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About Us

John Heerema was born in Albert Lea, MN. He grew up on a farm and is a 1978 graduate of Blooming Prairie High School. After attending college, John spent several years as a quality control technician for Cybex. In 1986, he started his career in the memorial industry as a monument installer. In 1987, John went into memorial design and has over 26 years of experience serving southern Minnesota and northern Iowa.

 

Barb (Huinker) Heerema was born and raised in Austin MN.  Even though she worked in insurance and banking for many years she has always worked part-time at the store. In 2014 she became a full time staff member at Owatonna Granite & Monument .

 

John and Barb Heerema became the owners of Owatonna Granite & Monument in 2006.  They jointly run the company and have a very hands on approach to the business.  They are also very involved in the local community and truly believe in giving back to make a better community.  They have been members of the Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism since the day they opened the business and have served on boards of different non-profits.  They spend many hours every year volunteering for fundraisers and donating both time and money to important causes in the area.

 

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Testimonials

"John and his staff were wonderful! John listened to me and went out of his way to help me choose the right monument and to design it the way I wanted it. Other places I went treated me like I was buying a used car. I will definitely recommend him to others."

 

"Keep up the great work! The craftsmanship on the stone is excellent. The monument stands out among the others at the cemetery. Thank you very much. I am very pleased."

- Cheryl Kruckeberg

 

"Hi John,

I went to the cemetery Saturday and looked at the stone. It is more beautiful than I anticipated. Thank you so much for your assistance in making this memorial monument just perfect. I love it. Happy holidays to you and your family."

- Kathy Johnson

 

"Thank you again John for all the extras and effort you put into this project. I enjoyed working with you and the friendship that we shared and continue to do. Thanks again John."

- Your friend Harlan Buck

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