Blue Earth County Library

Blue Earth Monument, Inc. is a locally owned family business helping create loving tributes since 1896. Our history goes back even further to 1877 when Maurice Bessinger started Albert Lea Marble and Granite Works located in Albert Lea, MN with his son William expanding to Blue Earth and Winnebago in 1896 while his other son, Frank took over the Albert Lea location. William had a son, Everett who eventually purchased the business from his father along with his partner George Krohn. Gilbert "Gib" Olson became George's partner after Everett retired. Steve Christianson (Gib's step-son) and Harlan Schmitgen purchased the monument business Gib. Current owners, Lori and Mark Maher (daughter and son-on-law of Harlan) became owners in 2008 when Steve retired and became sole owners in 2011 when Harlan retired after 52 years at Blue Earth Monument. In June 2015, we went back to Albert Lea and opened up a new location. Our son, Blane manages the Albert Lea location. So within our history we have had two different families with three generations of memorialists, which demonstrates our knowledge and understanding of listening to families and providing them with what they want at the best possible price. All of our monuments are created with care on our premises by our talented craftsmen. Our design specialists understand that selecting a monument can sometimes seem overwhelming and will work closely with you to create a special memorial for your loved one or for yourself as a pre-need arrangement. Our inside showroom, outdoor display, and online selection provide a number of varied styles, sizes, colors, and ideas for you to choose from. It is our goal to help you select a memorial that you can be proud of.