Call Now Available 24/7 (318)357-8271
For Assistance, Call Now (318) 357-8271
Maintaining a Grave Marker
For people who have to maintain the gravesite of a loved one, it can be crucial to know about the grave marker. Here are some tips Pellerin Funeral Homes offers.
It is not always easy to keep a gravesite looking its best. As the years pass, stain can develop on the marker and other issues may also appear. If you do not know how to maintain the marker for a loved one, it can help to keep a few things in mind so that you do not have to worry about this. It can be important to have some tips on the process of making these arrangements. If you are not sure about how to maintain a grave marker, there are some tips directors of funeral homes in Arnaudville, LA want you to remember.
You want to gather the right tools to get the job done. You do not want to use anything that is too abrasive, like power-washing equipment or brushes with hard bristles. That can cause all manner of issues on the grave marker’s surface and you definitely do not want to have to deal with that. Instead, you want to turn to soft brushes and sponges. You also want to be sure the cleaning solution you choose is not harsh like bleach. Stick to water, soap, and mild detergent.
When getting ready to provide grave marker maintenance, you want to be sure that the marker is at its best. You do not want to start the cleaning process if the marker is cracking, flaking, or crumbling. If you see that the marker is not stable, you want to avoid cleaning it.
If the marker is made of marble, you want to remember to soak it with water before beginning the cleaning process. This is because marble is porous and will absorb liquid. If you use the cleaning solution first, it will not be as effective. If you see that there is algae growing on the marker, take the time to add a bit of ammonia to the water. Only do this if the marker is made of light marble, since you do not want to leave stains. If the marker is made of dark marble, opt for water and soap.
A granite marble should also be soaked with water first, for the same reason. You want to avoid ammonia completely. If you see stains that you need to remove, add an ounce of detergent to five gallons of water and use that. Be sure that you rinse the marker completely first.
These are some tips that you want to remember when getting ready to clean a grave marker. You want to avoid using any harsh chemicals and abrasive tools to get this done. If you want to know more about the options, you can reach out to an Arnaudville, LA funeral home like us. We have years of experience and we can help you with all of the questions you may have about this and more so do contact us. You can give us a call right now or you can stop by our location to start planning the funerary services you want.
Jim is originally from Orange, Texas and attended Northwestern State University while on a golf scholarship. Jim graduated in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.
After graduation, he returned to Texas, where he started a family and worked for an industrial transportation warehouse.
In 2002, Jim received a degree in Applied Sciences from the Dallas Institute of Funeral Sciences and returned to Natchitoches. He has been professionally employed as a licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer since obtaining this degree.
Jim joined the staff at Blanchard-St. Denis in March 2008 and became General Manager in 2017. Jim’s level of care for the families he serves is shown everyday by his strong work ethic and his compassion for others at one of the most difficult times in their life.
He is married to Laura Flores and together they are owners of a local restaurant. In his spare time, Jim enjoys spending time with his family and occasionally playing golf with his son, Joe.
Dawn Slaughter has been a resident of Natchitoches since 1994. She moved to Natchitoches from Bossier City to attend Northwestern State University, but South Louisiana will always be “home”. Her dad spent 23 years in the Air Force, during which time she was fortunate enough to live abroad for 3 years and traveled to several countries. She met her husband Jason, at NSU. They have three beautiful daughters, Madison, Morgan, and Mikayla. In 2011, she graduated from Northwestern.
She was a stay-at-home mom for many years. Her husband has subcontracted for cemetery service for the funeral home for over 20 years. She began working at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home in November of 2018 as the office administrator and received her funeral director’s license in July of 2019. Dawn takes pride in helping the families of Natchitoches during some of their most difficult times, and helping them prepare their final arrangements to lessen the grief for their families.
Dawn is very active in her church, teaching her little third graders in Sunday School and singing in the choir at Christmas time. She is a member of the Les Amies Service Organization and enjoys volunteering in the community. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking and quilting. She is her daughter’s biggest fan in all of their pursuits.
Hunter was raised in Many, Louisiana, he graduated from Negreet High School in 2013. He then obtained an associate degree in applied sciences from Dallas institute of Funeral Service to practice Funeral Directing and Embalming.
In December of 2022, Hunter joined the staff of Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home. Through Hunter’s 10 years of service in the funeral industry he learned how much he loves helping families through the toughest time of their life. Hunter takes pride in treating each family he cares for like his own.
Hunter has two children, Anniston Kate and Lawson. In his spare time, he enjoys fishing, hunting, watching any kind of sport, but most of all spending time his children and family.
Tommy started his career with Blanchard St. Denis working part-time. He joined our funeral home full-time in 2011 after retiring from the United States Postal Service with 37 years of service.
Tommy is a lifelong resident of Natchitoches where he graduated from St. Mary’s High School in 1970. He furthered his education by receiving an associate degree from Northwestern State University.
He is married to Lisa McClellan. They have 4 children between them and are fondly known as Pepaw and Nana to 8 wonderful grandchildren. Tommy loves the game of golf and plays every chance he gets. He is also a wonderful cook and enjoys doing so for his family.
Tommy is passionate about caring for and seeing the needs of others. He takes pride in helping the people in his community during one of the most difficult times in their life.
Steve was born in Natchitoches and raised in Montgomery. When he graduated from high school, he attended NSU and studied mechanical arts.
He began his career with Gifford Hill and Company, a major construction supply company. While working full-time Steve attended the Shreveport Beauty Academy at night and received his license for makeup and hair styling. After 30 years he retired from Gifford Hill as Regional Manager for the Southwest region.
Steve began working for Blanchard St. Denis in 2012. His new endeavor with our firm gave him the opportunity to work in funeral service, a field he had always wanted to be a part of. Steve loves working side by side with the team at Blanchard St. Denis and helping families after the loss of a loved one.
Steve is married to Phyllis Kinkle Stroud, they have 3 wonderful daughters and 6 beautiful grandchildren.
Anthony lives in Natchitoches. He was born and reared on Cane River and went to school at St. Joseph Elementary and St. Matthew High School in Melrose.
He is married to Janet and they have 2 sons, 6 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren.
Anthony retired in 2006 from L&L Automotive which he co-owned with his brother. He then opened Anthony’s Auto, selling used cars. He also helps Janet with her catering business, Tatae’s. Anthony joined the team at Blanchard St. Denis in 2020.
Anthony Loves traveling with Janet, spending time with family and talking about cars with his sons and grandsons.
