Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin Frost
Hi Justin, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In 2016 I started looking into my family history. It was my grandparents 60th wedding anniversary that year and I realized that there was a lot I didn’t know. Throughout the next two years I discussed a lot of things with my grandpa that he knew about our ancestors, stories he had heard and things that his sisters had found back in the 90’s while researching. One day he told me that my 3x great grandfather (the one that came from New York State to Michigan) was buried in Midland at the city cemetery. So I went looking for his grave and found that it was terribly dirty… among many others of my ancestors. At that moment I decided that I wanted to do something to honor their lives and tell their stories. I researched as much as I could to find how to safely and effectively clean gravestones and eventually felt as though I was armed with enough information to give it a go. That next summer I posted the results of my endeavor on my Facebook page and some other local Facebook pages… people that saw the photos started asking if I could do the same thing for their ancestors and it kind of took off. In August of 2020 I started my business Past Preservation LLC
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My biggest struggle was find the information on properly and safely preserving headstones. At first it was quite difficult to find good information until I stumbled across a website that listed all the products and methods that were both safe and effective… after attending some hands on training I decided I was going to do everything in my power to learn as much as I could and make it readily accessible to the general public. Up until then it felt like it was almost a secret that nobody wanted to let out.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in cleaning, repairing and restoring headstones and historic stone monuments. I think what I am most known for is repairing broken headstones and teaching others how to do it the same way I was taught. I am most proud of the fact that I am able to provide this service to my community and those communities around me here in Michigan.
What makes you happy?
Yes! There is nothing I would rather do with my free time! The joy my work brings to people around me and people all around the world is more than enough to keep me going! Helping people make connections to their ancestry and preserving these pieces of history for my children’s generation to enjoy. That’s what it is all about!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/pastpreservation
