Majestic Memorials Refurbishes Polishing Mill Spring of 2022 Majestic Granite was purchased by Johnathan and Breanna Evans. Among many changes the name of the company was changed to MAJESTIC MEMORIALS. Another immediate change was beginning work on the equipment that came along with the company. Majestic had a 40-ft. bed polishing mill that did not function. Stones were being polished using a hand polisher. This limited production time, and something had to change. “First order of business was to repair and refurbish the mill” stated Johnathan Evans. “We added an additional 40-ft to the bed and worked to get the mill running again.” Adding the additional length to the bed allows the machine to program up to 18 slabs at a time for automated polishing. The machine was changed from pneumatic air to hydraulics to give the stones more of an even finish. The time and money saved with this refurbished polishing mill is immense and allows the operator to program the machine and busy himself with other tasks while the machine takes over. Majestic Memorials continues to grow their new company while ensuring that the company has what it needs to function to its best capabilities. The company is dedicated to offering the highest quality monument. Johnson Machine Shop Builds Large-Scale Diamond Gantry Saw JOHNSON MACHINE SHOP, INC. manufactures and sells stone industry machines. They specialize in the stone and granite industry. With 50 years of experience in the Elberton area, they are known for the fine machinery that comes out of their shop. Each piece is given individual attention and made for lasting durability. This diamond post saw and table is a fine example of a custom-built machine for a customer located in New Mexico. The powerful 20-hp electric motor powers diamond blades up to 48-inches in diameter with a cutting length of 12.5’, variable AC power control. The built-in control panel allows programming with operator-friendly ease and speed. A milling mode option can easily be added to this machine’s capabilities. Other options include auto gantry step to next cut, safety switches on carriage and gantry, overload relay cut off switch, water safety to cut machine off if water is cut off, and laser guide. The saw is also set up with a hand-held remote that allows the operator complete control while at a safe distance from the machine. The carriage beam is constructed of 3/8” x 8” x 8” square tubing with wear strips bolted on top, bottom, and sides which can be replaced when worn. The carriage is constructed of 1” plate steel and 4” adjustable rollers on top with plastic slides on sides and bottom. The carriage is driven by rack and pinion with variable speed control. This machine offers fast, deep-cutting capabilities with durable, ultra-rigid construction. Johnson Machine Shop never fails in providing an array of American-made machines to assist in the granite industry along with many other industries. Many companies have come to rely on the craftsmanship Johnson Machine Shop is known for. L & M Granite Company Celebrates Their Latest Apprenticeship Recipient Angelina Fleming along with her father and mentor, Dean Fleming “The best part of working as a stone cutter is the end result. Getting to see the final finished stone is the best feeling.” stated Angelina Fleming. Angelina Fleming with L&M GRANITE COMPANY completed her long-time goal of completing 1,600 hours of on-the-job training apprenticeship under her father, Dean Fleming. Angelina has been around granite since she was about six years old. She spent her youth watching her father as he worked. She has actually worked with granite for approximately six years. Angelina has worked with L & M Granite for about a year and a half. Her long-term goals are to level up to sculpting and possibly own her own granite company. Dean Fleming stated, “Angelina learned really quick and caught on fast with what she needed to learn.” Great job and congratulations Angelina! Husqvarna Construction Products Hires New Employee HUSQVARNA CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS recently hired Brandon Kirby to work full-time within their company. Brandon recently graduated high school and is excited to start his career. He held various part time positions while he finished his studies and decided to make Husqvarna his first full-time position. Brandon focuses his day on anything that has to do with production or maintenance of blades utilizing machines such as the torch, grinder, or the tipping machine. Brandon’s favorite part of the position is the satisfaction of accomplishing the weekly