Losing her father 10 years ago was hard enough for Elizabeth Holt.
“My dad did suffer from PTSD and depression – something a lot of soldiers nowadays deal with, or frankly don’t deal with,” Holt said.
Michael Neblett joined the military at age 18 and served his country for 15 years, part of that with the 101st Airborne Division. He died from a drug overdose on Jan. 19, 2012, leaving behind his wife and five children.
“While we will never know why or what his last thoughts were, we will always continue to share the happy moments we all had with him,” Holt said.
In the 10 years since her father’s death, Holt had done her best to take care of his headstone, and her mother’s, but it became too much for her.
She has since turned to Bear in Mind, a personal and professional headstone cleaning and maintenance service.
“Bear in Mind spent time with my loved ones and my father, and made his headstone look like it had just been placed down for the very first time. They also gave my momma a hug for me and sent me a pic of her hugging my momma, which melted my heart. They sent me updates about my family and made me feel very special.”
Headstone restoration and maintenance
Bear in Mind, owned by Jenni Surra and Air Force veteran Vince Surra, does headstone restoration and maintenance, using safe, recommended techniques. They can do one-time or recurring services.
In addition to the headstone, urns and/or statuary are scrubbed. The grass surrounding the headstone will be trimmed, the area will be raked, and if requested, artificial flower arrangements will be created and placed.
Bear In Mind takes extra care not to damage the headstone in any way. “We only use soft bristle brushes to clean headstones and markers. We use eco-friendly biological solutions that are specially formulated to remove environmental pollution, dirt, and stains from mold, mildew, lichen and algae,” Jenni Surra said.
In addition to being safe for the tombstone, their products are safe for the environment and for wildlife. Cleaning services are offered during the spring, summer and fall seasons.
“We strive to ensure your past loved ones are cared for and remembered in a loving, compassionate manner,” Jenni Surra said.
Returning resting places to places of honor
The care they gave made all the difference for Holt in making sure her family’s resting places were places of honor.
“I definitely recommend this company to anyone looking for maintenance of their deceased loved one’s headstones,” Holt said. “They did a phenomenal job. Will be using them in the future!”
Bear in Mind is located at 1860 Wilma Rudolph St., Suite 126-V. They are open by appointment, so call 629-240-9006 Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.