Susquehanna Monuments

06/22/2022

Recently I was asked if there was a way to make a final date darker. So here is some information about a date being added to a stone, especially one that has been set for some time.
Think of a fresh engraving like a fresh coat of paint or a new pair of sneakers. If I wear an old sneaker on one foot and a new one on the other, they will not match exactly. Or, take a piece of knotty pine out of a box and replace a piece that has been darkened for years, clearly there will be a difference in the appearance.

While we match the size and font as best we can, a new engraving is not original and may look thinner or lighter than the original text. Over time, as the elements set in, the characters will “darken” as they age.
Other things that will most likely be different are line length and character spacing, especially after commas and periods.

Wishing you all a fantastic day!

05/17/2022

To our valued customers: We will soon be starting our season! Weather and surgery have delayed us a bit.
I am starting to make phone calls and send emails to those we have engagements with from last fall.

We are still having some phone issues I’m told. We are trying to get to the root cause of that.

The prices, like everywhere else, have increased upwards of 25 percent; everything from bluestone to blades to rubber to granite, trucking, and the most obvious - fuel. Thank you for understanding our limitations. We will do our best for you.
If you want more efficient options we can provide some guidance there too.

Be safe.

01/06/2022

10/19/2021

So the shortage of workers and supplies has become a real issue in the industry as of late. First the lack of workers at the granite sheds, causing unprecedented delays in production - after all, it is a highly specialized art - and now 3M announcing it is halting all manufacture of the rubber stencil and the fillers and pulling out of that market altogether.

There is another company working on producing those items but they have a lack of raw material for the time being.

Hopefully by springtime when things ratchet up again we will have a better idea of what the supply chain will be.
No industry is immune.

I appreciate all of our understanding families as we work through this obstacle.

10/04/2021

“Why does it cost so much” (to engrave a final date onto a stone) I was asked recently. So I started breaking it down.

First, previsit to stone to get necessary information.
One hour down.

Second, search for correct font in database, create the data, double-check again, and send to plotter to print the stencil, hoping nothing goes awry and I have to repeat the process.
Two hours down. Plus a chunk of heavy rubber of which a roll costs $300.

Third, pack everything up, including mobile sandblast pot weighing in at 200 pounds, and hook onto the air compressor. PREFERABLY before doing all that check with the cemetery caretaker to be sure there are no services scheduled when you plan to go.
Three hours down.

Get to the site. Stone prep takes an additional hour. Blast and clean up.
Over four hours in at this point.

Head home and unpack.

So for a typical final date it takes about five hours of time alone.

Oh, and let us not forget about the insurances. And the gas for the truck and compressor and the sand and then stencil. And the grave responsibility. Pun intended.
It is indeed a lengthy and careful process.

With all that, and much left out, it’s not sounding all that expensive anymore.

10/01/2021

So a call to the phone company to report issues with phone service went unanswered. And then a notice was sent out that indeed many areas are experiencing outages, for no apparent reason.
I do apologize if I have not returned a call to anyone. It’s probable I did not receive your message.
Gotta love technology.

08/29/2021

Hello, all. I’m not exactly sure what happened to all my posts through the summer, we will see if this one makes it to the page.

Thank you for checking in!

I have been told that the phone line sometimes indicates that we are closed. We are indeed open and have had the pleasure of serving many families this spring and summer, with more work still to do before our season comes to a lull over the winter.

As the leaves are changing and a breeze makes its way into our heat and humidity, it is a vivid reminder that the season is soon to change. While we have enough work lined up to keep us busy this fall, there are things that still can be done over the cold season, such as picking out stones and fine-tuning designs. We have an indoor blasting booth now, so given the right temperature and humidity, some limited engraving may be able to be done as well, in anticipation of a spring installation.

Thank you to the families that put your trust in us to honor your loved ones. We appreciate you.