goals that the team sets. When asked what his goals look like he responded, “I guess my goal within the company would be to move up. It is hard work, but it is rewarding. My goal in life is to have a happy life with a wife, family, house, two cars.” Elberton Treasure Catalogs History of Elberton Granite Industry Elberton Granite Museum & Exhibit offers a great educational experience. For 41 years, the museum has been a destination for people from all over the world that want to learn about the Elberton granite industry and how it began. When one walks into the museum, they are met with a video that takes you from quarry to manufacturing plant and onto the final destination of a monument. Each year, roughly over 200,000 granite monuments, markers or mausoleums are made in Elberton, Georgia - “The Granite Capital of the World”. Elberton’s heritage as “the Granite Capital of the World” may be seen in many areas of the community from memorials recognizing Revolutionary War heroes and founders to newer veterans’ memorials, granite signs, granite homes, granite banks, a granite Civic Center, and of course the “Granite Bowl” stadium with a seating capacity of 20,000. The City of Elberton was incorporated in 1803, and until 1889 the area’s economy was largely dependent upon agriculture. At that time, Dr. Nathaniel Long opened the area’s first commercial quarry and manufacturing plant, and with railroads providing passenger and freight service to the area, Elberton began to grow tremendously around the granite industry. The museum catalogs the growth from the tools that once were used to unearth the granite blocks from the quarry and break the blocks into slabs to the tools that were used to shape the slabs into the different monuments. The growth in the last few decades has taken an extremely labor-intensive job and eased many of the areas with the use of digital machinery. This machinery absorbs many of the brutal workload that was once done by hand and are cataloged inside the walls of the museum. Many things can be learned by visiting the past and if you are ever in the Elberton area, the museum is a great place to spend a little time. As noted on Century-Harmony’s website, their roots go deep with history of national monuments, heart and dedication. The company was created by Felix Borzynski who was born in Nevada and moved to Georgia along with his wife Virginia, in the 1930’s where he began working on the world’s largest bas relief sculpture at Stone Mountain, Georgia. Felix later moved to Elberton and began various business ventures such as quarries and other manufacturing plants before founding Century Granite Company in 1949. In 1954, Felix’s son, George, graduated from Georgia Tech and left to serve in the United States Air Force. At this time, Century also joined the Elberton Granite Association’s family as a Voting Member. After George’s service to our country was completed in 1956, he returned to Elberton, Georgia and joined his father at Century. George began working as a salesperson along with general assistant to his father. In 1960, George married Miss Hazel Holmes Watlington, fondly known as “Patsy”. Patsy became a key feature in the family business and invested her heart into working with her husband and his parents in every way she could. Patsy became a vital role in bookkeeping and in customer service. If she met a stranger, they didn’t stay a stranger long before she would pull them into her life like family. 1964 brought a whirlwind of change to the company when Felix suddenly passed, and the company was left to be ran by George and his mother. The two, along with Patsy, continued to operate the business in the same manner that Felix had previously established. George and Patsy purchased the business later that same year. In the year of 1973, George, who was also a licensed pilot, began flying his customers into the Elberton airport utilizing his two-engine airplane. The plane would carry up to seven people. Century would fly to their customers and bring them back to Elberton for a few days to see how the monument industry in Elberton worked. The customers were taken from quarries to different stations in the Century plant to see how monuments were made. This gave the customers a greater appreciation of the monument industry and allowed a more knowledgeable sales plan once they returned home. By winter of 1990, both of George and Patsy’s sons joined them in the family business. In an article written by EGA, George stated “We have had the advantage of employing many of Elberton’s most talented managers and workers in the