Changing Fashions IN MONUMENTS
Submitted by Gerry Heels Tompkins & Heels Monuments

Grave markers, or tombstones, generally record past life but also share with the public the experience of death that was a private family experience. Sometimes the nature of the marker reveals a great deal about the surviving families social status.

Gravestone styles have changed tremendously over the years. visitors to Scotland and England who search out ancestors burial grounds are usually startled by the vast size of some of the ancient markers. Battered by hundreds of years of storms some markers lean at precarious angles while others lie prone. Prowling through an ancient cemetery in the British Isles during a foggy day can be quite an experience.

Rubbings of ancient tombstones are frequently done by historians and families assembling genealogical data. The information contained on old markers can lead to all sorts of discoveries. Epitaphs were commonly inscribed in the past, in both prose and poetry, but are rarely used today.

In the 18th century tombstones were severely simple. Victorian gingerbread dictated the fussy styles from the 1880s to early 1990s, when a more streamlined stone became popular.

Heights of tombstones have decreased over the years. Some cemeteries now place restrictions on height as well as additions such as plantings and added decorations.

Forms of tombstones have included tablet shapes, obelisks to symbolize eternity, Celtic crosses, scrolls, blocks and pulpits.

According to Gerry Heels of Tompkins & Heels Monuments in Barrie more than 1300 designs are available to be etched into tombstones. The Tompkins & Heels Company has been in business in Barrie since 1932 and takes pride in producing custom stones in their workshop on Essa Road. Some of the carved flowers, symbolizing both beauty and brevity of life, are breathtakingly beautiful.

Some of the most visited gravesites in the past generation have unique markers. John Kennedy's eternal flame, Al Jolson's statue in Los Angeles with beautiful lighting effects and Elvis Presley's garden memorial are constantly visited.

The Vietnam Memorial wall of names in Washington draws more visitors than the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monuments. According to a story in Life magazine of November 1992 the Vietnam wall unites instead of dividing as most walls are expected to do. Often it unites children with dead fathers. It unites soldiers who fought in the war with those who fought against the war. It reflects faces of onlookers and unites them with the past, and unites veterans with themselves. The wall carries 58,183 names and is seen by one and a half million people a year. More than 10% of the population today is taking the time to select a monument before they die. The process of selection is called pre-need planning. Selecting a fitting monument is part of that process. A monument will reflect your life. It can be your choice what your monument will say about you.