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Blue Earth Shop
Albert Lea Shop
Old Coupon
Laying out stone

Blue Earth Monument, Inc. is a locally owned family business helping create loving tributes since 1877.  

In 1877, a German named Maurice Bessinger started Albert Lea Marble and Granite Works located in Albert Lea, MN. His son William expanded to Blue Earth and Winnebago in 1896 while his other son, Frank took over the Albert Lea location.  

William had a son, Everett who eventually purchased the business from his father along with his partner George Krohn. Gilbert "Gib" Olson became George's partner after Everett retired.  Steve Christianson (Gib's step-son) and Harlan Schmitgen purchased the monument business from Gib.  Current owners, Lori and Mark Maher (daughter and son-on-law of Harlan) became owners in 2008 when Steve retired and became sole owners in 2011 when Harlan retired after 52 years at Blue Earth Monument.  

In June 2015,  we went back to Albert Lea and opened up a new location.  

All of our monuments are created with care on our premises by our talented craftsmen. Our design specialists understand that selecting a monument can sometimes seem overwhelming and will work closely with you to create a special memorial for your loved one or for yourself as a pre-need arrangement.  

Our inside showroom, outdoor display, and online selection provide a number of varied styles, sizes, colors, and ideas for you to choose from. It is our goal to help you select a memorial that you can be proud of.

The journey a granite monument takes
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The journey a granite monument takes

We often think of the final product but forget that the polished granite monument we see at the cemetery once began as a piece of rock buried underground.
Civic & War Memorials
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Civic & War Memorials

We have been honored to create many memorials dedicated to those who have served our great nation
Monument Hand Etching
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Monument Hand Etching

This video shows one of our artists hand etching a scene onto a granite monument.
Hand Shaping A Monument
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Hand Shaping A Monument

This video is an example of hand pitching (shaping) of a monument. This is an old process that isn't done in many new monument shops but there are still skilled monument builders in the industry. We opened our doors in 1877 and continue to produce the same level of quality monuments and craftmanship that we started with.
Portrait Etching
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Portrait Etching

Blue Earth Monument Etching a Portrait on a Gravestone
Example of Cemetery Lettering
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Example of Cemetery Lettering

This is an example of how we add a final date to a monument.
Granite monuments over time
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Granite monuments over time

This video explains what text is good to include on a monument and the reasons behind it.
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