Minton Monument Cleaning & Preservation

05/27/2026

Some of you may recall the repair I completed for Grassmere Historic Farm and Croft House in October 2025. The gravestone of little Samuel Lyon was cleaned & installed in a new concrete keystone base. (See first photos)

Sadly, the ice storm in February 2026 caused the tree beside the cemetery to collapse, causing one huge branch to damage 4 gravestones; the box tomb of John R. Dunn, the stone of Samuel Lyon, the stone of Margaret Croft, & the stone of Lavinia Shute. (See photos of storm damage)

I was called back there today to see about repairs to these memorials. My heart broke when I saw little Samuel's. The damage is extensive, & has really highlighted the faults in the bedding planes of the stone. (See followup photos of Samuel's stone).

I'm hoping this project can move forward, & these stones get repaired to close to their former state.

05/25/2026

James Larry Bosheers (my wife's cousin)
10 Jul 1949
1 May 1968 Quang Tri Province, Vietnam

Today we honor him, & countless others, who have fallen on the battlefields across time.

🫡🇺🇲

05/23/2026

As we begin the weekend, let us remember the reason; to honor those soldiers across all conflicts who gave the ultimate sacrifice, some of whom have yet to make it home.

Minton Monument Cleaning & Preservation will be closed on Monday, May 25, 2026, in honor of those brave souls. 🫡🇺🇲

Be safe.

05/20/2026

I left out this morning to continue work on a job that started yesterday. When I got close to a local gas station, I saw that the price per gallon had increased 4 cents overnight. Locally, (Clarksville, Tennessee), it is now $4.29 per gallon.

Normally, I charge mileage for jobs outside of my county. However, in order to keep up with rising gas costs, I am going to have to start adding mileage to all local jobs as well. This is not something I decided to do lightly. But, until gas prices go back down, it is the only way I can continue to operate. Now, in case you're wondering, mileage is calculated at the Federal travel rate - 72.5 cents per mile, round trip. Any estimates previously submitted will remain unchanged. Any new estimates moving forward will reflect this change.

I do hope everyone understands. Have a blessed day & be kind to each other! 🤗

05/01/2026

I can't believe I haven't shared this before. 🤦🏼

Tennessee has a way to document gravestones that anyone can use. Simply take a good, clear photo of the gravestone. Make sure it is the entire stone, not just a closeup. Go to the site below, select the county & cemetery, then upload the photo. If the cemetery isn't listed, make a request to have it, & the photo(s) added. A County Coordinator will evaluate it and get it approved, or email you for any clarification. This is a great way to have a public database of these beautiful memorials.

Search genealogy records and archive gravestone, tombstone, and memorial photos in Tennessee cemeteries.

04/22/2026

I wanted to inform everyone that the next few weeks will be hectic for me. Please continue to call & email with the work you're needing done. I'll get your information, location & needs, but it will be scheduled out through May & June. I'm working the Polls for early Election & Election Day, not to mention getting a lot of work done on the house. I'll work in your cleaning/repairs as I can.

Thank you for understanding. 🤗

04/15/2026

This video cropped up on my personal page a couple of days ago. A friend of mine shared my story with the video creator, and he ran with it. A lot of the video is from my early days of this journey and a lot has changed since then. But the intent - the heart - of the video stays true. 🥰

04/12/2026

I spent the day in Smith County, Tennessee yesterday, helping a family rebuild 2 gravestones that were on property they had purchased to build their new home.

The monuments were in a field (former cow pasture) behind the home. All sections had been toppled. The homeowners had already leveled the bases, but had no way to reconstruct the sections.

With their help, & a 14 foot tripod constructed on-site, both memorials are now standing proud again. 🥰

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