Final Arrangements

14 ❖ JUNE 2017 A R R A N G E M E N T S 1801 Notre Dame Ave. 204.633.5053 Toll Free 1-866-755-5401 Email: larsens@mymts.net Experience • Quality • Trust • Craftsmanship & Granite Monuments Markers www.larsensmemorials.com By Pat Rediger for the Free Press W ith improved technology and innovation, there are now more creative ways than ever for people to pay tribute to a loved one who has passed away. Shelly Bohn, owner of Larsen's Memorials in Winnipeg, says customers are showing a desire to go beyond the traditional tombstone or grave marker when it comes time to plan for a memorial. Everyone has a unique personality in life and she said today's option allow people to pay tribute to this uniqueness. "With advanced equipment such as computers, it's much easier to personalize," she says. "Many people are opting for the personal option." One of the big changes involves tombstone etching. Traditionally, a classic, deep-cut, sand-blasted process has been used. Sandblasting removes the polished surface of the granite to show the unpolished granite beneath in varying depths to create lettering and designs. Tombstones that are sandblasted often include the deceased person's name, date of birth and death, a special message and perhaps a small picture. Today, laser etched designs are gaining popularity. With this option, a high-tech, laser- etching computer numeric controlled (CNC) machine is used to arc or scratch the stone in a very precise manner, chipping away the stone as the laser arc hits the surface. This method allows for larger images to be placed on a stone. To hear Bohn recount some of the tombstone designs that her company has put together using the technology, it's clear that the only limit is a person's imagination. "We've etched a house that somebody built, cabins that people have built, their pets," she says. "One person who we designed a tombstone for was a stamp collector, so we created a stamp with a magnifying glass. Another person read the Winnipeg Free Press every day and that was a big thing to them, so we created a tombstone with a copy of the paper on the side of a stone with a cup of coffee sitting on top it." There have also been monumental changes when it comes to the types of monuments people are commissioning to pay tribute to their loved ones. Matthew From of Everlasting Memorials in West St. Paul says his company has received some unique requests. "We've done a monument in the shape of a motorcycle, an airplane and a quad with a rider on it," he says. "One person really liked horses and we actually created an almost full- FINDING CREATIVE WAYS TO SAY GOODBYE

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