Tell Your Story
Every monument remembers loved ones, preserves memories, and endures the test of time—a unique narrative. At Abbottsville Monuments, we appreciate the great value of stone-based personal narrative preservation. Here, our clients candidly relate how their vision was carefully realized, therefore honoring their family's history with respect and care. Discover these stories to learn why Abbottsville Monuments is trusted to create heartfelt monuments.
Taylor
Prior to his passing, TIM TAYLOR told his wife he would like to have the letter T on his grave. Unfortunately, cemeteries don't allow objects on the graves, as they have to mow the grass so frequently. So we solved the problem by creating a memorial that allows the letter T to appear on Tim's grave once a day - as long as the sun is shining.
Skip
ROBERT "SKIP" CORRELLO has had many experiences in his life. We chose to create a collage-type design to convey as many of his interests as possible. We also created a special vase to fit the theme of the stone.
Richmond
CHARLES JUNIOR RICHMOND - Memorials don't need to be large and expensive to tell a person's story. We think the smile on Charles' face tells quite a bit!
Rhodehamel
KEVIN RHODEHAMEL was an architect by trade. Both Kevin and his wife, Vicki, were fans of Frank Lloyd Wright. For Kevin and Vicki’s monument, Abbottsville designed a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired monument that draws heavily on Mr. Wright’s signatures—the cantilever and nature.
McClintock
VIRGINA MCCLINTOCK played the organ at church for 45 years. For her monument, Abbottsville etched the interior of Virgina’s church (Laura Christian Church, Laura, Ohio) and placed Virgina at the organ where she so often sat. Virginia’s family is in the first pew along with her dogs.
Martindale
KENNY & LENORA MARTINDALE were married for 68 years. The majority of that time they spent working together in their food market. The store operated from the early 1920s to 2005. They passed within a year of each other, and we had the honor of making their monument. Their food market was an icon in West Milton, so we decided to recreate it. We hand-etched a scene that anyone walking in the front door of the store would have seen when the place was open—Kenny behind the meat counter and Lenora at the cash register. The majority of the town is acquainted with this scene. They happened to have an amazingly good picture of Kenny’s father and grandfather (who started the business), so we laser-etched it on the back of the stone.
Knox
CHARLES & CAROL KNOX greatly enjoyed their home. The house was their shared hobby. Abbottsville created a memorial that allows them to look out the front window for eternity.
Holp
JOHN HOLP was born into a steam engine family from Brookville, Ohio. He got his first steam engine when he was four years old. Later in life he became one of the leading resources for steam engine knowledge. For his monument, we designed a stone that included a smokestack from one of his steam engines.
Strawser
CORYNNA STRAWSER wanted to be a professional makeup artist. Prior to her passing, she got to visit New York City and fell in love with the city. Corynna had beautiful hair and an amazingly genuine smile. Corynna passed from mitochondrial disease. If you don't know this disease, you can research it and donate in Corynna's name.
Durham
PAUL DURHAM became a Reds fan at a very young age. So young that he would often get sent to bed before the games were over. But Paul’s sister, Deanna, had a radio in her room, and Paul would sneak into it and listen to the game. They would often find him asleep on her floor the next morning. After Paul and his wife Lisa were married, they moved to West Chester, Ohio, and Lisa became a fan of both the Reds and downtown Cincinnati. Estimates suggest that Paul attended more than 100 Reds games during his lifetime. When Paul passed away in 2018, Lisa came to us, and we made a monument for two Cincinnati fans.
Brandon
BOB & CATHY BRANDON love their cars, motorcycles, and travel. They came to Abbottsville Monuments with that in mind. Together we designed a monument that features their passions. Working with them for this stone was a tremendous honor.
Allen
DARRELL & MALEAH ALLEN own D&M Farm Kennel, which is an internationally known dog breeder in Fairborn, Ohio. Darrell and Maleah chose Abbottsville to design a unique monument that told their story
