By Natalya Bucuy • The Current Contributing Writer
As the Roman philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero said, “The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living.” Craig Walters Jr. of Walters Monuments in Summit Hill knows this well. Walters Jr. has worked at his father’s business since high school and when Craig Walter Sr. lost his battle with cancer in 2021, Walters Jr. took over the business.
Walters Monuments is a full monument retail that offers in-house sandblasting, engraving, cleaning, restoration, and pet markers. One of the oldest monument companies in the area, its goal is to provide grieving families with the best quality service, quick turnaround time, and a custom memorial for their loved ones that last.
The company began in 1920 and Walters Sr. worked in the business since he was 19 years old. He worked his way through the entire company, starting as an accountant. Every time someone left the company, he filled in their spot and quickly learned the ins and outs of the trade, eventually buying the business in 1988. After Craig Sr. passed in 2021, his wife, Helen Walters, and Craig Jr. took over the company.
There are good days, and bad days, as in any business. “I am constantly learning,” Walters says. “There is always something new in business or on the production ends.”
Sometimes it can cause a lot of stress.
After his father’s death, Craig Jr. had a big learning curve. Lisa Stefanick, who has worked for the company for a while, served as a shoulder to lean on during the transition and beyond. “She was my biggest helper in keeping everything going preventing me from ripping all my hair out,” Walters says.
He enjoys working with families in some of the hardest times in their lives, following the death of a loved one. “It’s fulfilling work that carries on the stories of others,” he says. Memorials are what’s left to tell people’s life stories after they are gone and Walters cherishes the fact that he plays an important role in telling those stories. The most rewarding moments come when families send him thank you notes and handwritten letters after the jobs are complete. Walters loves knowing that he made a difference and made someone’s grieving process a bit easier.
For more, visit waltersmonument.com.
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