A memorial passes through a quarry, an engraving shop, a cemetery grounds crew and a foundation setter. Knowing what each one controls tells you which choices are truly final.
How the monument trade came to run on quarry blocks, sandblast stencils and dealer networks, and the five decisions a family cannot take back once the order moves.
Electronic filing, e-signed authorizations and posted price lists have quietly reordered the first week after a death. Here is what a household actually has to hold.