In tribute: Front Royal woman creates custom memorials

View larger image A memorial bench at the Panorama Memorial Gardens in Waterlick was designed by Arleen Keyser, who owns Keyser Memorials in Front Royal. Dennis Grundman/Daily View larger image Keyser also designs pet memorials, such as the one above at the pet cemetery at Panorama Memorial Gardens. Dennis Grundman/Daily

By M.K. Luther - mkluther@nvdaily.com

FRONT ROYAL - When Arleen Keyser decided to start her own memorial business, it was a fitting choice for her to work from home.

Keyser, who spent 13 years working with company-owned cemeteries and memorial gardens, decided she wanted to focus her attention on families who had just experienced a loss in a more personal and hands-on way.

"I wanted to work in the industry and help people," Keyser said. "The only thing I can do is create something to remember a loved one at an affordable price."

Looking for a way to make the process more intimate, Keyser started her Front Royal-based business, Keyser Memorials, and acts as a one-woman, full-service memorial dealer.

Keyser works closely with families to help them design and create customized memorials, providing an alternative to standard memorials.

Based on her corporate experience, Keyser said she found that families were both financially overwhelmed and emotionally drained by the time it came to selecting a memorial.

"A lot of times when you sit down and talk about this person -- you find out a lot," Keyser said. "Most people tell me they are more relaxed in their homes and talking about their loved one."

Meeting with a family in their home allows them to take the time to reflect and open up in a familiar environment, and the family can then concentrate solely on the type of memorial, not just the technicalities of funeral planning.

"I like to be able to sit down with the family in their home if possible," Keyser said. "I am trying not to just create your basic memorial, but to really work with them to show them what is available to their loved one."

Instead of people having to search for the right product, she can help them design, create and craft a memorial as well as have it produced and installed. Fully licensed, Keyser can have a memorial delivered to most cemeteries in the area, and uses a subcontractor for installation.

Each memorial can be customized with personal details, Keyser said, whether it's the reproduction of a person's signature or an artist's rendering of a child's favorite scenes, hobby or artwork.

"It is a great experience to sit down and create something that is a real remembrance of their lives together," Keyser said.

Originally from Middleburg, Keyser has also expanded her business to include pet memorials, and wants to cater to the rural and farming communities, creating tributes for families' beloved animals. In addition to pet memorials, Keyser offers memorial benches, cremation urns and remembrance jewelry.

"I can create anything you can think of," Keyser said. "I try to create something that is about a person's life."

The average cost of a funeral was about $6,000 in 2006, according to the National Funeral Directors Association, and memorials can cost several hundreds of dollars or more.

Keyser said the prices of her memorials vary, depending on how extensive the design is. By working from home and cutting the overhead expenses of rent and office maintenance, Keyser said she can offer personalized memorials at a comparable price or even several hundred dollars less than large company-owned cemeteries offer.

Although she can have a memorial installed at any cemetery, Keyser said she is trying to build relationships with smaller, local cemeteries to increase her customers' options and also help the cemeteries maintain and care for the memorial grounds.

Keyser said by introducing people to the more distinctive memorial decorations that are available, the finished product will better depict a person's life -- what mattered to them and what will most reflect who they were.

"Most people get almost the same thing," she said. "There is just so much more that can help a family remember a loved one. It is more than just a rock with a name and a date on it."