Glacier Monuments

Glacier Monuments is a community-minded business which began in 1980 when Orville and Carole Bealer purchased the former, Choteau Monuments. Although he had little experience when he started, his artistic abilities and skill as a sign painter made him a natural at creating personalized grave markers. He had approximately 15 minutes of training when he took over the business from the previouse owner. The rest was on-the-job training. His original artwork is still available for use on memorials today.

When Orville died in 1995, Carole Bealer, his wife, took over the business. A waitress for 42 years, she felt she lacked skills needed to run a business. She considered selling it, but her son, Ron, stepped in to help her as general manager. In 2006 the business was acquired by a locally controlled Northern Montana Company. They continue the tradition that Orville started, creating “Special Memorials for Special People.”

Glacier Monuments makes simple memorials with just names and dates. However, their expertise is unique art work on memorials. It is something other monuement companies choose not to do. These special memorials are custom designed just as the customer wants.

Glacier Monuments has a catalog full of designs already created which can be modified to suit any customers’ needs. If someone wants something specific in mind, Glacier Monuments can design it, as well. Original artwork and photos can be scanned and incorporated into designs.

Three dimensional sculpting into granite has been practiced by monuments companies for years. However, Orville perfected and taught a more elegant sculpting of artwork and the airbrush coloring on memorials that make the artwork “come alive”.

“If we do not have the artwork or design a customer wants, we sit them down with a designer in front of the computer and customer design the memorial. A design session usually lasts one or two hours, depending on the complexity of the design. “We also work with customers all over the world by communicating with them throught emails. We can email them a picture of the design and modify it as they see fit. ” The entire process takes place over the internet and at the pace the customer is comfortable with.

Once a design is selected, Glacier Monuments print out a full-size copy for clients to keep. “This allows our customers to know exactly what the memorial will look like before it is engraved. Granite is available in several colors and types, and the price varies depending on the type and size of stone. Domestice granite is purchased for US suppliers and granite is also imported from other areas, South Africa, India and Sweden.

Each complete memorial is a piece of art, and each tells the Life-Story of the love one lost in death. “The memorials that we create are for the living,” observes Ron. “What we do is about compassion. People come to us grieving and we try to help them through a difficult time. We help our customers through the process of closure. It is rewarding to give them comfort. We work with good people who appreciate what we do, and we have the satisfaction of helping them.”