Cataraqui Cemetery - Headstone Designs: Selecting a Fitting Design for Your Loved One*

When a loved one has passed away we are left with a void in our lives that is immeasurably vast. After the memorial service and subsequent cemetery burial, there is an unmarked grave in need of a headstone or grave marker. Headstone designs are a way for us to make a visual connection with the one we so dearly miss.

The Designing Process
After the burial has taken place and a little time has passed, we are able to reflect upon the significance of our loved one and the life they lived. It is within these moments that inspiration to create a headstone design may settle upon us. It is suggested that some time be taken to thoroughly consider possibilities for headstone designs, as the permanence and cost of a completed headstone will not allow for a second take.

Ideas For Headstone Designs
Headstone designs are generally reflective of the individual's personality whose grave they are meant to mark. If the person was a big nature lover there are designs that carry an outdoor motif such as evergreens or a mountain scene to set a breathtaking background. Also in this vein of headstone designs are numerous floral patterns derived from such popular flowers as roses, dogwoods, lilies and tulips.

Floral headstone designs are very popular in today's North American culture. Each flower has a symbolic meaning and for this reason they are chosen to grace the design of a loved one's memorial.
If religion played a big part in the person's life, there are numerous religious themed headstone designs available. If a religion is not represented among the headstone designs available, then any design can be accented through the use of religious emblems or symbols.
Cataraqui Cemetery is one of Canada’s oldest garden cemeteries. It has been serving Kingstonians for over 150 years. We have over 100 acres of parkland dotted with exceptional examples of headstones from the 1800’s to the present. Please visit our cemetery, take note of the headstones and if a particular design catches your eye, modern or more traditional, we can work with you to customize the design to meet your needs. We are here to help. Any profits from the sale of monuments at the Cataraqui Cemetery are invested in the on-going maintenance and development of this historic site.

Personalizing Your Headstone
Upon settling on a headstone design, now comes the task of personalizing the headstone. Typically the person's name and life dates are engraved or cast on the headstone depending on the material.

Emblems and symbols are usually 3" - 4" in size and can be either cast on a bronze headstone or sandblasted on a granite headstone. Emblems come in the widest array of subjects such as animals, flowers, religious icons, military credentials, sports, music and all sorts of vehicles to name but a few. Their purpose is to further accent the memorial of the person it is for.
With the need to personalize a headstone, more and more individuals are choosing headstone designs that incorporate a ceramic picture. Ceramic pictures or portraits are the result of a proprietary process that enables the likeness of a loved one to be emblazoned on a ceramic or porcelain oval tile. They are available in both colour and black & white versions and many shapes such as rectangular, circular, and heart shapes.

Headstone Epitaphs & Verses
If there is enough room left on the headstone, you can choose a beautiful epitaph to compliment the design. Some choose to borrow from existing epitaphs while others prefer to create their own or rely on other sources such as biblical scripture. A walk through our cemetery will provide many examples of epitaphs from the most poignant to the light hearted.

The overall design coupled with a fitting epitaph or verse will make for a truly unique memorial that will serve as an everlasting tribute to the one you love.

Before committing to a finished product we will first sketch out a plan for the headstone design. This gives you the opportunity to review the work to be created and make any changes before it is too late.