past 26 years, many of whom have gone on to become successful in their own granite businesses.” George also noted that “While many granite firms specialize in volume production of standard Elberton granite memorials, Century has found success in the opposite direction by offering many different granite products and services.” Century set a large priority of safety for its employees, quality for their product and being one of the top businesses in the industries. Maintaining a competitive degree in the granite industry required the company to be flexible and always willing to adjust and grow. Throughout the years, the company adjusted to new additions, buildings, capabilities, and new technology. In 2007, Century merged with Harmony Blue Granite Company to create Century-Harmony. The Harmony portion focused on the quarrying aspect while Century specialized in manufacturing, wholesale, and delivery. A key element in Century-Harmony’s success has been that instead of spending a lot of warehouse space purchasing monuments, they purchase quarried blocks and manufacture the monuments from beginning to end right there in their plant. This includes cutting, polishing, sandblasting and finishing the monument. This process proved to give their customers the faith in them to keep coming back as everything from beginning to end was capable of being done in-house. In 2019, George and Patsy decided that it was time to begin stepping back a little in the company and partnered with Anand Anandan, a business colleague they had become close with. Anand had worked with Century as a customer and vendor for many years and was very aware of the strong family ties that were ever present within the company. His hope was to eventually carry on the business in the same manner that George and Patsy had carried on from Felix. The company had hit a few bumps in the road and Anand worked well with George and Patsy in getting them ironed out. Patsy Tyler passed away September of 2019, leaving George and Anand to continue with the plans that had been laid out. Anand officially purchased the company in 2020 just before George passed away. Anand is originally from Chennai, India. He attended college in India majoring in Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science. He specialized in computerized machinery. After college, Anand began his career and moved to the United States working as a software engineer. After several years working in various management capacities like Director of Technology for some high tech companies, he started his first granite company in 1999. He now owns three different granite companies throughout United States. “Mr. and Mrs. Tyler had so much love and commitment to this company and its employees and the partnership between us was meant for that to be continued. As soon as I started the major challenges were to streamline the finances, ensure the company could run smoothly; even without Ms. Patsy Tyler who passed away in 2019 unexpectedly, ensuring to get adequate supply of good quality blocks.” stated Anand. In his short time as owner, he has already added an additional truck for the company along with another polisher to double the polishing capabilities. A top end polisher has been added along with adding another slant saw. The existing slant saw has been refurbished and rebuilt. When asked about future goals, Anand stated that he has plans on continuing to modernize different aspects within the company to allow for faster production while maintaining quality. This will ensure we keep up with existing customer demand and grow as well. Century-Harmony has always been a family focused and an honor centered company. Whether it be employees, vendors or customers, everybody is treated as family. That will continue under the guidance of Anand Anandan. “I am trying to make a smooth transition. It is a lot of hard work trying to fill their roles because they were honorable people that loved their community and their employees.” stated Anand Anandan. Member Spotlight 2022 Scholarship Recipients Congratulations to the Class of 2022 Scholarship Recipients! Each year, the EGA awards three scholarships to local graduating seniors to help further their educations. The scholarships are given in recognition of outstanding achievement and overall excellence. One scholarship is given to a senior from Oglethorpe County High School. Two scholarships are given to seniors from Elbert County Comprehensive High School. They represent hard working young people that are tied to the granite industry through either themselves or family members. Camille