Chillicothe Monument helps remember two year old
CHILLICOTHE — Death is something that at some point will touch us all – gently, viciously, tragically…inevitably. No matter the circumstances, the grief that accompanies death is palpable, and for some, is an everlasting, almost unbearable experience. Having worked in the death industry for well over four years, I have had the privilege of spending time with families in varying circumstances to memorialize their loved ones; however, nothing is quite so difficult as parents who have lost a child.
In September of 2023, Diamond and Skylar Nutt tragically lost their little girl; she was only two years old. They came to Chillicothe Monument in search of a monument for her, but were so grief-stricken and broken; like many families, they had no idea where to begin. So much of what we do at first is listen, and on that first day when they visited our Walnut Street location, I listened to them talk about Allaya and how they wanted to be able to sit and visit her every day. They walked the showroom floor and stopped only when they came to a large bench that had a leaning heart. As far as headstones go, benches are in the higher price range, so they told me they would get back with me. It was then that my wheels began spinning and the phrase, “It takes a village,” began to take on entirely new meaning for me.
First, I asked for my owners’ blessing to get the memorial donated. Eric Gunnoe, Dave Strickland, and Justin Long – owners of Chillicothe Monument and Hardy Memorials – gave me the green light to work with all the necessary people to get this little girl a monument. Within two days, the following blessings occurred: I reached out to one of our vendors – Tecstone Granite, out of Columbus, Ohio – asked them to donate the very bench the Nutt family wanted…they generously agreed without hesitation; Hardy Memorials agreed to donate the sandblasting and the labor to set the bench; Gina Perry, owner of LazerCreative in Grove City, Ohio, donated the laser imaging; and an anonymous donor provided the foundation at the cemetery. Though the project itself took four months to complete, the bench was finally installed Feb. 28, 2024, and the Nutt family has a beautiful monument to memorialize their beloved daughter.
It was without hesitation that all of these people came together and gave so generously to make this memoriam a reality for a grieving family. They are beyond grateful and now have a place to sit and remember.
This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: A Place to Sit: Chillicothe Monument helps remember two year old
