodies and ashes (cremains), instead of the older term ‘columbarium’.

Types of columberia

Columbaria Example from WikipediaModern columbarium designs are simple and tasteful. Some columbaria disappear into their surroundings, such as a garden wall, while in others have highly customizable niches. They are typically constructed similar to mausoleums and out of the same materials. You will find both indoor and outdoor columbaria at both churches and cemeteries. Indoor columbaria may offer climate controlled niches.

Columbarium niches vary in size, and some allow for two urns to be placed together. Sections of columbaria may be designated for entire families. Depending on the cremains vessel selected, there may be limited space for small memorabilia.

Where are columbaria located?

Columbaria are usually located in a cemetery, but can also be built into churches or are located on church grounds.  A columbarium can take various forms, but in a church building they are usually located in an interior wall. They can also be constructed in the churchyard, garden or a cemetery in various shapes and sizes. In some cases, one area or wing inside of a mausoleum is designated for cremains. Some are permanently sealed niches, where as others the face front panel is unlocked. The name of the deceased is usually inscribed into this panel.

Continue reading “What is a Columbarium?” »

Why Personalize a Monument?

September 4th, 2012

For many, creating a lasting monument for their loved one is the best way to keep those memories alive. But, how can you best display your loved one’s personality on these lasting memorials. Fortunately there are a variety of ways in which a memorial can be personalized. Recently, FSN Funeral Homes had the chance to discuss personalized memorials options with Chris Freybler from Custom Engraving.

Personalized Grave MarkerFSN Funeral Homes: What does your company do to personalize memorials?

Chris Freybler: Our company FromPhotosToForever.com takes snapshots or professional photos and digitizes them to be engraved into marble or granite.

FSN Funeral Homes: What type of memorials can be personalized?

Chris Freybler: We personalize memorials that can be utilized in a cemetery, as well as memorials that can be used in somebody’s home, flower garden, dedication to a flagpole or even a memorial tree. The headstone pieces are lifestory memorials. Our customers can take take a whole series of pictures throughout their loved ones entire life and create a beautiful collage.

FSN Funeral Homes: How involved are you with your customers when personalizing a monument?

Chris Freybler: We like to talk with them first to get a sense of their loved one and ask them to send photos they would like to be placed on the monument. From there, we discuss what photo is their favorite, which one they would like to use as a focal point and just get an understanding on what their loved one was like. Next, they’ll receive a layout based on what we discussed and they can approve or change the layout if they would like until they are 100% satisfied with the end result. Once we get that approval, we use state of the art lasers to engrave the granite. We work with our customers every step of the way to ensure that their loved one’s personality is captured.

FSN Funeral Homes: Why personalize a monument?

Chris Freybler: Again, they are lifestory memorials. They can actually talk about the person through picture form instead of words, so everyone who sees it can get a sense of the person. Having photos tells more about the person: who they were, what they like to do and what they look like. It’s more personable. It makes a trip to the cemetery more significant. Instead of just staring at a cold stone, it makes it more meaningful for the family and anyone else who visits when they have a picture in front of them. Not only is it important to the family then, but down the road as well, like when they may take grandkids or great grandkids that may not know who the person was, there’s a showcase of pictures for them to get a feel of who their grandparents were as a person. A lot of our customers tell me, “Now when we go the cemetery, we’re looking for a person, not just a name and date. We’re actually looking for grandma or dad.“ You’re actually going to look for your loved one.

Personalizing a monument is truly special for both the family and their loved one. It best displays your loved one’s personality and tells who they were as a person. For more understanding on how FromPhotosToForever.Com does this, see their video below.

Perserving & Caring For Your Loved One’s Headstone or Monument

October 20th, 2011

Although most burial monuments and headstones are made out of durable stone or metal, they still need proper care to keep them looking their best for many years to come. Hard water, dust, mold, fungus and lichens are common causes of headstone grime, but with regular care, they can be easily removed. It is recommended to clean your monument only once every 10 years.

Preparing To Clean Your Stone Headstone or Monument

  • First of all, you must acquire permission from the lot owner or next-of-kin, if that is not you. Talk to the cemetery caretakers to find out about routine cleanings they might already do.
  • Inspect the monument for any flaws, such as cracks, flaking or any sign of deterioration. This may be more present in concrete or limestone monuments. DO NOT clean a wooden headstone.

