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 Anthony Hollingshead introduced the speaker, Karin Sprague, of Karin Sprague Stone Carvers in Scituate, RI. Karin’s studio is one of the few in the United States that specializes in hand carving stone tributes and memorials. Her memorials are in cemeteries across the country.
Karin described how she evolved from a child fascinated with creating ornate lettering to a photographer, wood carver and, for the past twenty years, a stone carver. Her first headstone, for her father-in-law who was also a stone carver, was described in a Providence Journal article. The article resulted in four commissions and launched her career .
She describes her work as a ministry that depends on compassionate listening. For even the simplest memorial, Karin spends time with the family exploring the essence of the person to be memorialized.
When Karin shared photos of her work it was amazingly clear that she has a unique gift to translate what she hears about a person into a tribute in stone. The headstones are not only beautifully crafted, but amazingly alive and emotional, filled with personal touches and references to nature. She encouraged people to consider commissioning their own headstones and not leave this up to family or friends.
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