Davenport is studying Business, with a concentration in Marketing at Clemson University. She will be working toward a Bachelors in the field of marketing. After finishing her degree at Clemson, she intends to complete a Marketing internship in New York City. Camille’s grandfather has worked in the granite industry for over 37 years at various firms and she also has an uncle that has been employed in quarries for the past several years. Marquis Turman is the son of a long-time employee of King’s Monument Company. He will be attending Troy University in Troy, Alabama. Marquis will be studying Social Work along with music focusing his musical attention to mainly percussions. Nathan Hendrix will be attending Emmanuel College in Royston, Georgia. He will be studying Business Administration in hopes of owning his own business one day. Nathan has several ties to the granite industry. Nathan’s brother works at Miles Supply of Elberton. His grandmother recently retired from Matthews International. Along with those connections, Nathan’s great grandfather owns Adam’s Quarry. The EGA is proud to help these students and wish them the best of luck on a successful college career. OCHS Scholarship Winner Camille Davenport Attending Clemson University Studying Business ECCHS Scholarship Winner Marquis Turman Attending Troy University Studying Social Work Nathan Hendrix Attending Emmanuel College Studying Business Administration Ray Wilson Retires from Wilson Industrial Electric, Inc. Ray Wilson, after 40 years of service and founding WILSON INDUSTRIAL ELECTRIC, INC., has decided to make his retirement official. Ray formed his own company in 1982 after working for a large electrical company in Athens, GA and working with a partner in a former electrical business in Royston. Mr. Wilson decided that he could build stone producing machines after a lot of persuasion from local business owners, so he set out to do just that. Throughout Ray’s career his company has run as a family operated business, and they have prided themselves on customer service and the lasting longevity of his machinery. Their machines are shipped all across the United States along with Canada and Mexico. Ray has seen many changes throughout his career including several expansions of the operation. This includes a large machine shop addition in 2016 and a warehouse expansion in 2019. Ray noted that some of his most prized accomplishments was getting his children interested in the business and preparing them to take the reins. Melissa Black and Matt Wilson joined the company in 1993. Ray’s official celebration was Thursday, August 4th where all of their customers and colleagues were invited to come celebrate with Ray. Many familiar faces showed up to shake Ray’s hand and to wish him farewell. Although “Daddy” as all of his co-workers refer to him as, has decided to take time to enjoy some of his hobbies and spend time with family and friends, he leaves a lasting legacy that his customers and co-workers will carry on for years to come. Wilson would not be what it is today without his knowledge, savvy business skills, and strong hands-on work ethic. The Elberton Granite Association would like to congratulate Ray on a very successful career and wish him a blessed retirement! A.Q. STONE DESIGN COMPANY DD9 BASTON MONUMENTS, INC. SS14 BICKNELL SUPPLY COMPANY Q13 BLUE RIBBON QUARRIES, INC. C22 BLUE SKY QUARRIES, INC. CC25 BRAY GRANITE, LLC MM4 BROAD RIVER QUARRIES, LLC CC25 BROWNSTONE MEMORIALS, INC. CC5 BURTON MONUMENT COMPANY DD2 CENTRAL GRANITE COMPANY Y11 CENTURY-HARMONY COMPANY JJ13 CHILDS & CHILDS GRANITE COMPANY, INC. DD5 COMET MACHINE & HYDRAULICS, LLC FF9 DARICA TRUCKING COMPANY, INC. BB17 DESIGN MART, LLC V13 DIAMOND CUT & POLISH COMPANY, INC. A1 DIXIE GRANITE COMPANY, INC. D11 DON JONES ENTERPRISES, INC. R12 DUNCAN TRANSPORTATION SERVICE, LLC DD25 EAGLE GRANITE COMPANY, INC. Q8 ELBERTON INDUSTRIAL ELECTRIC, INC. P12 EVANSWINN INTERNATIONAL, LLC R9 FLAT CREEK X-PRESS Y2 FLATWOODS GRANITE, LLC WW23 G.B. MOON GRANITE MEMORIALS, INC. WW21 GENEVA GRANITE COMPANY, INC. II12 GEORGIA MAUSOLEUMS, INC. F6 GEORGIA STONE INDUSTRIES, INC. CC25 GLASS ART IMAGING, LLC WW1 GOLD EAGLE QUARRIES, INC. D4 GRANITE SALES AND SUPPLY CORPORATION T11 HENRY & HENRY, INC. T8 HILLCREST GRANITE COMPANY, INC. QQ12 HULMES TOOL SHOP K4 HUNTER GRANITE SALES, INC. FF4 HUSQVARNA CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS GG7 IDEAL AGGREGATE, LLC AA4 IMEX INTERNATIONAL, INC. G2 ITALDIAMANT USA, INC. LL18 J & B GRANITE COMPANY, LLC WW14 J & D FINISHING, LLC CC2 J & L ENTERPRISES, INC. N15 J & R FINISHING