To avoid the high cost of a granite headstone and wait time, a local rock yard is making memorial markers out of sandstone.
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With half a million
people dead from COVID-19,
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the wait for a granite or marble headstone
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can take several months or more.
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And the rock is surprisingly expensive
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but Lillywhite Stone, a
rock yard in Farmington
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is offering a faster,
less costly alternative.
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You're watching The Local News Network
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brought to you by express
employment professionals
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and CMIT solutions.
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I'm Wendy Graham Settle.
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Sandstone, it comes mostly
from Arizona quarries
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in different colors,
sizes, and thicknesses.
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Owner, Ross Lillywhite says
the native population here
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prefers sandstone memorial markers
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over marble or granite
because it's familiar stone
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that's found throughout the reservation.
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Well, a lot of it has to do
with the coloring as well,
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you know, matches the environment
and looks like something
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that come out of that local hills.
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But sandstone is a great choice for anyone
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who's lost a loved one
because of its affordability,
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natural beauty and majesty.
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The wait time for a
headstone at Lillywhites?
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Couple weeks normally.
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Right now we're running into a problem
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and that because Texas,
there's the mass material.
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It's been on back order,
it's been, been crazy so...
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The rubberized mask or
template of lettering
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and designed for the face of the headstone
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is glued to the surface then sandblasted.
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Finally, the headstone is finished
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by inserting rebar on the
bottom for easy installation.
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You can choose to keep
the jacket natural shape
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or have it cut to perfection.
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Lillywhite Stone, a family run business
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since 1969 charges $5 a letter,
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depending on its size,
a medium to large marker
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costs on average $350.
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It's a very inexpensive
way to have something
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that expresses yourself
and your home, whatever
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or your loved one.
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Sandstone may not last as long as granite
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but after so many hundreds of years,
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does it really matter?
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If you'd like to know more
about sandstone memorials
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contact Lillywhite Stone
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at 6401 East Main in Farmington.
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Thanks for watching this edition
of The Local News Network.
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I'm Wendy Graham Settle.
