By Sylvia Dunbeck, Class of 1987
Graceland docents have many opportunities to learn more about their favorite cemetery, but usually we have our lectures onsite. This time, however, we went on a tour of Gast Monuments on Peterson Avenue. Jim Gast, fifth generation family member to run the business, together with his wife, son, daughter, gave as an hour and a half of their time explaining the challenges and joys of the monument business. It was an all encompassing visit. We covered multiple aspects of monument designing, from the choice of materials, to the finished decorated piece. It was an enlightening and fun morning, ending with a jolly outdoor lunch at the nearby Fireside Inn.
Editor’s note: Sylvia Dunbeck, 1987, and Jeff Mercer, 1992, are co-tour directors of Graceland Cemetery.