COMPANY, INC. QQ14 JENSON ETCHING, LLC CC11 JOHNSON MACHINE SHOP, INC. OO13 KEYSTONE GRANITE COMPANY, INC. H23 KEYSTONE MEMORIALS, INC. KK21 KING’S MONUMENT COMPANY, INC. J5 L & M GRANITE COMPANY, LLC SS12 LEWIS TRANSCONTINENTAL FF8 MAJESTIC MEMORIALS R18 MATTHEWS INTERNATIONAL (STAR GRANITE) F2 MATTHEWS INTERNATIONAL (MATTHEWS) P14 MEMORIAL ART Y13 MILES SUPPLY OF ELBERTON CC4 MIZE GRANITE SALES, INC. F4 NELSON GRANITE, INC. UU14 NORTH CAROLINA GRANITE CORPORATION WW1 PALFINGER USA, LLC C1 PINK PEARL QUARRY, LLC MM25 PORCELAINS UNLIMITED, LLC EE13 PYRAMID MATERIALS, INC. K7 QUALITY MONUMENT SALES, INC. F5 RELIANCE GRANITE COMPANY, INC. B3 REYNOLDS MARBLE AND GRANITE COMPANY O18 RIVER EDGE GRANITE COMPANY, INC. N10 ROBERTS CONTRACTING, INC. B15 SAVANNAH VALLEY QUARRIES, LLC AA1 SOLID ROCK GRANITE INTERIORS AA1 SOUTHERN GRANITE COMPANY, INC. O9 SPARTAN TOOL COMPANY, INC. M10 STAR GRANITE INTERIORS DD7 STERLING GRAY QUARRIES, LLC T19 STONE GRAPHICS, INC. GG14 SUPERIOR GRANITE COMPANY, INC. UU20 TRAVCO METAL WORKS, LLC WW19 WALKER GRANITE COMPANY, INC. DD3 WALLACE GRANITE SALES I12 WELCH’S GRANITE COMPANY, INC. UU12 WILSON INDUSTRIAL ELECTRIC, INC. HH9 Design Mart Offers Free Brochure Starter Kit for Online Designer & Catalog Subscribers During the months of October and November DESIGN MART is offering active subscribers to their Online Monument Designer & Catalog a free Brochure Starter Kit. All of the Design Mart brochures are included in the Online Catalog & Designer as shown here. There are more than 20 Design Mart brochures or catalogs with more than 1,000 designs included in the Online Designer & Catalog. Printed brochures and catalogs can make it easier for customers to choose a design to start from. Any design identified by a customer can be opened in the Online Catalog for viewing and in the Online Designer for easy customization. Granite color as well as texture of the sides and tops of the monuments may also be changed according to customer preference. In these design collections there is a wide variety of designs including singles, doubles, benches, columbarium, slants, bevels, flats, ledgers, mausoleums, etc. A video tutorial is available on Design Mart’s website showing how to use the brochures in the Online Designer at www.designmart.com. There are also videos on how to build monuments from scratch as well as exporting your final CAD file for use with a stencil cutting system. For assistance with videos, questions, or a free 30-day trial please contact Design Mart. The Brochure Starter Kit is a $34.95 value but is free to Graniteer readers who are subscribers to the Online Catalog & Designer. Email d-mart@designmart.com or call 800-736-7455 with the username or email address for your subscription. Your active status will be confirmed, and your Brochure Starter Kit will be sent right away. EGA Continues to Grow the Online Monument Books! EGA is continuing its effort to assist our members and monument retailers with making reference material available on our website. Following suit with the online monument books created earlier this year, we have added four new categories. Cemetery Features, Faith Based Monuments, Planes, Trains & Automobiles and Sports & Hobbies can now be located on our website under the Industry tab. These books are especially helpful in locating designs that families or customers may want ideas on or locating which manufacturer created a specific design. Several categories are already available on our website including our most popular, Military & War Memorials, along with Downtown Displays, First Responders, Graniteer Covers, and Public Monuments. Each design is labeled as to which edition of the Graniteer it appears in to make it easier to locate. To stand in respectful reverence of this monument and all it represents is an honor for many in the Nashville area and all who come to see it. This monument was made possible through a group effort between HILLCREST GRANITE COMPANY, GLASS ART IMAGING, OM Stone in Hillsboro, Oregon, The Orange Heart Medal Foundation and Springfield Memorial Gardens in Springfield, Tennessee where the monument is located. A perfect combination of Hillcrest Blue granite, jet black granite and Glass Art Imaging was used to bring this memorial to life blasting with colorful vibrancy and meaning. All external surfaces of the twenty-seven pieces making this memorial are polished to a shine reflecting everything surrounding it. The site this monument sits on is set up in a way that allows an expansion of the center monuments to be added to the left where another jet black and Hillcrest Blue