Mendota Monument Co.
Specialties: Cemetery, Lettering, Design, Memorials & Repair Work
Almost A Century Of Service
MENDOTA – Quality workmanship has been a family tradition for four generations of the Schmitt family.
Frank J. Schmitt started Mendota Monument Co. in 1913, providing high quality granite products to the area, until his death in 1944. His sons, Don, Ralph, and Robert, joined the family business and since 1974, the third generation, Robert's sons, Ron and Steve, picked up the torch. Ron's son, Erik, represents the fourth generation of Schmitts at Mendota Monument.
The Schmitts still use the same basic sandblasting technique perfected in the 1920s and ensures customers only skilled family members will do the work.
In addition to the traditional monuments and grave markers, Mendota Monument can personalize each piece with etchings and carvings. Some popular items are tractors, fish or angels.
Favorite photographs can be transferred to a variety of shaped ceramic pieces, then glazed and inserted on the monument. This method is guaranteed to not fade the photo colors.
Etchings are becoming increasingly more common. The etchings can be done off of pencil sketchings by professional artists and can depict detailed reproductions of almost anything.
"Usually, if you can draw it, we can etch it," Ron said. It offers more details than with sandblast carvings.
Most monuments are rectangular shaped, but can come in various shapes, such as crosses, hearts, or teardrops.
Although the main focus of Mendota Monument is on graveside markers and monuments, they also do mausoleums, granite signs, bronze markers, dedication memorials, cemetery lettering (adding names and dates to markers already in the cemetery) and monument repairs.
They sell commercial flags and flagpoles, too.
All work is completed on the finest granite, purchased from around the world, including domestic and imported granite.
"Our expertise in the monument field lies in our fine carving and lettering. Since we do not use any artificial coloring, we use only the granites which meet our own criteria for top quality materials." Ron said.
Mendota Monument serves a 60-mile radius of Mendota and can ship finished products throughout the United States.
Mendota Monument Co.
606 S Main St
PO Box 63
Mendota IL 61342
Tel: 815 539-7276; 800 845-5809
E-mail: mendotamonument@verizon.net
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