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Should I Buy a Memorial Marker in Advance?
Pre-planning and pre-paying for funeral arrangements has become more common in recent years, with individuals not wanting to burden their loved ones with the stress and cost of arranging a funeral and burial. While most people think of purchasing a burial plot, selecting a funeral home, and even planning a memorial service prior to their death, sometimes they don’t select a memorial marker. If you’re pre-planning your own services, or helping a loved one prepare their plans, you may wonder if it’s worthwhile to purchase a headstone in advance. Advantages of Pre-Purchasing a Headstone Pre-purchasing your headstone comes with its…
How to Memorialize a Loved One Who Asked for No Funeral
Everyone mourns differently, and everyone wants to be memorialized differently when they die. For some people, this means asking their friends and family to not go to the trouble of planning and hosting funeral services. As one of those people left behind, it can be difficult to think about sending your loved one off from this earthly life without a gathering of family and friends, where you remember and celebrate the life of the person you’ve lost. This situation may leave you wondering: How can I memorialize a loved one who asked for no funeral? Does There Have to Be…
What Is the Custom Memorial Etching Process?
When choosing a memorial marker for a loved one, many families elect to include at least some custom element, such as an image, to make the stone feel more personal. As the technology and equipment available to memorial engravers, the ability to create beautiful, customized markers increases. What began as simple symbols and figures has now evolved into complex, detailed portraits and scenes that allow families to select a lasting remembrance of their loved one. If you’ve ever considered a custom memorial etching, read on to learn a little more about the process when creating one of these beautiful pieces:…
5 Reasons You Should Choose a Family Business over a Corporation for Your Loved One’s Headstone
You have a lot of choices when deciding on a headstone or memorial for your loved one. One of the first choices you’ll have is to decide whether to work with a small, family-owned company over a larger corporation. As a family-owned business, we always appreciate all the support we have received from the community over the years, and we hope to continue to earn your business. Here are 5 great reasons you should work with a family-owned business over a corporation for your loved one’s headstone or memorial marker: Trust Family-owned businesses work hard to earn the trust of…
What Happens When a Loved One Dies While out of Town?
The death of someone close to you is never easy, and arrangements can easily get complicated. But when that person dies while out of town – either in another town in your state, in another state, or even another country – the arrangements become even more complex. If your loved one has passed away while traveling, or if your loved one lived far away from their planned final resting place, here’s what you need to know: If You’re Planning to Cremate If your loved one expressed the wish to be cremated prior to their death, or if the family is…
Can You Make Additions to an Existing Headstone?
From time to time, families may decide they need to add something to an existing headstone. This can range from putting another deceased person’s name on the headstone if they’re buried nearby to adding a quote or image. Yes, you can make additions to an existing headstone – but it isn’t a quick process. At Merkle Monuments, we can make additions to existing headstones – in good condition – even if we did not provide the original headstone. What’s Needed to Make an Addition? In order to make an addition to a memorial marker more quickly, we need to…
Why You Should Buy from a Monument Dealer
When planning a loved one’s funeral, you’re faced with a large number of decisions that need to be made in a short amount of time. During this time, you may feel pressured to make decisions more quickly than you’re comfortable with, which can lead you to spending more money than is necessary. It may feel tempting to shop for your loved one’s headstone online, in the comfort of your own home. However, this can end up costing you in the long run, even if the price you’re initially quoted is lower. Here are 4 reasons you should always purchase headstones…
5 Things You Should (and 5 You Shouldn’t) Leave at a Gravesite
The gravesite of a loved one – or a much-admired public figure – can become a gathering place for the living to show their fondness for the departed and keep their memory alive. Sometimes, people want to leave an item at the gravesite as a remembrance, whether it’s flowers, a stuffed animal, or, in the case of William Faulkner’s grave, empty liquor bottles. While it may seem like a great idea to leave a little memento on someone’s grave as a memorial, there are some do’s and don’ts about the practice: 5 Things You Should Leave at Gravesites There…
Buying a Headstone: Traditional Engraving vs. Laser Etching
When selecting a headstone or plaque, one of the most basic choices you have to make is how you want to have pictures and words transferred onto the stone. For most modern headstones, the choice is typically between traditional engraving or laser etching. We’re going to give you a run-down on what is involved with each process, and some of the pros and cons of each method. Traditional Engraving When you select traditional engraving, the person engraving the headstone uses a sharp tool to actually cut away the stone in the pattern you choose. This can be letters, numbers,…
How to Plan a Memorial Service: 4 Tips
Planning your loved one’s memorial service can be an added stress during a rough time. You want to do something that respects your loved one’s wishes, speaks to their personality, and honors their memory. But you also don’t want to plan anything that may upset or anger other attendees, especially if your loved one was unconventional in life. Here are 4 tips to help you plan a great memorial service for your loved one: Pick a Method Would your loved one have preferred a church service? Or is a secular memorial service a better testament to their memory? The type…