Traditional HeadstoneCleaning Supplies 

  • Ample supply of natural or distilled water.
  • Soft, white-bristle brush.
  • Toothbrush.
  • DO NOT use natural bristles when cleaning your monument, this can encourage organic growth.
  • DO NOT use wire bristles or any other metal instrument to clean your monument.
  • If your headstone is very dirty, use ONLY non-ionic cleaners.
  • DO NOT use household cleaners, including bar soap, borax, vinegar or bleach.
  • DO NOT use pressure washers.
  • DO NOT use sealants of any kind.
  • DO NOT use shaving cream. (Once a popular cleaner, now shown to be harmful to the materials used.)

Continue reading “Perserving & Caring For Your Loved One’s Headstone or Monument” »

Hold On To Your Memories: Memorializing Your Loved One

August 14th, 2011

Grief can sometimes feel like waves that come and go, rushing you with emotions. The heartache can leave us numb – but memorializing our loved ones can help us get through it. Honoring the life and joy that your loved one brought to you is a great way to start moving forward in your own life.

Everyone copes with grief differently. Grief is something that doesn’t just go away, it takes time, effort and acceptance. Finding a new hobby, or creating a memorial for your loved one can help exponentially during this emotional time. Hold on to memories by memorializing their life.

Ways to create a memorial

Memorial scrap quilt

Create a scrap quilt by turning your loved ones old clothing into a quilt. You can use any fabric or pattern to create a nostalgic quilt that will keep you warm with memories.

Write a song

Music has a calming effect on people. It is a way to express your emotions without having to say a word.
If you play an instrument or enjoy singing – create a song honoring your loved one and it record it on tape, CD or to your computer. It will be something you can hold close for years.

Plant a memorial garden

Planting a garden in honor of your loved one is a great way to memorialize their lives. Include their favorite flower, or their birth-month flower. Once you have created a memorial garden, it will be a place for you to visit and think of your loved one.

Create a scrapbook

Putting together a scrapbook might be difficult at first, but once the initial emotions have set in, you can create a book that will honor your loved one. Including pictures, favorite readings and poems, stories and fond memories.

Memorial Jewelry

Memorial jewelry, also known as mourning jewelry has been around since Victorian times. Mourners would wear jewelry containing ashes, strands of hair or soil from the graveside, over their heart bringing them peace of mind and comfort. It is a way to memorialize and honor your loved one while keeping them close to you always. You can also have diamonds made from your loved one’s carbon signature.

Personalizing their headstone

A personalized headstone is something that will be there for centuries, giving great honor to your loved and a special place for family and friends to visit.

Donate to a favorite charity

If your loved one was passionate about a certain cause or charity, you can make a donation in their honor. You might also consider creating your own charity in honor of your loved one.

Create a scholarship

Creating  a scholarship in your loved ones name is a great way to keep their memory alive. Others will benefit from your generosity and your loved ones name will live on.

Create a memory book

  • Start a book with your loved one’s picture, name and any special information about them. Write your favorite memories about their life and the time you shared. After you finish, put your book into a shipping box.
  • Write out a list of close friends and family members with their addresses. Include your name and address at the end of the list.
  • Include a pre-paid credit card for postage.
  • Include a note to your friends and family. Ask them to write their favorite memories of your loved one and any pictures they would like to share. Ask them to then send it on to the next person on the list.
  • Send it to the first person on the list.
  • Once you get your memory book you will have pages full of uplifting stories and joyful memories to hold close and honor your loved one.

Whatever way you choose to memorialize your loved one’s life will be special and be cherished forever. You can’t go wrong when speaking from your heart.

Special thank you to boobook48 and Rickydaivd for the beautiful pictures via Flickr

Placing Pebbles on Gravestones: A Jewish Tradition Explained

August 5th, 2011

Example of Jewish Headstones with PebblesIt is unlikely that you will see flower arrangements laid upon headstones in traditional Jewish cemeteries. Instead, you might notice heaps or mounds of pebbles atop of the grave sites. Large and small in no particular pattern or shape. This is an age-old Jewish tradition that takes roots from Biblical stories. It’s hard to tell exactly where the tradition originated, however, it is thought to go back to ancient times.

Evidence in Scripture

  • In the book of Exodus Moses spent 40 years traveling from Egypt to Israel. Instead of burying their dead, they would cover the body with a sheet and then cover with rocks and pebbles to hold the sheet down.
  • In the book of Exodus God manifested the 10 Commandments on a stone tablet in the presence of Moses.
  • In the book of Exodus Moses is told by God to strike the rock at Horeb to bring forth water from the rock; this was done in front of the elders of Israel in God’s name.
  • In the book of Genesis Abraham was told to build an altar (a mound of rocks) to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, as a test from God.

Adorning gravestones with pebbles

In Judaism it is customary for Stones of Remembrance to be placed on gravestones by family and friends visiting the departed.

Continue reading “Placing Pebbles on Gravestones: A Jewish Tradition Explained” »