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Grotto Inc. of Stafford mixes cremation ashes with other materials to create statues, planters and other items.
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Found and Sons Funeral Director Stephen Howard helps Jolene Doman place the ashes of close friend Lesa Tribby Barbrey into a mixer to be made into a memorial planter by Grotto Inc. as family and loved ones embrace.
Jolene Doman holds hands with Anita Denka |
By PAMELA GOULD
Helen Tribby lost her son in a house fire six years ago.
She lost her daughter last month to an aggressive cancer.
Now, both of her children--as well as a grandchild who lived just six hours--will always be with her.
The Partlow woman was the first customer for Grotto Inc., a Stafford County company recently formed to offer a new option for the growing cremation industry.
Grotto provides a way to memorialize loved ones by using some or all of their ashes in making stone statues, planters or other items for the home and garden. The process also can be done with pets.
Grotto is operated by four men: Larry Mervine, whose background is in construction and includes ceramic tile work; Kurt Zimmerman, a stay-at-home dad with an arts background and experience in concrete countertops; and two British transplants--Steve Kelly, a clockmaker who runs two Fredericksburg antiques shops, and his father, Barry Kelly, who spent a career with Price Waterhouse.
Mervine came up with the idea last fall after reading an article in Entrepreneur magazine about a company that puts remains into artificial reefs.
In December, the men registered for a patent for their process, which combines cremated remains with a mixture of white cement, river stone and light sand.
Over the past month, they've been visiting funeral homes from Washington to Fredericksburg, telling directors about their service.
The goal is to go nationwide in six to nine months, said Barry Kelly.
Already, managers of about a dozen facilities have expressed interest and will be displaying samples for customers to consider.
Cremations increasing
Sam Found of Found and Sons Funeral Chapels-Cremation Service was the first to get on board with Grotto's concept.
"The exciting thing for someone who has been in the funeral business for 20 years is it gives [customers] choices," he said.
Found, who with his brother, Scott Found, operates funeral homes in Spotsylvania County and Culpeper, said interest in cre- mations is increasing, especially at the Spotsylvania site. He's seen the number of people choosing cremation roughly double since the Spotsylvania home opened in 1998.
Nationwide, the percentage of people choosing cremation has steadily increased since 1965. By 2025, the Cremation Association of North America projects cremations will outnumber traditional burials.
The top three reasons people cite for that choice is saving money, saving land and simplicity, according to a 2005 survey by the Wirthlin Group.
Helen Tribby had no choice about whether to cremate in July 2001 when her 37-year-old son, Thomas Tribby, died in the fire that destroyed her house.
But when her daughter, Lesa Tribby Barbrey, was ill, she made her preference known. Barbrey died March 24 at age 38.
She didn't know anything about Grotto before her death, but when her mother, her daughter, Jackie Tribby, and her friend Jolene Doman visited Found and Sons last month, they learned about the option of creating a lasting and portable memorial.
"I thought that would be great," Helen Tribby said. "We could have her home with us like always."
With Grotto's process, Tribby was able to create a memorial that included ashes from her son, her daughter and her infant granddaughter, Samantha Lee Tribby.
Family and friends gathered March 29 to take part in creating a planter--the item the family chose from among dozens of Grotto offerings. They added the remains to the mixture and then saw it all poured into a mold.
It takes three to four weeks to produce each item. Statues generally cost $400 to $1,600.
Not left behind
When Steve Kelly visited to explain Grotto's concept, Shannon Sturms of Mullins and Thompson Funeral Home wanted to be sure the items would stand up to the rigors of outdoor placement. After learning the steps the company takes to finish and seal its creations, she decided to offer them to her clients.
"It's going to reach some people that traditional cremation services may not," said Sturms, general manager for Mullins and Thompson homes in Fredericksburg, Stafford and Spot- sylvania.
Michael Turch, general manager for two Mountcastle funeral homes in eastern Prince William County and Cunningham in Alexandria, thought the Stafford entrepreneurs had a winning plan.
"So far, everybody I've told about the idea has just had a great response--thought it was a great idea," he said.
Sam Found liked the fact that the company offers a variety of items so families can pick something meaningful to them. The creations range from decorative to functional and include angels, animals, planters, fountains and benches.
"It's quite personal and it's something that will enable them to keep their loved ones' remains for a lifetime," he said.
In addition to having a constant reminder of her loved ones, Helen Tribby liked knowing she could take them with her if she ever decided to move.
"This way, if you have to leave, you don't have to worry about leaving them behind in a cemetery," she said. "So many people get left behind."
Pamela Gould: 540/735-1972|
1975 - 6.55 percent 1985 - 13.86 percent 1995 - 21.11 percent 2005 - 31.99 percent --Source: Cremation Association of North America |
| For more information on Grotto Cremation Memorials: grottocm.com |
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As cremation has risen in popularity, so have the options for storage and dispersal. The traditional urn is still available, but so are necklaces with pendants for holding a bit of the ashes, bud vases with a storage compartment at the bottom, starfish-shaped containers and a host of others.
And, like Grotto's founders, some companies have gotten even more creative. FOR MORE, |
