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Ashes in Stone, owned by Sonoma builder Herman Bojarsky and wife Carol, is a business offering an original way to deal with the death of a loved one. With a choice of molds, from religious figures to animal likenesses and abstract forms, Ashes in Stone blends the cremated ashes of a lost loved one with rock, sand and cement to create a cast stone sculpture that is beautiful, permanent, and weatherproof. Instead of sitting in a box, forgotten on a shelf, the cremated remains become a work of art that can be displayed in the home or garden and seen every day. The piece can give comfort at a time of loss and continuing years of enjoyment as the pain fades and happier memories remain.

"A sculpture with heart," is how one client described the work containing the ashes of her two cats. Children respond powerfully to the idea. "The death of our old cat was especially hard on my sons. Having a stone cat with his ashes inside, something to touch and talk to in the magical way of children, has been a great comfort to them," says Carol Bojarsky of her family's own experience with the death of their 15 year old cat Clifford.

For interested clients, there is an option of bringing the ashes and being present for the pouring of the statue. "Due to the scandals in the industry in the past few years we are very sensitive to the concerns of the bereaved and want to make our process as open, transparent and accessible as possible," says owner Herman Bojarsky.

For Bojarsky, the business has allowed him to merge his years of experience in the construction industry with his artistic leanings and a desire to help people dealing with death. "Death can bring feelings of helplessness and despair. My hope is that by getting involved in the process of selecting a statue and casting the loved one's ashes into a work of art, a bereaved person can find a focus, a way to channel grief into a creative activity. Once made and placed in the environment, the sculpture becomes a living presence that can bring solace and comfort. As time eases the pain of loss, the sculpture becomes a cherished reminder of happy times."

Using ashes in concrete is not a new idea. The Romans used ash from Mount Vesuvius in their concrete. Today engineers are finding that may be why structures such as the Coliseum and the Roman aqueducts are still standing - the ash actually made the concrete stronger. Today its use is recommended by environmentalists since it reduces the amount of cement needed and is used in the form of fly ash, a byproduct of the coal burning industry.