Location
This one of a kind stone is located in the “Willow” section of the Woodlawn Cemetery in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
The Story
The story that this stone tells is one of immense love and care for a young man who is missed by many. Before you even look too closely at the stone, the first things you notice are all of the trinkets and other memorabilia, the beautiful blue vases, and the flowers that have all been lovingly placed and cared for by family and friends.
The family chose to have the stone carved into the shape of a puzzle piece, which has multiple meanings to them. The front of the stone has a laser that includes the young man’s portrait and the phrase “A big piece of our hearts is missing.”
Under his portrait are his full-name and his dates of birth and death. At the bottom of the puzzle piece, in the frosted section, some more information as to what roles he played to his family and friends is given to us: “Son, Grandson, Brother, Uncle, Friend. One day we will all be together again.”
The back of the stone gives us even more insight into who this stone is memorializing. There is a personal note from his parents lamenting the young life that was lost too soon along with three laser photos from various points in his life.
You can also see that he loved turtles, the Chicago Bulls, and the Dallas Cowboys by the carvings on the back. The story ends at the bottom with the simple phrase “Family Over Everything.”
This stone tells a beautiful story of a deeply loved young man. The story is sad, but he will be remembered for generations to come because of this beautiful and unique stone that tells a detailed story of his short life.
The Stone
The stone itself is a 2ft 6in wide, 6in think, and 3ft tall piece of black granite. This stone was custom carved into the shape of a puzzle piece and every surface is polished except for the frosted panels at the bottom of the stone which were needed to complete the puzzle piece shape.
The stone sits on a 3ft wide, 1ft thick, 6in tall black base with a polished top.
There are a total of four lasers on this stone and two carvings that are painted with color.