tablet and folded flag will be added moving the existing flagpole into the garden area. Additional Jet Black tablets filled with a Glass Art panel of names and hearts are completed and awaiting installation. These panels are a Glass Art specialty made to resemble bronze without the aging and weathering that goes along with bronze panels. Hillcrest Granite fabricated all the granite pieces by cutting and polishing each one to exact specifications needed. The pieces were then taken to Glass Art Imaging where the artwork was added before being transported to Tennessee. This monument is yet another fine example of how teamwork and collaboration between EGA members continue to make Elberton granite industry the leading factor in the granite industry. This monument will bring the awareness and recognition to so many men and women that served this great nation at their own risk and peril. Great job team for continuing to provide the quality craftsmanship that the Elberton granite industry is known for. We wanted to choose an option that would have a lasting quality without having to repaint or recolor. We know Glass Art stands behind their product. Glass Art and OM Stone were very supportive and were even present for the day the monument was dedicated. - Ben Upton GEORGIA MAUSOLEUMS never disappoints with the craftsmanship and attention to detail that they offer every job. This stunningly beautiful 6-crypt walk-in mausoleum stands in the Westview Cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia and is a spectacular sight to see. Made from Silver Cloud granite, each piece is polished to a shine. Two benches sit on each side of the front patio leading to the steps. The front porch is adorned with four Tuscan style columns with two on each side of the large cathedral arched bronze double door. The back wall features a beautiful stained-glass window that mimics the shape of the doorway with a lady and gentleman dancing. Georgia Mausoleums begins each of their creations with the finest quality granite and completes the design with the utmost dedication to details and quality. Each mausoleum will not only look good but will stand the test of time for their customers. GLASS ART IMAGING and OM Stones worked to create these beautiful Bronzestone® images on gray granite. Bronzestone® is another specialty of Glass Art Imaging, made to mimic the look of bronze without the nuisance of weathering, patina and risk of theft. These images are burnt into the stone the same as the colorful Glass Art images that can be seen on our cover of this edition along with one of the samples above. The process allows the creation of lasting images and pictures that can be cherished for generation after generation. A definite beauty of Glass Art Imaging is that it allows more options than the typical black stone when wanting to add color images to a monument. The ability to have Georgia Gray granite with a color image is a great plus to customers all over the United States along with several other countries. The limitations of which granite that can be used has been stretched. This unique six-piece American Black memorial was created by KEYSTONE MEMORIALS for Watson Monuments in College Park, Texas. The tablet is made of three pieces. The top portion is polished on the front and back with rock pitching on the edges. The center portion is polished on the top and front. The bottom of the tablet offers a beautiful contrast with a steeled front and rock pitched edges. Flanked on each side of the monument are two tapered vases that feature a polished front and back with rock pitch on each side. The base is polished on the top and completes the memorial with rock pitched edges. This beautiful memorial can be found in Bremond City Cemetery in Deer Park, Texas. This beautiful family tribute was created by L & M GRANITE COMPANY from Chapel Rose granite. The three matching tablets are polished to a shine and sit atop matching bases. The bases are each polished on the top with rock pitch edges. The three monuments are encompassed by six pieces of coping that section off the family space. The coping is polished on top with the balance of the pieces rock pitched. This fine family tribute is located in the Jennings Cemetery in Vesta, Georgia. RIVER EDGE GRANITE COMPANY created this beautiful family monument from Blue Pearl granite. The tablet is all polished with a sunken panel holding raised lettering for the family name. The top features a twist to the traditional serptop leading to a scotia on each end. The sides are concaved. The bottom of the monument features another scotia