Our story started many years ago when I was a child. Our family would always get together at various times throughout the year to visit family members who had passed. We would load into the cars and make the drive to the cemeteries and place flowers or decorations on the graves for the current season or occasion. We would say a prayer, share our longing for them, shed tears at times and inevitably someone would tell a new or old story they remembered. At the time, I never knew the importance of this journey of remembrance. As I became older and was able to understand the “why” we did this. I also learned the emotion and how important this was for those who were left here with their grief. It gave comfort, peace, serenity and a sense of connecting with those loved ones who we could no longer see. I remember the tranquility of the cemetery and the actual beauty the cemetery exuded with all the decorated gravesites. It was so majestic, so dignified, you could almost feel the love of those who created this tapestry. I have continued this practice ever since, taking over for the family members who have joined those at their resting places at the cemeteries.
Fast forward to March 2002. I lost one of the most important and influential people in my life, my mother Rosemarie McCalmont, at only 62 years young. Visting the cemeteries took on a new and odd feeling at that time, but it became even more important and meaningful. The month before, we lost my grandfather and over the next 4 years, we would lose a total of 7 family members. That was the start of the work we perform and the basis of what has become The Cemetery Elves. Over the years we would be asked by others if we could place flowers, wreaths, grave blankets and you name it at their loved one’s graves; we were happy to do it. I would take my lawncare equipment with me and trim, edge and remove any weeds or debris. I would clean the headstones or markers to remove dirt and grass from the cemeteries grass cutting and keep them looking nice.
I would take my grandmother, my mom’s mother, to visit the various graves. At first, she would walk to the graves, then she would hold onto me as we walked, then she needed her walker and then to her dismay she would have to sit in the car and watch me place the flowers and say a prayer. We did this together religiously until she passed on to be with those we honored. Although my grandmother never showed her disappointment of not being able to place flowers at the grave, I could sense it, as if it were my own pain. This was the catalyst for making what we do into a business and giving everyone the ability to pay tribute to those who we lost and cherish.
My wife Sandy and I decided that we would offer these services, that we had always done for our loved ones, to others. We couldn’t be the only family that had experienced these ordeals. Everyone should have the opportunity to celebrate the life of their loved ones and have their gravesite decorated and cared for! So, in June of 2023, we launched The Cemetery Elves as a business. We believe this is a way to give back to our local community members and their loved ones and provide our services with respect, honor and dignity. We have recently launched our website that can be used to purchase an array of options to remember and honor those who we love. We offer many types of services from floral placement, to stone and marker cleaning, to message reading and photographing the gravesite at cemeteries within a 15-mile radius of Freeport, Pennsylvania. Please feel free to reach out to us through any of our contact options. We look forward to the opportunity to provide you with our professional service.