Blue Earth Monument | Blue Earth
works here with us and does some etching, and we have a CNC machine that can do etchings, as well. So we can offer some things that add something to the memorial, that say something about the person and their life.” The Mahers say referrals come from cemeteries, caretakers and people whose family members have used BEM. “There are a lot of people that come to us ahead of time. They want to do it so their kids or loved ones don’t have to deal with it when they pass. Plus, then they can put on the stone what they want to put on it, not what someone else wants to put on it. We have so many people that come in here and say, ‘Well, that wasn’t bad at all.’ So I think to help with anxiety, we keep things really low-key. To make it easy for the families, we go at whatever pace they want to go and we just follow their lead. It also helps put people at ease, because these days it’s easier for them to see exactly what the finished product will look like with some of our computer programs. We want to make sure it is a positive experience because if it is for them, then they will tell others, and that’s how we get our business.” “In 2015, we opened a facility in Albert Lea because our son came out of the service and after finishing his college degree was looking for an opportunity,” Mark Maher said. “We had already been doing
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Most Unique Monument As you can imagine, the Mahers get some unique requests when trying to tell the story of someone’s life through a monument. One of their most unique requests came in the form of a, well, cow. “We did one in the shape of a cow, truly a full-size cow!” Lori Maher said. “That was one of the most unique ones, but we were able to do it. Basically just cutting the design in the overall shape and then doing some etching to show the legs and fur and other details.”
Family First Ask the Mahers what they do in their free time, and the answer is immediate: spend time with the grandchildren. They have six right now between their children: Amber, Blane, and Mackenzie. Their favorite spot to hang with family is at their cabin in Chisago City. “It’s close to the Twin Cities where our grandkids live, so we have a good excuse to spend time with them,” Mark Maher jokes. “I mean our children, too, but mostly the grandkids!”
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