all the way around the edges. The base is polished on top with rock pitched edges along with the two flat markers. RIVER EDGE GRANITE COMPANY teamed up with Sculptor AC Button along with M&R Granite in Spartanburg, SC to create this stunning monument that includes a beautiful hand carved niche with a bouquet of daffodils. The bas relief carving measures seven inches wide, fifteen inches tall and two inches deep with a strong attention to each aspect of the flowers. The monument was cut from Peerless Blue granite. The tablet is polished on the front, back, and top with the edges rock pitched. The base along with the cornerstone and coping are polished on the tops with rock pitch on the edges. This monument is located in the Salem Baptist Church Cemetery in Woodruff, South Carolina. Larry Cook, Owner of BLUE RIBBON QUARRIES, INC. was approached by ESP, Inc. organization in Watkinsville, Georgia to create a memorial honoring the memory of former participants that have passed and he jumped on board. Larry quickly began to sketch and draw out a design that would serve as a memorial for years to come. Using his Georgia Blue granite, Larry and his team found the perfect rock and began working with BASTON MONUMENTS, INC. for the sophisticated design. The design included a circular engraved portion installed into the ground containing six pieces fit together. The cylinder is polished with a steeled band around its center. It sits upon a rounded base that is six-inches tall and polished on the top. The monument was designed so that more names could be added to it over the years. “It was a very emotional ceremony to see the smiles and reaction on the family members’ faces of those names who were inscribed on the memorial, and we were honored to be a part of this moment for those families and the entire ESP organization,” states owner, Larry R. Cook. KEYSTONE MEMORIALS recently collaborated with Watson Signs & Monuments in College Station, Texas to create this unique Hedquist Pink granite base. The base is 54-inches wide, 34-inches deep and 64-inches tall. It is designed with a stepped top to resemble stairs. The granite base is all steeled and has tapered sides. It was created to hold the bronze statue of Matthew Gaines, a former state senator, Baptist minister, and advocate for the rights of freed people, climbing a set of steps with a stack of books under one left arm with the other arm outstretched as though to help his fellow man up. Matthew Gaines was a key factor in Texas A&M College. The monument sits on the new Yolanda and Jimmy Janacek Plaza between the Memorial Student Center and the Student Services Building on the campus of Texas A&M. We have to say that Keystone went above and beyond with this project. They were able to get us a beautiful stone quickly. Without them this monument would not look nearly as impressive. - Watson Signs & Monuments (Left to Right) Trisha Mix, Zack Simpson, William and Rachel Dunard along with Preston Mix and Debbie Thurman from Troy, MO; Brent Holt with KEYSTONE MEMORIALS; Leslie O’Conner, Kyle Pearson, Steve & Susan Gillihan from Poplar Bluff, MO; Ruth Bell from Beloit, KS; Glen Whitener from Kennett, MO; Janet Specht, Beloit, KS; Debbie & Charles McKenzie, along with Nicholas & Ithyca Bacon from Batesville, AR; Janet & Robert Clark, Clay Center, KS; Debbie & Roger Aholt, Washington, MO; Colton Kehler, Angel, Nathan & Waylon Hughes of Independence, MO Tulsa, Oklahoma MAMBA Judy Anderson, Granite OK; Debbie & Roger Aholt, Washington, MO; Breanna & Johnathan Evans with children, Ayden and Michael from PYRAMID MATERIALS; Debbie & Charles McKenzie with grandchildren, Nicholas and Ithyca Bacon, Batesville, AR; Austin Pruitt with LEWIS TRANSCONTINENTAL; and Breanna and Kory Hollister from Claremore, OK (Left to Right) Michael & April Hughes with BICKNELL SUPPLY COMPANY; and Susan & Steve Gillihan from Poplar Bluff, MO Roger & Debbie Aholt, Washington, MO and Johnathan Evans with PYRAMID MATERIALS Eddie Higginbotham and Olivia Wilmot, MEMORIAL ART; Connie & Tony Mills along with Rhonda & Mitch Williams all from L&M GRANITE COMPANY and Rick Burrough; Manassas, VA Brady & Ryleigh Turner, MILES SUPPLY OF ELBERTON; Shannon &Mitchell Calhoun along with Andrew Cove of Mount Airy, NC; Ben Gaines of MILES SUPPLY OF ELBERTON Steve & Beth Carroll, King, NC; Greg, Ann & Matthew Campbell, Siler City, NC; Tammy & Quinn Floyd with A.Q. STONE DESIGN and Susan & Ron Bartholomew from Rolesville, NC Richard Schultz from Madison, TN and Stacey Drake, GRANITE SALES & SUPPLY CORPORATION Daniel Raper, Bethel Springs, TN; Jason