As a monument artist, you always remember your first design. The first monument I designed was for a beautiful young lady who died in a tragic traffic accident. I was fortunate to spend a couple of hours with her parents hearing all about her. Before I left, her mother gave me a picture of the young woman saying, "While you are designing this headstone, I want you to remember who you are working for". After a nerve-wrecking week, I finally arrived at a design that I felt was both beautiful and told the story of this wonderful life cut short. I have never been so nervous as when I showed the design to her parents, after all, this was a headstone for their child, it had to be right. I pulled back the cover and with a tear in her eye, mom looked at dad and said, "It's perfect."
After being in the monument company industry for 8 years, I designed a beautiful cemetery monument for a little boy. My boss told me I had to quit wasting so much time with families and get my volume up. I knew I was done with conglomerate corporations and West Memorials was born.
My wife, Missy, the computer whiz and brains of the family, suggested we share our artistic abilities with the rest of the world. West Memorials, the internet company, was born and we became the primary monument artists.
The thought of selling cemetery monuments, headstones, and grave site memorials online scared me at first. I was used to sitting at kitchen tables and listening to family stories. But after so many beautiful stories with so many families all over the country, I am convinced that this is where I need to be.
Missy and I are 2017 Monument Builders of North America Designers of the Year. We also won awards for Best Flat Marker Design 2017, Best Large Monument Design 2017, Best Small Monument Design 2017 and Best Laser Etched Design 2017. I am past-president of the Tennessee Monuments Builders Association, 2001-2003. I am a member of Monument Builders of North America, Memphis Chamber of Commerce and Germantown Chamber of Commerce. I am a graduate of the Elberton Granite Association Advance Design class and an instructor at the 2002 and 2005 EGA.
Missy and I feel it is important that we talk to each client. One of us monument artists will be glad to help you with the special memorial design you are searching to find.
-Paul West