The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Time has a funny way of sneaking past you...
One day you’re young, strong, full of life and make your mark... the next, it’s time to rest and hope you are remembered.
For one hundred and thirty years, since 1892, Leyda, Burrus & Metz Monuments in Burlington, Iowa has helped the world remember.
… Remember how hard your Father worked to hold the family farm together, and how beautiful and strong your Mother was when she held his hand and kept him going.
…The song your sister sang to make you smile, and how you sang it back to her when you said goodbye.
…To remember how to stay married for 50 years and how to raise a family that knows how rare that really is.
Leyda, Burrus & Metz Monuments has been serving Southeast Iowa, West Central Illinois and beyond for all of those years... Helping the world remember, by carving stories into stone and keeping them safe.
The history of the company is there. The outstanding 130 year reputation and unique, beautiful craftsmanship stands on it’s own.
Leyda Company, the manufacturer, was formerly located along North 6th Street in Burlington, Iowa, and Burrus & Metz Monuments, was originally located on Jefferson Street in downtown Burlington.
In the 1930’s, Leyda, Burrus & Metz joined as one company and moved all manufacturing and retail sales offices to their current location, on the corners of Oak and Osborn streets in Burlington.
Once a horse stable, the current day LBM features offices, conference rooms, a manufacturing shop where the carving and engraving of their monuments are done by skilled craftsman, and an art studio where Roy Dixon etches unique art into granite memorials.
Even today, traces of the historic company remain in their offices with pieces of furniture, photographs, and even pencils that Misters Leyda, Burrus & Metz used themselves.
Leon Leyda died in 1932. Richard Burrus & Walter Metz continued to run the company after his death.
In the late 1960’s, the men sold the company to Bob Meyers. After a few years, the company was sold to brothers Duane and Ron Sourwine in 1976.
The Sourwine’s owned LBM until 2015, when they retired and sold the company to Amy and Jeff Laue.
Although Amy purchased the company in 2015, she is a veteran in the industry, and worked with the company since 1995, doing everything from clerical work, sales, to crafting and designing granite memorials.
Today, LEYDA, BURRUS & METZ MONUMENTS is the Tri-State area’s ONLY Full-Service Monument Company. An ultra-modern facility, generations of experience, steady year-round sales & production, top designers, craftsmanship unequaled elsewhere in the field, rigid inspection of work at every stage… these are all part of the creation stages and superior expertise of a Leyda, Burrus & Metz Monument.
Owners, Amy & Jeff Laue, along with their team and families, which includes:
Artist Roy Dixon - Hand & lazer etching memories into stone for the past 40 years...
Mike Heitmeier, superior craftsman, designer & Jack of all trades, has been with the company for almost 20 years.
Adrienne & Terrell Wilson - Sales Representatives, serving the Houghton Iowa area families for the past 24 years.
Courtney Allen (Amy & Jeff’s eldest daughter) Designer & Accounting has been with the company for almost 9 years.
Brian Neal - Expert Memorial Installer & Jack of all trades, has been with the company going on three years.
Jorge Rios - Memorial Installer, has been with the company going on a year.
Matt Reynolds, James Houghton, Charles McCabe & Gary Greene - Memorial Installers, have a combined 25 years of service!
Trina Gabeline - Sales Representative, serving the Mediapolis & Wapello Iowa territories for almost 8 years.
Tena Dixon (Artist Roy Dixon’s wife) - Clerical assistant has been with the company for almost 2 years.
Darren Grimshaw - Design & Sales Representative, along with rookie memorial installer has started into his first year of service with LBM Monuments, after retiring with 32 years of dedicated community service from the Burlington Police Department.
Duane & Ron Sourwine - Previous Owners and expert advisers continue to have 92 combined years of service to LBM and their customers!
As well as family and friends who will pitch in to help along the way, whenever called upon.
It definitely takes an army of dedicated employees, family, friends and associates to help memorialize thousands and thousands of families through the past 130 years!
In celebration of their 130th year Anniversary, they are offering very special pricing and financing on in-stock granite memorial stones, now through October 8, 2022.
Whether you are in need of a memorial stone now, or would just like to plan for the future, they are there to help carve your memories into stone.
Stop by their shop at 1500 Osborn Street in Burlington, Iowa and let them show you how!
Jeff and Amy Laue - owners.