Holcomb, Sr., Chattanooga, TN; Autumn Raper, Bethel Springs, TN; Lisa Hays, Delphos, OH; Kyle & Jayce Bagwell, BICKNELL SUPPLY COMPANY; Ben Martin, Ashville, NC; Tammy & Quinn Floyd, A.Q. STONE DESIGN and Clay Creech, Blythewood, SC Beth & Steve Carroll, King, NC; Erik Marnell with MATTHEWS INTERNATIONAL; Autumn & Daniel Raper from Bethel Springs, TN and Melanie White with MATTHEWS INTERNATIONAL Ron and Susan Bartholomew, Rolesville, NC; Nathan Gaulden, Rockhill, SC and James Walters with EAGLE GRANITE COMPANY Andrew Watson, Mike & Emily Wade along with Verna Todd holding Indie Wade from Covington, TN; Billy & Charlotte Fox with HENRY & HENRY; Pam & Richard Schultz from Madison, TN Keith Turman, age 69, passed away Tuesday, August 2, 2022 following an extended illness. Keith was born in Elberton to the late Robert James Turman and Lilla Gunter Turman. He was a strong man of faith who most recently attended Firehouse Church while his health allowed. He was also a longtime member of the Elberton Church of God church family. Keith was a former member of EGA during the time he owned Classic Monuments. Keith was a unique character who never missed an opportunity to make someone laugh. Keith loved the outdoors and enjoyed hunting---but only when it was too cold to fish He is survived by his wife of 45 years, 8 months, and 2 days, Martha “Mot” Turman; daughter, Alicia Brown; son, Nic Turman (Charlotte); sisters, Deborah Bossong (John), Teresa Rampey (Richard), and Delores Brooks; and aunt, Aleen Gunter Turner. His pride and joy were his grandchildren, Drew Brown, Hannah Brown, Jacob Brown, Judah Turman, and Asher Turman. David Diederich, 85, passed away Monday, August 8, 2022, at Rainey Hospice House. Born in Plymouth, WI, David was the son of the late Albert and Leone Burkart Diederich. He attended St. John the Baptist Elementary School in Plymouth and then graduated from S. Dominic’s Grade School in Sheboygan, WI in 1951. He graduated in 1955 from St. Norbert’s High School in W. DePere, WI. From there, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving on ‘tin cans’ in the Atlantic theatre. Attaining the rank of Machinist Mate 2nd class, (E-5), he continued in the Naval Reserves until 1961. His industry career was primarily in marketing and general management, functioning in several companies as CEO and President, including Jensen Printing and the Northland Group, MN. He later held similar positions in business software and computer systems, as well as other start- ups and turn- arounds. In 1980, he founded Delta Business Systems in Vermont, a consulting, printing, and marketing company, which he sold in 1997. It continues today, expanding into a large and successful business. His consulting practice took him to the South, where he specialized in the granite and memorial distribution industries across North America. David’s company Breen Systems Management, Inc. was an Associate Member of the Elberton Granite Association. People asked him what kind of work he did: his reply was, “I help organizations that are in transition, growing, or slowing.” David is survived by his wife, Shirley Marsot Diederich; son, David K. Diederich, (Heather) and their children, Andrew and Hanna; daughter, Beth Diederich and her daughter, Ashley Bouffard; great-grandchildren, Henry, Anika, and William; sister, Nancy Friedrichs (Jim Staley); and former wife, Jeanne Oehler Chisman. His second family; stepsons, Bradley (Leslie), and their sons Alex and Mitchell, and Scott (Krisy) and their daughter Sophia. Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by a brother, Tim Diederich; his father and mother-in-law, Edward and Beulah Marsot; and brother-in-law, Steve Marsot. Mrs. Kathryn Frances Vinson Wilhite, 81, of W. Church Street, Elberton, wife of 60 years to the late Hugh Dorsey Wilhite, entered into rest on Saturday, August 13, 2022, at Pruitt Health at Spring Valley. Mrs. Wilhite was born in Wilkes County on January 18, 1941, daughter of the late Dennis Herbert Vinson and Anna Frances Clark Vinson. She was a member of Grace Baptist Church and a secretary having retired from former Member Firm, Wilhite Brothers Granite Company where she was co-owner. “KatKat” never met a stranger and loved talking with others. Survivors include her daughter and son-in-law, Denise and Hueston Mills of Elberton; grandchildren: Derek Mills and Brock Mills; great-grandson, Brantley Mills; and numerous nieces, nephews, and other relatives. She is preceded in death by her parents; son, Gregory Hugh Wilhite; and siblings: Charles Dennis “Chuck” Vinson and Deborah Susan “Debby” Haynes.