File:1935 - Jaus - Order form for Hannah Lieske Jaus Head Stone.jpg

The tomestone was purchased on May 3rd, 1935 by Martin Jaus for his wife Hannah. She had died 23 days earlier from Chronic Leukemia on April 10th, 1935.

The headstone was purchased from Delano Granite Works, then located at North River Street, Duluth, MN. The company was sold in the late 1900s, but was owned by the same Gilmer family we see on this order form.

The headstone was likely purchased from the Duluth firm because of the abundance of granite in the area. Prior to the railroad, the use of granite was prohibitive because it was extremely difficult to transport. The Northern Pink Granite Grandpa ordered was both beautiful and the most durable of all headstone material. This remains true to this day.

Styles of the time are evident when studying grave markers. In the case of Hannah's marker we see it is decorated with two urns. They were a popular decoration of the day. The whole study of grave markers is interesting.

Grandpa paid $550 for the headstone and marker. This is the equivalent of about $10,000 in 2017 dollars. He received a $50 discount because he paid the bill before its installation was complete. This was a savings of 8%. On a side note, 8% interest is what would have been charged had he not paid in full. Compare that to the interest rates of today! The order form indicates he was responsible for the foundation on which the tombstone rests.

The style of letters is carborundum. This actually refers to how the letters are on the stone. Some headstones used raised letters. Carborundum refers to the method used to engrave the letters. Carborundum is a very hard stone used for sharpening steel tools and for engraving stone. This is not to be confused with simple etching or chisel engraving.

Labor difficulties and strikes are listed as possible reasons for a delay in delivery and the company may use this as a reason for late delivery of the stone. This is such a short line, yet it highlights the time in American history this happened. America was in the middle of The Great Depression. In 1933 President Franklin Roosevelt proposed The New Deal to Congress. There was an upsurge in strikes, which often failed. In 1935 the National Labor Relations Act and Social Security Act passed and the Committee for Industrial Organization (CIO) formed within the AFL. This was indeed a time of labor unrest.

It wasn't until 1937 that the Auto Workers won a sit-down strike against General Motors in Flint, Mich and the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters won a contract with Pullman Co. Finally, in 1938, the Fair Labor Standards Act established the first minimum wage and 40-hour week.<ref>See more labor history here,</ref> Terri's Dad, Duane Amos, worked for General Motors in Flint for many years. The whole Amos family benefitted from the efforts of these men. I could go so far as to say they were beneficiaries of the Great Depression.

The order form does not indicate what inscription to use on either the headstone or the marker. A reference is made to Design Schmitt 8317. Many stone cutters had a limited number of styles they carved. It is possible the artist's name is somewhere on the headstone, probably below the grass line.

Other Reading

Granite in Duluth

American Gravestones

Carorundum

source:Order form from Myrtle Jaus Meyer collection.

<references/>Delano Granite Works